Husky Freshman Julian McMahan Is Big Fish in Big Ten Pond

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Apr 21, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The regular dispatches coming out of University of Washington spring football practice have alerted everyone to the continuous developments involving all of the running backs, who each seem to be engaged in a can-you-top-this mindset.

That Jonah Coleman has dropped 14 pounds and 2.5 percent in body fat, resembles a GQ model with his chiseled abs and is so much faster than his simply punishing self last season.

That Adam Mohammed, with his ripped biceps and rugged ball-carrying style, normally would be the Huskies' starting running back right now if not for Coleman choosing to not enter next week's NFL draft.

That Jordan Washington, with his scintillating 60-yard touchdown burst two weeks ago, is more than 20 pounds heavier but still might have more speed than anyone on the roster, Demond Williams Jr. included.

Who you probably don't know much or anything about, unless you were at last Thursday's practice on the East Field, is freshman Julian McMahan.

Midway through the workout, this hulking runner took a handoff and went bouncing off defenders for a 15-yard run that drew loud howls and all sorts of improvised nicknames coming from his offensive teammates for the sheer power of the play.

"He's a big boy," UW coach Jedd Fisch said.

On the following play, McMahan showed off a little athleticism by pulling in a Dash Beierley pass that was way over his head.

Finally, a few plays later, this San Ramon, California, product simply split out all the way to the right sideline like a wide receiver, presenting an imposing look for any self-respecting cornerback to deal with.

McMahan stands 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds.

Asked if that was too much size for the first-year player, Fisch readily disagreed.

"No, no such thing -- not in the Big Ten," the Husky coach said. "No such thing. We like him big. We want him to be big and strong."

Hard to bring down, McMahan rushed for 1,436 yards and 20 touchdowns for Monte Vista High School east of San Francisco, including 307 yards in a playoff game against Bishop O'Dowd. He played linebacker. He also was a sprinter on the track team.

New safety Alex McLaughlin, a Northern Arizona transfer with a reputation for being a physical player, took the easy way out against McMahan two weekends ago. Rather than squarely hit the freshman and try to cause a fumble, McLaughlin simply fan in, stole the ball out of his hands and kept on going.

Just a minor setback for McMahan, who certainly isn't a one-off player for the Huskies in stature, according to the team leader.

"There's guys who are out there that are big guys that we're looking for," Fisch said. "We're constantly looking for the big running backs. We're always going to do that."

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

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