Washington head coach Jedd Fisch made it clear he’s a firm believer in the value of spring football games, highlighting them as key to fan engagement and player development. Following the Huskies’ well-attended 2025 spring game.
In his second year leading Washington, the coaching staff has been able to concentrate on advancing the roster’s progress, aiming to make a significant leap in the Big Ten after a productive slate of spring practices.
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Fisch made no secret of his support for spring football games, especially in light of several Big Ten programs opting out. As the Huskies concluded their second spring under Fisch, they capped it with a spirited spring game, which the coach saw as both entertaining and instructive.
“I thought it was great,” Fisch said. “I loved having the music playing throughout. I thought we had a really good turnout of people. It gets bigger. It gets more fun.”
Here’s what Jedd Fisch had to say after last night’s spring game pic.twitter.com/tr5mHWAyz7
— Locked On Huskies (@LockedOnHuskies) May 3, 2025
Fisch also noted the added energy from special guests, including Mike Penix Jr. and Donald Butler, as well as efforts to involve other campus teams like gymnastics and soccer.
While schools like Nebraska and USC canceled their spring games—citing concerns like transfer portal tampering and extended postseason fatigue—Fisch criticized the move away from these opportunities.
“We want to keep growing it. We want to make it a celebration of spring football. We also want to be able to get better while we’re doing it,” Fisch said. “So, to me, you go and play a two-hour game… There were probably 85-90 snaps.
“There were interceptions, there were touchdowns, there were tackles, there were fumbles, there were a lot of things you could coach off of. And I don’t know why anyone would want to waste their 15th practice and not be able to coach off of it.”
In a sport where teams are limited to 15 spring practices, Fisch emphasized maximizing each opportunity. For him, a live scrimmage offers real teaching moments, making it an essential part of the offseason.
Offensively, several newcomers earned praise.
“Chris Lawson and Raiden Vines-Bright have both done a really good job as freshmen wide receivers,” Fisch said.
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He also highlighted transfer offensive lineman Carver Willis and returning lineman Geirean Hatchett as key additions. Quarterbacks Demond Williams Jr. and Kai Horton shared first-half duties.
Williams went 5-for-8 for 40 yards but took two sacks. Horton threw two interceptions, including one returned 64 yards by CJ Christian, setting up a 46-yard Grady Gross field goal.
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