Latest news with #Huskies
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Washington football lands commitment from fast-rising three-star WR
The Washington Huskies rounded out their wide receivers class on Saturday morning after securing a commitment from three-star prospect Blaise LaVista. LaVista, a product of Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort, Illinois, will have a new quarterback this season, after four-star prospect and USC commit Jonas Williams transferred into the program. At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, LaVista was one of the most successful receivers in the state last year, tallying 60 catches for a state-leading 1,447 yards and 24 touchdowns. Catching passes from Williams, he's also likely to receive a major ratings bump from the 247Sports Composite, which ranked him as the No. 193 receiver in the class and No. 32 player in the state. The Huskies were the first Power Four team to offer the fast-rising prospect after he won Alpha Dog on the first day of the OT7 7-on-7 Finals, and that helped the pass catcher make up his mind. "I just got off the phone with Coach Fisch, I told him I'm going to be a Dawg," LaVista told Scott Eklund on Saturday. "Generally, it comes down to the relationship I have with the staff. They have pushed hard for me from day one. I get a text every day from them. They are asking me about me and my family. It's about everything from football to family, to culture, to education. They really are focused on me and supporting everything that will help me be a better player and person." According to the rising prospect, who chose the Huskies over offers from Akron, Central Michigan, Kent State, and Marshall, among others, several other Power Four programs reached out to him after the Huskies offered, but it was too late. "A lot of Power Four programs called me and were like 'are we too late?'," LaVista added. "I was like, 'Yeah, I know where I want to be', so they didn't offer me, but there were a lot." LaVista is expected to round out a wide receivers class that also includes four-star Mason James and three-star athlete Dre Pollard.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Previewing the Washington Huskies heading into 2025
Following a run to the national championship game in 2023, Washington lost coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama, saw most of its top players move on to the NFL and transitioned to the Big Ten Conference. With many moving pieces, the Huskies dropped to 6-7 last season, an expected regression in their first year led by coach Jedd Fisch. Washington is expected to see improvement this season, with a win total set at 7.5 and a more manageable schedule. Here's a breakdown of the Huskies heading into 2025. 2024 in review Washington sustained its first major set back with a loss to Washington State in the Apple Cup, finishing the nonconference slate 2-1. The Huskies earned impressive wins over Michigan and USC, but also picked up an unexpected loss to Rutgers and lost by multiple scores to Oregon, Penn State and Indiana. The season was capped off with a loss to Louisville in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. Poor offensive line play dragged down a unit with skill position talent, while the defense faced it's share of struggles. Head coach profile Fisch struggled in his first year with the Huskies but previously led a major turnaround at Arizona, guiding the Wildcats from 1-11 in his first season to 10-3 two years later. He finished with a 16-21 record in three seasons in Tucson. Prior to head coaching roles, Fisch has lots of experience as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Top offensive players Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. impressed after taking over the starting role from Will Rogers, and he's earning some offseason hype heading into the season. Williams has explosive play ability and is dangerous with his legs, but if the offensive line play doesn't improve significantly, he may struggle. Joining him in the backfield is running back Jonah Coleman, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last season after following Fisch from Arizona and should continue that success in 2025. At wide receiver, Denzel Boston returns after racking up 63 receptions for 834 yards and nine touchdowns last season. This trio could produce some major offensive firepower if given time to operate. Top defensive player Though he didn't initially follow Fisch to Washington, cornerback Tacario Davis transferred in from Arizona this offseason and has the potential to be the star of the defense. Davis recorded 43 tackles and six passes defended en route to second-team All-Big 12 honors last seaosn. Additionally, he was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented annually to the top defensive back nationally. 2025 schedule
CBS News
5 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
NIU Huskies hope for championship in last year in MAC
The Northern Illinois University football team was at Harry Caray's downtown Thursday on their annual media tour before camp. The Huskies are returning just four starters from last season, which was highlighted by a huge upset of Notre Dame in South Bend. This will also be NIU's last year in the MAC before moving to the Mountain West Conference. Head coach Thomas Hammock said the hard way is the only way forward for Northern. "One thing about players, they can care less if somebody leaves. They can care less if somebody graduates," Hammock said. "As a matter of fact, they hope you leave and they hope you graduate, because that gives them an opportunity to play. What you're going to see is we've got guys in our program that's going to be better than guys that played last year." The players are looking forward to working with their new teammates. "I wouldn't say like a young group, but I mean, definitely some guys that haven't got the, like, on-field, like in-game experience," said offensive lineman Abiathar Curry. "So it's nice to what they'll be able to do, because I feel like we had a great spring." "You know, people don't really know, you know, what we're going to be like because it's just so much change — new coaches, new players — but yeah, we're flying low on the radar for all these other teams, so I think we could use it to our advantage for sure," said receiver Dane Pardridge. Hammock said winning another MAC championship would be the perfect way to go out. "It would mean everything," he said. "I think we wanted a program to have, you know, some of the most MAC championships, and we definitely want to win one this season." Linebacker Quinn Urwiler would like to win a MAC championship too, like his older brother Trey did. "I never got to experience something like it, so I hear, you know, my brother got to experience it when he was here, and he said it was amazing. And honestly, I would be do anything to be able to get there, honestly, and I know a lot of these guys would too — so we all just got to come together, and we'll get there."
