In fallout from Kalen DeBoer’s exit, Washington loses projected starting QB, others
SEATTLE – With Kalen DeBoer set to leave for Alabama, some major dominoes have begun to fall for the University of Washington football program, including the program’s projected quarterback for 2024, and their top recruit.
Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers joined a growing list of players attempting to leave the program amid DeBoer’s departure, only weeks after joining the team.
Rogers is the SEC’s career leader in completions with 1,301 over his four seasons with the Bulldogs and set a conference single-season record with 505 completions in 2021. His 12,315 passing yards are second most in conference history, and his 94 passing touchdowns put him fourth among SEC quarterbacks.
He was set to step into Michael Penix Jr.’s shoes as the team’s starting quarterback in 2024 but has entered the transfer portal, according to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports and Max Olson of The Athletic.
Nakos reported that linebacker Ethan Barr has also entered the portal. Barr played the past four seasons at Vanderbilt and finished with 55 tackles in 2023. He committed to UW on Dec. 16 but is seemingly on his way out less than a month later.
A few other players have also decided to skip out on UW in the wake of DeBoer’s departure. Top UW recruit Zaydrius Rainey-Sale has decided to decommit from the program, as the four-star linebacker announced Friday that he is reopening his recruitment just four days after announcing that he would be joining the UW program.
Rainey-Sale, a junior at Bethel High School in Spanaway, Washington, is the top-ranked Class of 2025 player in the state, according to 247sports.com, and is rated as the No. 79 prospect in the country.
He announced his commitment to UW on Monday, the day of UW’s national title-game loss to Michigan, but changed his mind when the DeBoer news broke.
“With the uncertainty surrounding the UW Football program I have decided to decommit and open back up my recruitment. Please respect my decision,” Rainey-Sale said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Defensive back Mishael Powell and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad have both also entered the transfer portal, according to Chris Hummer of 247sports.
Powell and Muhammad were key members of UW’s defense this season, finishing the year with 38 and 46 tackles, respectively, and both finishing the year with a team-high three interceptions.
Powell joined the Huskies out of O’Dea High School in Seattle in 2019. He did not see any game action in his first or second year but became a crucial part of the team’s secondary in 2021. He switched to the “Husky” position last season and was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after returning an 89-yard interception return against Arizona State.
Muhammad will join his third college program after transferring to UW from Oklahoma State in late 2022. Muhammad finished second in the Pac-12 with 20 passes defended and was named to the all-Pac-12 second team. Muhammad was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week and Bednarik Award Player of the Week after totaling two interceptions, a fumble recovery and four pass breakups in UW’s 22-20 late season win over No. 10 Oregon State.
A few UW players decided to weigh in about the DeBoer situation and ensuing fallout on social media, with linebacker Zion Tupuola-Fetui saying on X: “Sometimes we have to be reminded it’s all a business …”
Left tackle Troy Fautanu, who declared for the NFL draft earlier in the week, also commented on the social media website, saying “I’m sick for the boys, man.”
Linebacker Carson Bruener kept his message simple, saying “Wow … just wow.”