Happy Sunday Husky fans. The Huskies had a good game yesterday in their bowl win against Boise State, and it’s clear there are some impressive young players on the roster that made massive impacts on the team this season. Heading into the 2026 class we should see some talented freshman come in and compete for playing time. Last week we looked at the offensive class that signed recently, today let’s look at the defensive class that was brought in:
Along the defensive line the Huskies brought in three talented four star players who should all compete for early playing time. 4 star edge Derek Colman-Brusa was one of the early wins for the coaching staff. Colman-Brusa, who is rated as the 17th best edge in the 2026 country, was being courted by Ohio State and Oregon. The Huskies were able to beat out both programs and keep the top player in-state home. Colman-Brusa is listed as an edge but can grow into an interior player with his 6’5” 270+pound frame. Another massive win for the Huskies on the recruiting trail was landing defensive tackle T.I. Umu-Cais. Umu-Cais, who is projected as an interior defensive tackle, was a priority for the Huskies staff and they had to beat out North Carolina and UCLA for his commitment. The Huskies needed to bolster their talent and depth on the interior of the defensive line and Umu-Cais can be a dominant defensive tackle in college (he’s listed at 6’3” and over 300 pounds). Late in the cycle the Huskies were able to reel in J.D. Hill who was a fast riser in the recruiting circles (he is rated as the 13th best defensive lineman in the country after being ranked as a low 3 star for much of this year). Hill, who has the versatility to play inside or out, is a disruptive force who should allow the Huskies to move him around and create havoc on the defensive line wherever he lines up. I expect all three 4 star players to compete for playing time next year and over the next several years they should all be major factors for the Huskies and elevate the defensive line play.
The Huskies also brought in a couple of 3 star defensive line players who should be able to develop and grow after some time in the program. David Schwerzel, a late addition to the class, is another top in-state player who decided to stay in-state. Schwerzel projects as an inside defensive tackle in college and should be able to grow into his 6’4” frame. Another in-state player that the Huskies brought up on the inside was Ta’a Malu. Malu, who is newer to football, is an intriguing player who has a good frame and can develop much like Schwerzel. Husky fans will probably need to be patient with both Schwerzel and Malu, but after a season or two they could both be pretty solid players for the Huskies.
At linebacker the Huskies are bringing in two lengthy linebackers who are both productive players and prototypical NFL size. One of those players was another in-state player. Ramzak Fruean, who is a super productive linebacker and can play inside and outside (he has a 6’4” frame), was a massive win for the Huskies on the recruiting trail. The Huskies were able to close on Fruean late after he de-committed from UCLA earlier this season. 247sports rated Fruean as the 44th best linebacker in the 2026 class. The other linebacker that the Huskies brought in, and in my opinion is super underrated was Ezaya Tokio. Tokio who also has a 6’4” frame, is another intriguing player who should offer some versatility for the Huskies in their linebacker rotation. It’s pretty clear that the Huskies want to add some more size and length to their linebacker room and both Tokio and Fruean are impressive players who Husky fans should be excited about.
At defensive back the Huskies brought in five defensive backs, which included three 4 star players. The headliners in the defensive back class were safety Gavin Day and Rahsjon Duncan (who can play corner or safety). Both Duncan and Day were massive risers in the recruiting rankings and ended up as top 250 players in the country by 247sports. Day is a longer safety who should fill in the same role as current Husky Alex McLaughlin and looks to be an early contributor for the Huskies. Duncan on the other hand projects as more of a roaming safety or true cover corner who plays with a chip on his shoulder. When you watch the film of both Day and Duncan you can see how violent and impactful they are on the field (both should excite Husky fans).
Cornerback Jeron Jones, who was the third 4 star defensive back in the class, is another impressive player in the class who had massive production on one of the top California teams. Jones projects as more of an outside cover corner who can lock down his side of the field. The Huskies also signed Elijah Durr, another in-state player who won the Gatorade state player of the year this season. Durr, projects as another outside cornerback and has good size for the position (he’s listed at 6’1” and around 170 pounds). Ksani Jiles was the fifth defensive back that the Huskies signed in the class. Jiles is another versatile player who can play safety or cornerback for the Huskies down the road. Listed at 6’0” and around 180 pounds Jiles should give the Huskies some options with his versatility for the Huskies (The Huskies were able to bring him in from IMG Academy in Florida).
The 2026 defensive class is a very impressive set of players who by themselves could fill out an entire starting 11 if the Huskies needed them to play. The Huskies added a massive infusion of talent, size, and physicality that will be a welcome addition next season for the Huskies. I expect several of these players to compete if not start at some point next season and Husky fans should be excited to see them in P&G.