THE APEX TIMES
In a preseason exercise that projects impact players for the 2026 season, college football analyst Phil Steele placed two Washington Huskies on his Preseason All-Big Ten Third Team, suggesting clear targets for early production during the Jedd Fisch era.
Phil Steele, a longtime college football analyst known for preseason evaluations, released his Preseason All-Big Ten selections and included two Washington Huskies on the Third Team. The placement matters for Washington’s roster picture because preseason conference teams tend to highlight players expected to contribute quickly, especially for programs working to establish consistent standards under a new head coach.
The Yahoo Sports report framing Steele’s list also emphasizes how Washington is preparing for the 2026 season. Jedd Fisch is identified as the head coach in charge of that preparation, and the article’s central takeaway is that Washington has “promising talent” that could step into bigger roles this fall. Steele’s two Husky selections reinforce the idea that Washington is not being treated as a rebuilding afterthought in Big Ten projections, at least in this specific third-team category.
Still, the same report notes Steele listed just two Washington players across his Preseason All-Big Ten teams. That detail places Washington in a middle tier of expectations within the analyst’s framework. In other words, the recognition is meaningful, but it does not suggest a roster loaded with multiple league-winner candidates, at least based on this preseason voting exercise.
Because the report centers on Steele’s preseason list rather than on game outcomes, it functions more as a spotlight than a verdict. Preseason teams are typically built from prior performance, role forecasts, and the perceived trajectory of players entering a new season. That means the key information is not only that Washington has two players on the list, but also what the coaching staff may be prioritizing as the year’s on-field foundation.
For Washington fans, the practical question is how those preseason expectations translate into repeatable production once practices turn into games. If the two Huskies selected by Steele emerge in prominent roles, it can provide early confidence for the rest of the offense and defense to align around them. If they do not, the preseason respect may fade quickly as opponents gather film and adjust to personnel and scheme.
What to watch next is whether Washington’s preseason-identified contributors can become consistent forces against other Big Ten contenders. Preseason lists are often most useful when they help set internal benchmarks for accountability. In the Big Ten, where weeks of preparation are rewarded with sharper execution, that consistency is what ultimately decides whether a team can rise from “promising” to “established.”
