Washington receiver Rashid Williams works out with the offense at spring football practice Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at Husky Stadium in Seattle. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
1 of 3 | Washington receiver Rashid Williams works out with the offense at spring football practice Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at Husky Stadium in Seattle. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
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By
Percy Allen
Seattle Times staff reporter
Admittedly, Washington’s first spring football practice without Denzel Boston, the Huskies’ top receiver the past two seasons, was a little strange.
“I just miss my guy,” said Kevin Cummings, UW’s third-year receivers coach and pass-game coordinator. “Just the jokes that we have on the sideline between plays and talking through stuff. I miss having him around, but we got guys that are ready to step up, so I’m excited about that.”
While Boston prepares for the upcoming NFL draft where he’s expected to be first-round pick, the two Huskies he once mentored are following his footsteps and hoping to fill the gaping hole he left in the offense.
“Just stay on track,” sophomore Dezmen Roebuck said when asked what advice Boston gave him. “There’s going to be a lot of outside noise. Just keep your head down, grind and just focus on ball.”
Boston also counseled junior Rashid Williams and told him to take command of the receiving corps.
“He said you’re the leader of the room now,” Williams said. “Just keep that positivity going with the young guys and teach them what they need to (know).”
After a week of practice, Roebuck and Williams have emerged as the top two receiving options for quarterback Demond Williams Jr.
Roebuck is showing no signs of a sophomore slump after compiling one of the best true freshman seasons at UW when he made 42 catches for 560 yards receiving and seven touchdowns during 10 games in 2025.
Next season, he’ll play primarily at slot, the position where he racked up 352 career receptions and set a state record at Marana High in Arizona before being named the Arizona Gatorade State Player of the Year as a senior in 2025.
“You definitely have to be (tough). You can’t be soft,” Roebuck said. “You got to go in and dig out safeties. You catch the ball and get hit by linebackers. If you go in with a soft mindset, you’re not going to succeed.”
“My main focus is catching the rock. When I see the ball, I really don’t care who it is. It can be Ray Lewis. It could be anybody over there. As long as I see the ball in my area, I’m going to go and catch it.”
Cummings doesn’t doubt Roebuck’s toughness, but it remains to be seen if the 5-foot-11 and 184-pound pass-catcher can build on a great start at UW.
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“The biggest thing for Dez is how explosive can he be?” Cummings said. “We know he’s going to be in the right spot. We know he’s going to make the catch. Can he turn a 6-yard shallow into a 40-yard gain. Can he be that explosive player that we can give the ball to in short space like Jacob Cowing who we had at Arizona. Give it to him on a short route, and turn it into a 40-yard, 50-yard explosive play.”
Meanwhile, Williams is attempting to reclaim a once-promising collegiate career that was derailed by collarbone and hand injuries last season.
“The lowest point was getting injured again after my collarbone,” said Williams who started the first two games in 2025 before suffering the season-ending injury during a Sept. 6 game against UC Davis. “It was pretty hard for me just trying to work back and get my collarbone strong and stuff. And then at practice, something bad happened.
“When I saw it starting to change a little bit was toward the end of the season while I was getting out of my cast. I was able to lift weights and do everything a little bit normal with my left hand.”
The 6-1 and 200-pound Brentwood, Calif. native, who has played in 17 games over the past three seasons with the Huskies, is taking a leadership role for UW’s young receivers Chris Lawson, Jordan Clay, Mason James and Kennesaw State transfer Christian Moss.
“It’s just time,” Williams said. “I’ve been here for a while and with the younger guys it’s easy to just coach them up if they mess up or anything like that.”
Cummings added: “When you have a new room, you got to kind of figure out who those (leaders) are going to be. And so early on, I talked to Rashid, I talked to Chris Lawson and I talked to Dez Roebuck. I was like, ‘You guys have to be the guys for me that are giving these guys the pointers on the side.’ So, to (see) Rashid doing that is great.”
Washington was in a neck brace and wore sweatpants and a T-shirt while posing on the sideline for a few photos with fans.
Freshmen Brian Bonner Jr. and Ansu Sanoe and redshirt freshman D’Aryhian Clemons also shared the ball-carrying duties.
— Sophomore defensive tackle Omar Khan appeared powerful and explosive while plowing through the offensive line to register back-to-back tackles for loss during a team drill against the second-team offense.
— It was a tough day for kickers C.J. Wallace and Hunter McKee who each missed two field-goal attempts at the end of practice from about 43 yards out. All four attempts sailed wide left.
Percy Allen: pallen@seattletimes.com. Percy Allen is a sports reporter for The Seattle Times, where he writes about the University of Washington Huskies men’s and women’s basketball teams and the Seattle Storm.
1 of 3 | Washington receiver Rashid Williams works out with the offense at spring football practice Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at Husky Stadium in Seattle. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
Skip Ad
By
Percy Allen
Seattle Times staff reporter
Admittedly, Washington’s first spring football practice without Denzel Boston, the Huskies’ top receiver the past two seasons, was a little strange.
