The Washington Huskies, year after year, seem to develop NFL-caliber performers in their secondary. Washington has stacked pro prospects in the back line of its defense, and it began doing so long before current head coach Jedd Fisch came to Seattle. UW Huskies Wire looked at Washington’s 2026 secondary, which will test USC and its wide receivers.
“Even after losing their two starting cornerbacks to the NFL draft, college football analyst Phill Steele still expects the Washington Huskies to have one of the nation’s best secondaries during the 2026 season. In his preseason projections, Steele ranked secondary coach John Richardson’s unit as the No. 21 grouping of defensive backs in the nation. Led by senior safety Alex McLaughlin, who was an All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2025 after leading the Huskies with 93 tackles in his first year on Montlake, and junior cornerback Emmanuel Karnley, a transfer from Virginia who recorded 8 pass breakups and an interception for the Cavaliers, defensive coordinator Ryan Walters has some experience leading the way.
“Combined with a trio of sophomores in safety Rylon Dillard-Allen, a Freshman All-American in 2025, nickelback Rahshawn Clark, who impressed down the stretch last year after earning the starting job, and cornerback Dylan Robinson, who made five starts as a true freshman, the Huskies are chock full of young talent on the back end. That young talent gives the unit a great chance to outplay its preseason ranking, and Robinson appears to be the key to it all. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound former four-star recruit impressed throughout the 2025 season, recording 16 tackles, 1.5 for loss, a sack, a pass breakup, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery, displaying what the UW coaching staff believes to be a limitless ceiling.”
USC’s receivers have some real question marks this season. Washington will show if the Trojan wideouts are truly ready for prime time.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Washington secondary presents defining challenge to USC receivers
Reporting by Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire | USA TODAY Network
