UW Adds Former Arizona Edge Rusher Davis, Third Player to Follow Fisch

The defender is the son of a former NFL defensive tackle who played in Seattle.

Edge rusher Russell Davis II became the third Arizona player to follow Jedd Fisch to Washington, announcing his decision to transfer on Wednesday following a recent official visit to the school. 

Davis, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound junior and a reserve for two seasons, will add to the Husky pass-rushing personnel that needs replenishing. 

He will follow a pair of Wildcats teammates to Seattle in running back Jonah Coleman and cornerback Ephesians Prysock, both starters last season.

Coming off the bench in 11 games for Arizona, Davis finished with 3.5 sacks among 5.5 tackles for loss, and totaled 16 tackles. He closed the season with a sack in a 38-24 victory over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl. He played in 23 Wildcats games overall in two years, all as a sub.

He's the son of Russell Davis Sr., a nine-year NFL veteran defensive tackle who played for four teams, including the Seattle Seahawks, and won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants.

Both starting UW edge rushers Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui are headed to the NFL and no returning Husky player had more than 2 sacks in 2023, creating job openings on both sides.

The younger Davis will compete for playing time with returnees Zach Durfee, Lance Holtzclaw, Maurice Heims and Voi Tunuufi at the edge positions. 

Tunuufi, a junior, finished with a pair of sacks in 15 games, in a role similar to what Davis held in Tucson, while Holtzclaw, a sophomore, had a sack in the Apple Cup. 

Davis signed with Arizona as a 3-star recruit out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, in the 2022 recruiting class, picking the Wildcats over offers from Boston College, Duke and others. 

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