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Washington softball legends to face off in Seattle for Athletes Unlimited Softball League
When the Athletes Unlimited Softball League's Seattle series begins on Friday, July 11, a pair of Washington Huskies legends will make their return to the field at Husky Softball Stadium when Baylee Klingler and the Blaze battle Sis Bates and the Volts in front of three sold-out crowds. The two teams have struggled during the first season of the AUSL, with the Volts sitting in third place with a 5-10 record on the season, while the Blaze are sitting in last at 3-12. However, that shouldn't take any luster away from the matchup between the two former Huskies, who have six All-American selections between them. "With more than a dozen appearances in the College World Series and a national championship, the University of Washington boasts one of the most storied histories in all of college softball," former Miami Marlins general manager and AUSL senior advisor Kim Ng said in a press release when the series was announced. "We are looking forward to the AUSL adding to the list of historic moments for the sport that have taken place at Husky Softball Stadium, and for the Seattle fans to provide a great homecoming for Baylee and Sis." Bates, a three-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, has struggled at the plate but starred in the field thus far this year. She holds just a .211 batting average with 4 hits in 19 at-bats, 2 runs batted in, a walk, and a .461 OPS, while boasting a .950 fielding percentage on the infield. Klingler, who was a top-three finalist for USA Softball's Collegiate Player of the Year in 2022, has continued to mash at the plate, just like her Husky career. Her .444 batting average and 1.168 OPS are both among the top five in the league, while she's added 16 hits, 2 home runs, 3 doubles, and 11 RBIs.
Ottawa Citizen
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Hockey Huskies heading on a European excursion
Article content The University of Saskatchewan Huskies are going on a European hockey excursion for the first time since the Hustlin' Huskies days of Dave King. Article content That goes back — way back — to the early 1980s. Article content The Huskies will do a four-game European tour through Hungary and Slovakia, with exhibition games lined up against UTE Budapest, HK Nitra, Ferencvaros Budapest and HK Spišská Nová Ves from Aug. 31 to Sept. 5. Article content Article content 'It's been one of those things that has been in the makings for a while,' Huskies head coach Brandin Cote said. Article content Article content 'The last couple of years, I've wanted to take a look at some of the different things we could do. I know other (U Sports) teams have done it. I know the U of S did it way back when, when Dave King was here, and that's kind of where the thought process came along from a long time ago.' Article content Cote said he spoke with King and other Huskie hockey alumni from that time period about how they enjoyed it. Article content '(King) felt that, at that point of time, it was a good way to bolster the program and thought it really helped them. That was the historical piece of it.' Article content UTE Budapest includes Saskatoon native Keegan Danserou, former Regina Pats forward/defenceman Dyson Stevenson, and former Melville Millionaire and Regina Cougars forward Ian McNulty. Article content HK Nitra has former University of Alberta Golden Bear defenceman Elias Carmichael and former Notre Dame Hound/Kamloops Blazer goalie Dylan Ferguson. Article content Article content HK Spišská Nová Ves has former Saskatoon Blades defenceman Samuel Barcik as well as one-time and Blades draft pick and prospect Jonny Tychonick. Article content Article content Cote noted the Huskies were considering new ways to bring more value to their program. Article content 'I just felt this was a really good opportunity. It helped our recruiting for sure. We're getting three guys from pro hockey who want to continue to play pro hockey once they're done their degrees or whenever that may be; we have other guys on our roster who are more than capable and would like to do that, and experience something like that when they're done with our program. Article content 'To be able to expose them to that and see what it's all about, to maybe get a little bit of exposure when they're over there and meet some people, it just felt like the right time to be able to pull the trigger and do it. It'll be exciting for us,' Cote said.
