Huskies Will Go Without Willis, Durfee against Maryland

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Oct 4, 2025 1:42 PM ET

As anticipated, the University of Washington football has lost the services of pivotal starters in offensive tackle Carver Willis and edge rusher Zach Durfee, both injured against Ohio State and ruled out of Saturday's game at Maryland.

Also, senior cornerback Tacario Davis was listed as questionable and could miss his third consecutive game, unable to bounce back from a rib injury.

Freshman linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale was ruled out of this game after participating in UW practice this past week without limitations. He's recovering from offseason knee surgery.

The status of each UW player was spelled out on the pregame Big Ten availability report released two hours before kickoff.

The good news is neither Willis nor Durfee appears to have an injury that would end their seasons.

Willis, a 6-foot-5, 312-pound senior from Durango, Colorado, and Durfee, a 6-foot-5, 258-pound senior from Dawson, Minnesota, each started the Huskies' first four games.

A Kansas State transfer brought in to provide an anchor at left tackle for the rebuilt UW offensive line, Willis suffered a knee injury near the end of the first half of last weekend's 24-6 loss to top-ranked Ohio State.

He appeared to be in significant pain while trainers attended to him, but he walked off the field under his own power. He didn't return.

Durfee likewise was injured in the opening half, suffering an elbow issue that led to him leaving the field, meeting with a trainer and not playing again that day.

A starter for the first two games, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Davis suffered a rib injury against UC Davis when he fully extended his body to make an interception only to land on the football. He's a transfer from Arizona.

Max McCree, a 6-foot-6, 302-pound senior from Kansas City who started five games in 2024, was a likely candidate to replace Willis, provided the coaching staff didn't move freshman standout John Mills, a four-game starter at left guard, to the outside slot.

Isaiah Ward, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound junior edge rusher from Ontario, California, seemed most likely to replace Durfee in the opening lineup. Ward started six games for the Huskies in 2024.

Another edge-rusher starting option is 6-foot-5, 295-pound senior Deshawn Lynch, who started four games for the UW last season and is healthy again after missing the first two outings of this season.

Dylan Robinson, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound freshman cornerback from La Verne, California, was expected to replace Davis in the opening lineup for the second consecutive week. He made his first career start last weekend against Ohio State.

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

More must-reads: