UW's Evans, McCutcheon Won't Play Against UC Davis

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 8:24 PM ET

At the University of Washington, football injury reports usually come in bits and pieces. Nothing is offered unless a specific question is asked about someone's well-being.

Such was the case on Thursday with Husky coach Jedd Fisch, who said that senior wide receiver Omari Evans, the Penn State transfer, and senior nickelback Dyson McCutcheon won't play in Saturday night's game against UC Davis.

No other names were brought up, but in prior conversations Fisch suggested players coming off offseason surgery -- such as senior linebacker Jacob Manu, junior defensive tackle Jayvon Parker and freshman linebacker Zadrius Rainey-Sale -- won't return any sooner than the Apple Cup against Washington State on Sept. 20 in Pullman following a bye.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Evans, who played against the Huskies in 2024, came to Montlake with high expectations and caught a couple of touchdown passes in his first spring football practice.

However, he's now spent much of his time at the UW in an injured state, missing much of fall camp and then last weekend's opener against Colorado State.

The Killeen, Texas, product played in 16 games for Penn State in 2024, starting six, and he finished with 21 catches for 415 yards and 5 touchdowns, including a score in the CFP quarterfinals against Boise State.

Considered the Huskies' fastest wide receiver, Evans is said to have a soft-tissue leg injury, according to his coach, which would involve ligaments, tendons or muscle rather than bone, The receiver was practicing this week.

"He looked OK, but we're probably keeping him out for another week," Fisch said in his final press briefing on Thursday.

The 5-foot-11, 182-pound McCutcheon, a nickelbck with an unspecified injury, missed the season opener against Colorado State, which would have been a sentimental game for him for family considerations.

His grandfather, Lawrence McCutcheon, was a legendary NFL and Colorado State running back who was a five-time Pro Bowl selection. The older McCutcheon likewise played in Seattle, spending the 1980 season with the NFL Seahawks -- a couple of decades before Dyson was born.

This third-generation McCutcheon from Claremont, California, and a Jimmy Lake recruit, has appeared in 24 UW games, including 12 of 13 last season, all as a reserve or special-teams player.

He had hoped to battle sophomore Leroy Bryant and redshirt freshman Rahshawn Clark for the starting nickel job, but fell behind in the competition, even before his health issues got in the way.

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

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