“I just miss my guy,” said Kevin Cummings, UW’s third-year receivers coach and pass-game coordinator. “Just the jokes that we have on the sideline between plays and talking through stuff. I miss having him around, but we got guys that are ready to step up, so I’m excited about that.”
While Boston prepares for the upcoming NFL draft where he’s expected to be first-round pick, the two Huskies he once mentored are following his footsteps and hoping to fill the gaping hole he left in the offense.
“Just stay on track,” sophomore Dezmen Roebuck said when asked what advice Boston gave him. “There’s going to be a lot of outside noise. Just keep your head down, grind and just focus on ball.”
Boston also counseled junior Rashid Williams and told him to take command of the receiving corps.
“He said you’re the leader of the room now,” Williams said. “Just keep that positivity going with the young guys and teach them what they need to (know).”
After a week of practice, Roebuck and Williams have emerged as the top two receiving options for quarterback Demond Williams Jr.
Roebuck is showing no signs of a sophomore slump after compiling one of the best true freshman seasons at UW when he made 42 catches for 560 yards receiving and seven touchdowns during 10 games in 2025.
Next season, he’ll play primarily at slot, the position where he racked up 352 career receptions and set a state record at Marana High in Arizona before being named the Arizona Gatorade State Player of the Year as a senior in 2025.
“You definitely have to be (tough). You can’t be soft,” Roebuck said. “You got to go in and dig out safeties. You catch the ball and get hit by linebackers. If you go in with a soft mindset, you’re not going to succeed.”
“My main focus is catching the rock. When I see the ball, I really don’t care who it is. It can be Ray Lewis. It could be anybody over there. As long as I see the ball in my area, I’m going to go and catch it.”
Cummings doesn’t doubt Roebuck’s toughness, but it remains to be seen if the 5-foot-11 and 184-pound pass-catcher can build on a great start at UW.
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Skip Ad
“The biggest thing for Dez is how explosive can he be?” Cummings said. “We know he’s going to be in the right spot. We know he’s going to make the catch. Can he turn a 6-yard shallow into a 40-yard gain. Can he be that explosive player that we can give the ball to in short space like Jacob Cowing who we had at Arizona. Give it to him on a short route, and turn it into a 40-yard, 50-yard explosive play.”
Meanwhile, Williams is attempting to reclaim a once-promising collegiate career that was derailed by collarbone and hand injuries last season.
“The lowest point was getting injured again after my collarbone,” said Williams who started the first two games in 2025 before suffering the season-ending injury during a Sept. 6 game against UC Davis. “It was pretty hard for me just trying to work back and get my collarbone strong and stuff. And then at practice, something bad happened.
“When I saw it starting to change a little bit was toward the end of the season while I was getting out of my cast. I was able to lift weights and do everything a little bit normal with my left hand.”
The 6-1 and 200-pound Brentwood, Calif. native, who has played in 17 games over the past three seasons with the Huskies, is taking a leadership role for UW’s young receivers Chris Lawson, Jordan Clay, Mason James and Kennesaw State transfer Christian Moss.
“It’s just time,” Williams said. “I’ve been here for a while and with the younger guys it’s easy to just coach them up if they mess up or anything like that.”
Cummings added: “When you have a new room, you got to kind of figure out who those (leaders) are going to be. And so early on, I talked to Rashid, I talked to Chris Lawson and I talked to Dez Roebuck. I was like, ‘You guys have to be the guys for me that are giving these guys the pointers on the side.’ So, to (see) Rashid doing that is great.”
RB Washington in neck brace
Sophomore running back Jordan Washington, who suffered an injury during Saturday’s practice at Husky Stadium and taken by ambulance to nearby UW Medical Center, made a brief appearance at Tuesday’s workout.Washington was in a neck brace and wore sweatpants and a T-shirt while posing on the sideline for a few photos with fans.
He posted a picture on his social media account that read: “Thank you God and the UW community. So grateful to be a dawg! Best family to be a part of! Thankful for my coaches and staff in walking this journey with me, most loving staff to be a part of!”Thin RB group splits duties
Without Washington and seniors Jayden Limar (ankle) and Trey Cooley (knee), who will miss spring drills due to injuries, the Huskies leaned heavily on redshirt freshman Quaid Carr who worked extensively with the offensive starters.Freshmen Brian Bonner Jr. and Ansu Sanoe and redshirt freshman D’Aryhian Clemons also shared the ball-carrying duties.
Extra points
— During a team drill against the defensive starters, quarterback Williams Jr. efficiently drove the Huskies to the goal line on a six-play drive that included a dart to tight end Decker DeGraaf for a long gain. The two tried to connect again on third down, but the play was broken up near the sideline.— Sophomore defensive tackle Omar Khan appeared powerful and explosive while plowing through the offensive line to register back-to-back tackles for loss during a team drill against the second-team offense.
— It was a tough day for kickers C.J. Wallace and Hunter McKee who each missed two field-goal attempts at the end of practice from about 43 yards out. All four attempts sailed wide left.
Percy Allen: pallen@seattletimes.com. Percy Allen is a sports reporter for The Seattle Times, where he writes about the University of Washington Huskies men’s and women’s basketball teams and the Seattle Storm.