NEW ORLEANS — While the University of Washington football team prepares for the Sugar Bowl and its College Football Playoff outing against Texas, it can't help but interrupt the proceedings by dealing with the future.
For instance, while the Huskies were practicing on Friday morning, coach Kalen DeBoer was sending out his customized social-media message of him wildly celebrating in the locker room with his players during the season — alerting everyone a commitment was coming without naming him.
Minutes later, former California wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter launched his own post indicating he was joining the Huskies.
With all of that going on, the immediate question that came to mind was could some of the current UW players possibly on the fence on whether to return in 2024 or test the NFL waters be swayed to stay by the influx of all the new talent.
Junior cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, who has a year of eligibility remaining, was an obvious one to ask about these recent developments because he had to cover Hunter this past season.
"These guys are doing a really good job in the portal," Muhammad said of the UW staffers. "[They've] got some really key guys. I see that lineman from Arizona State and this guy from Cal, a really good receiver by the way. I can see him in the purple and gold."
Muhammad, an Oklahoma State transfer himself who arrived in Seattle last winter, has enjoyed a successful UW season, doing his part to make the Huskies 13-0 and a CFP semifinalist while earning second-team All-Pac-12 honors.
In the latter half of September, he went head to head against Hunter in a Husky Stadium game his team won 59-32.
"He's good," the UW cornerback said. "He can beat you in multiple ways, on speed release, put some foot fire at the line and he's an awesome contested-catch guy."
Just hours following Hunter's public disclosure that he was UW-bound, Muhammad was asked would anyone be shocked if he stuck around and was still a college football player next season?
He first laughed out loud, next said, "Hmmmm," and, then following a moment to think about it, Muhammad smiled and said, "No comment."
The cornerback still didn't completely shut down the possibility though it appears he's all but out the door once the season concludes.
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