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Lawson Makes His Move To Join Well-Utilized UW Freshmen

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 11:49 AM ET

Unwilling to wait for opportunity to come to them, Dezmen Roebuck and Raiden Vines-Bright arrived at the University of Washington and pushed the issue, and became starting wide receivers as freshmen.

Chris Lawson might join them.

Maybe replace one of them.

In these days of anything goes for UW first-year players -- with 13 freshmen drawing game time and four pulling game-opening assignments so far -- the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Lawson from San Francisco is beginning to make his move for serious minutes.

The Huskies used Lawson off the bench in each of the past two games, drawing up specific plays for him in the 38-19 victory over Rutgers that involved quarterback Demond Williams Jr. flipping the ball forward to him in what mirrored fly sweeps yet were ruled as actual passes.

The first one went for a dozen yards on the Huskies' second offensive snap of the evening. The other covered five yards late in the fourth quarter. He was good at the beginning and the end.

"Super talented guy, very, very talented guy," UW offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty said of Lawson. "He's fast, he's super athletic, he's great with the ball in his hads, has got great ball skills. You go down the list of qualities you look for in a great receiver, and he checks almost all of those boxes in a major way."

The only real difference between Lawson and the other young pass-catchers was he was slowed in fall camp by a hamstring pull and other nagging injuries while the others were ready to go.

Vines-Bright and Roebuck each has started four of the six Husky games so far.

Lawson has appeared in three outings while coming off the bench, with his time increasing each time out.

When UW spring football began, Lawson was ahead of the others, with Vines-Bright dealing with injuries and Roebuck still in high school.

Had he maintained his health, Lawson likely would have had a chance to be a starter by now.

"Yeah, I think so," Dougherty said. "Chris and Raiden, throughout spring, when they were healthy, they showed those flashes, where these kids are really talented, different, unique for what you normally see for a freshman."

Once Lawson dropped behind the others, he hasn't let that affect his attitude or his desire to excel.

"Chris Lawson is a great kid," Dougherty said. "He's got great energy about him, he's a competitor. When maybe he makes a mistake or doesn't line up right or the play doesn't go his way, he's hard on himself. He expects a high level of play out of himself."

So Lawson heads into the second half of the regular season for the Huskies in the hunt for more playing time, if not a starting job. Again with UW freshmen, anything goes.

"All three of those kids, again like a broken record, they're all very talented," Doughterty said of his young receivers. "But to play as a true freshman, Demond a year ago and John Mills this year, you also have to have the mental side of it, the mental capacity to go out there and execute in these environments, which is pretty special for a young kid.

"I'm excited for all three of them."

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

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