Huskies Add Offensive Lineman from Sam Houston

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Jan 5, 2026 1:05 PM ET

The University of Washington football team has added its first transfer portal pick-up, with former Sam Houston offensive tackle Kolt Dieterich committing to the Huskies over the weekend, according to his social media accounts.

The 6-foot-6, 310-pound junior from Riesel, Texas (population 1,062) will join the UW with two seasons of eligibility remaining after appearing in 28 games and starting 18.

Similar to Carver Willis who arrived from Kansas State a year ago, Dieterich plays right tackle -- where Drew Azzopardi has started 24 games for the Huskies over the past two seasons -- which means he'll have to be flexible in where he lines up in Montlake.

Dieterich joins the Huskies after experiencing the real highs and lows of Sam Houston football.

This past season, he and his teammates suffered through a miserable 2-10 season -- with wins only over Oregon State (21-17) and Delaware (26-23) -- that left them tied for last place in Conference USA.

Sam Houston, located in Huntsville, Texas, got throttled by Texas (55-0), New Mexico State (37-10) Louisiana Tech (55-14) and FIU (56-16).

In 2024, Dieterich started six of the final seven games for a Bearkats team that went 10-3, finishing up with a 31-26 victory over Georgia Southern in the New Orleans Bowl. One of his team's losses came to UCF and current UW linebacker Xe'ree Alexander, 45-14 in Orlando.

pic.twitter.com/Q8ta2asbkL
— Kolt Dieterich (@dieterich_kolt) January 2, 2026

Dieterich hails from Riesel, Texas, which has a population of 1,062, and sits in the Waco suburbs.

As a full-time starter this past season, he and his team came to the Northwest and won their first game of the season by upsetting Oregon State in Corvallis.

He'll likely provide depth for a UW offensive line that will return four of its five starters in left guard John Mills, center Landen Hatchett, right guard Geirean Hatchett and Azzopardi, and has a 5-star recruit in Kodi Greene coming in to try and replace the graduated Willis at left tackle.

In one ranking, Dieterich was considered the 64th best player available in the transfer portal, though it's not clear how that was determined.

In another breakdown, he emerged from Conference USA as the second-highest graded offensive lineman.

The Huskies will continue searching for additional players, with a cornerback, a wide receiver and a running back at the top of their needs.

The UW has now added one and lost one, with junior linebacker Deven Bryant, a 10-game starter this past season, committing to USC over the weekend.

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

More must-reads: