Russell Davis Provides Huskies with Late-Season Reinforcement

The Arizona transfer made his UW edge rusher debut in the win over USC.

Russell Davis II draws instruction from defensive coordinator Steve Belichick. / Skylar Lin Visuals

In the ninth game of the season, on the seventh play of the second quarter against USC, almost unnoticed if you were intent on watching the ball, something beneficial took place for the University of Washington football team.

The Huskies picked up a defensive reinforcement and put him to work.

They sent Russell Davis II onto the field for his UW edge rusher debut, one significantly delayed by a lower-body injury incurred in fall camp.

They finally got to utilize the son of Russell Davis, the former nine-year NFL veteran, the former Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle and a Super Bowl champion, hoping to benefit from that football DNA.

"We'll be able to use Russell Davis the rest of the year," UW coach Jedd Fisch concurred, referring to the younger one.

The Arizona transfer, who appeared in 23 games while in Tucson, often was paired at edge rusher against USC with former Wildcats teammate Isaiah Ward as they brought outside pressure.

Against USC, Davis didn't register any stats, but in a half-dozen plays he bent back Trojans offensive tackle Elijah Paige more than once and pushed him backward.

"You could see he wore out that tackle a little bit at times," Fisch said.

While Husky followers might not readily know this guy, USC had to remember Davis from a previous encounter. He had 1.5 sacks against the Trojans last season in a 43-41 triple-overtime loss in Los Angeles.

Davis, who was a toddler presumably living in Seattle when his father played for the Seahawks in 2006, often was the first player who came out for UW spring football practice, daily walking through Husky Stadium and soaking up his new football surroundings.

Arizona edge rusher Russell Davis II (99) mixed it up with UTEP tight end Zach Fryar (87) in their 2023 game. / Zachary BonDurant-Imagn Images

Injured in fall camp, the junior showed up in a UW uniform for the first time for the fifth game at Rutgers, but still wasn't fully recovered. The same held true for games against Michigan and at Iowa, where he dressed but watched.

Fisch could have used Davis at Indiana, but he chose to keep him out in order to limit him to four games and preserve his redshirt status going forward, giving him two more seasons to play for the Huskies.

If there's been a benefit to his time off, the 6-foot-3, 234-pound Davis has put on more than 20 pounds since arriving in Montlake and he's up 44 pounds since becoming a college player three years ago, according to his coach.

Russell Davis II (99) and Isaiah Ward (91) played at Arizona and came to the UW together. / Skylar Lin Visuals

While the Huskies have a lot of veteran edge rushers on hand, they've come up with just 9 sacks in nine games, a somewhat disappointing number, with that total diluted by the season-long injuries that have greatly restricted touted junior Zach Durfee from playing.

Davis, with his track record and family genes, should be a notable addition to the edge.

"He'll help us," Fisch promised.

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