Huskies Took Chances on Injured Portal Players

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Apr 29, 2026 8:09 PM ET

One look at the transfer portal players brought in for University of Washington spring football and a question comes to mind: did anyone check their warranties?

That's because of the 14 newcomers added to the roster, eight have missed either all or a large chunk of practice time.

The portal has been like an old record shop for which it's buyer beware for customers picking through recycled albums or compact discs and looking for scratches and skips.

Down to a walk-through practice and Friday night's Spring Game, the Huskies chose to take on a number of players recovering from injuries who wouldn't be available to them for some time, but the coaching staff still felt it was worth the wait.

Five players who have been hands off for all or nearly all of the spring workouts are running backs Trey Cooley from Troy (knee) and Jayden Limar from Oregon (ankle), defensive tackle Kai McClendon from Mississippi State (knee), offensive lineman Kolt Dieterich from Sam Houston State (unspecified) and wide receiver Christian Moss (unspecified) from Kennesaw State.

Cooley and McClendon -- who missed the entire 2025 football season at their previous schools -- could be eventual starters.

Dieterich actually has taken part in some drills but for the last hour of each practice he's pulled off his jersey and shoulder pads and typically spends the remaining time running or stretching usually with injured starting center Landen Hatchett.

Other transfers who have missed corresponding amounts of practice time are edge rusher Logan George of Ohio State, wide receiver Bodpegn Miller from Ohio State and cornerback Manny Karnley from Virginia, each with an unspecified injury.

Transfers at every-down positions spared from any health setbacks and readily available to the Huskies throughout April have been back-up quarterback Elijah Brown from Stanford and defensive tackles DeSean Watts from Sacramento State and Darin Conley from Ball State.

Add to them each of the special-teamers culled by the UW from the portal in kicker Tyler Robles from Texas State, punter Hunter Green from San Diego State and kicker Hunter McKee from Eastern Washington, all guys who typically don't take part in contact.

On thing in the Huskies' favor has been their stated lack of dependence on the portal to make the program operational, that they were only looking for pieces to fill in lineup holes.

Recognizing that injuries are part of the game, the UW has been more than willing to wait on these compromised players to get their bodies whole again.

Everyone appears to be making strides, such as Limar getting rid of his protective boot and McClendon dumping his cane, and are expected to be ready to participate in fall camp and compete for playing time.

This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: