How Former Huskies Have Fared Elsewhere

Nearly 30 former UW football players are out there competing for new teams.

Jay'Veon Sunday and Taj Davis scored touchdowns their first time out with their new teams. Myles Murao not only plays a new position, he's a starter now. And Emeka Megwa appears to have finally made his long-awaited college debut.

Those were just a few of the developments for two and a half dozen former University of Washington football players who transferred out and are competing elsewhere across the college landscape.

Sunday, a 6-foot, 201-pound sophomore running back who wears No. 0 for FCS Abilene Christian, came off the bench and rushed 14 times for 76 yards with a 12-yard touchdown scamper in a 31-11 home victory over Northern Colorado.

In that same game in Texas, former UW quarterback Jacob Sirmon started behind center for the opposing Big Sky Bears and completed 18 of 32 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.

Davis caught a 4-yard scoring pass in his first outing for the California Bears in a 58-21 victory over North Texas and finished with 4 catches for 36 yards in Berkeley.

In that game, former Husky linebacker Jackson Sirmon, Jacob's cousin and a returning All-Pac-12 selection, topped Cal with 8 tackles, including a sack.

The 6-foot-3, 320-pound Murao, who was a third-teamer when he left the UW following spring football practice, started at right tackle in San Diego State's opening wins over Ohio and Idaho State — as one of three former Huskies in the opening lineup for the Mountain West team. The oft-injured Murao primarily was an offensive guard and center in Montlake.

He was joined as a first-teamer by former UW tight end Mark Redman and outside linebacker Cooper McDonald. Redman hauled in touchdown catches of 13 and 4 yards in the Aztecs' season-opening 20-13 victory over Ohio, and has a collective 7 catches for 80 yards on the season. In two games, McDonald has 5 tackles, which include 1.5 sacks, and a pass break-up.

Oklahoma records show Megwa, the former Husky running back, played in the Sooners' 73-0 opening win over Arkansas State but didn't register any stats — one of 89 on the team who pulled game snaps. The 6-foot, 207-pound sophomore was once a scholarship player who never even practiced at the UW after injuring a knee in high school and having multiple surgeries and is now a walk-on for his new team.

The 6-foot-4, 320-pound Victor Curne, a two-year UW starter at right tackle before losing his job last season and leaving, was a first-teamer for Mississippi in its 73-0 victory over Mercer.  

Two former Huskies were in the starting lineup on defense for Hawaii in its first two outings: defensive tackle Kuao Peihopa and safety Meki Pei. Peihopa, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound sophomore from Makakilo who was suspended and left the UW in 2022, had 2 tackles in each game as the Rainbow Warriors lost 35-28 to Vanderbilt and 37-24 to Stanford. Pei, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound junior from Honolulu who was a UW walk-on and has a scholarship now, supplied 3 tackles in each game.

Linebacker MJ Tafisi, now a 6-foot, 250-pound senior, topped Utah State with 12 tackles, including three for lost yards, in the Aggies' season-opening 24-14 loss at Iowa. He's in his second season with the Mountain West team after leaving the Huskies at midseason in 2021.

Place-kicker Tim Horn, who also transferred out of the UW with the 2021 season still in progress, came up with his first field goal for Rice, a 43-yarder, plus an extra point in the Owls' opening 37-10 loss at Texas.

Former Husky linebacker Daniel Heimuli was a season-opening starter for Arizona :: Zachary BonDurant/USA TODAY Sports

Former Husky wide receiver Sawyer Racanelli, after sitting out last season at Montana with a knee injury, was in the starting lineup and caught a pass for 26 yards in the Grizzlies' 35-20 victory over Butler at home.

Austin Osborne, an ex-UW wide receiver who missed most of last season with an upper-body injury, returned to the starting lineup for Bowling Green and caught 2 passes for 15 yards in a 34-24 loss at Liberty.

Tight end Caden Jumper, who transferred from the UW following last season, made his debut in Murray State's second game, a 56-0 loss to Louisville.

Former Husky quarterback Sam Huard got off to a promising start for Cal Poly, completing 24 of 42 passes for 364 yards and a score in the Big Sky team's 27-10 victory over San Diego.

Elsewhere in the Pac-12, former Husky edge rusher Laiatu Latu — again, why was he medically retired in Montlake? — opened with 3 sacks among his 4 tackles, plus a forced fumble, in UCLA's 27-13 win over Coastal Carolina. Ex-UW quarterback Ethan Garbers drew the start and completed 10 of 17 passes for 121 yards and a TD with a pair of interceptions. Yet another former Husky QB, Colson Yankoff, played special teams for the Bruins and provided a tackle.

Former Husky starting defensive tackle Taki Taimani, a sub for a second straight season at Oregon, supplied a pair of tackles in the Ducks' 81-7 win over Portland State.

At USC, ex-Husky cornerback Jacobe Covington, a part-time starter last season but now coming off the bench, had 3 tackles combined in the Trojans' opening wins over San Jose State and Nevada.

For Utah, one-time UW linebacker Josh Calvert played in reserve in the Utes' 24-11 opening win over Florida at home.

Linebacker Daniel Heimuli, who left the UW last season after getting suspended, was a season-opening starter for Arizona and had a tackle and a forced fumble in the Wildcats' 38-3 victory over Northern Arizona.

In a battle of Texas schools, UTEP beat Incarnate Word 28-14 in what could have been matchup of former Husky running backs. However, Caleb Berry is no longer on the roster for IWU and Aaron Dumas, returning to his El Paso hometown, didn't play in this game for the Miners.  

Also, former Husky edge rusher Sav'ell Smalls didn't play in Colorado's season opener at TCU, nor did defensive backs Zakhari Spears and Cam Williams for Connecticut and Georgia Southern, respectively, wide receiver Lonyatta Alexander Jr. for Montana State or linebacker Demario King at Old Dominion.

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