Washington’s defense is losing two players to the transfer portal who each started multiple games this season. Linebacker Deven Bryant was a team leader in tackles for much of the season. But a crowded position group began to surpass him in the late part of the season. At defensive back, Leroy Bryant played significant snaps as the starter early on in 2025. But he became a reserve in the second half of the year, prompting him to evaluate his options elsewhere.
Washington Transfer Portal Updates
LB Deven Bryant
The linebacker room at Washington is setting up to become one of the more competitive position groups on the roster next season. It will include Jacob Manu, who’s returning next year to play out his final year of eligibility. Buddah Al-Uqdah will be back after a season-ending injury in 2025. Xe’ree Alexander’s impact to the defense in the back half of the season will make it very difficult not to project him as a starter next season. And then there’s the returning production of Zaydrius Rainey-Sale, who also had a strong second half of the year after returning to full strength. We can’t rule out the potential of Jonathan Epperson and Donovan Robinson Jr., who will each be redshirt freshmen next season.
That congestion left Bryant, who started 10 games for Washington in 2025, considering his options. It was reported before the LA Bowl kicked off that Bryant did not travel with the team to Los Angeles and would be entering the transfer portal. Bryant finished the season as Washington’s third-leading tackler with 63 total. After starting all year, he played in just 56 snaps in the final two regular-season games. Instead, Alexander and Manu started at UCLA. Alexander and Rainey-Sale started in the regular season finale against the Ducks.
Bryant, listed at 5’-11”, doesn’t have the length of Alexander (6’-2”) and Rainey-Sale (6’-3”). The Husky coaching staff continues to prioritize that on its defense, and Jedd Fisch spoke to that on Signing Day in early December. “Those are certainly prerequisites for our program,” Fisch said, discussing versatility, physicality, and length. “We have shown historically that we like longer players if we can get them.” The Huskies signed a pair of 6′-4″ linebackers to their 2026 class in Ramzak Fruean and Ezaya Tokio. For Bryant, this tendency was a likely factor in his limited playing time late in the year. He’ll have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
DB Leroy Bryant
The other Bryant to enter the portal also started several games in 2025. Leroy Bryant opened the season as the first-team nickelback on the depth chart. He ended up starting five of the first six games, two of which were at outside cornerback. After an early-season injury to Tacario Davis, Bryant played 43 snaps at outside corner against UC Davis and Washington State combined. At Washington State, Bryant had his toughest game. He allowed seven catches on seven targets, 117 receiving yards, and a touchdown. He played 26 snaps at corner in the Huskies’ road victory. But after that game, Bryant would only play four snaps outside until the bowl game.
In the LA Bowl, Bryant had a bounce-back performance that rewrote the perception of how he plays the outside corner spot. Of his 31 defensive snaps against Boise State, 28 of them were at outside corner (his most of the season). In that game, Bryant allowed just one catch on three targets. He also pulled down two interceptions in the fourth quarter to help seal the Huskies’ 38-10 win. On top of that, Bryant recorded two stops and five total tackles. His 88.8 defensive grade, according to Pro Football Focus, was the best of his career. It was a substantial momentum builder for Bryant heading into his redshirt junior season.
Had he stayed at Washington for 2026, he’d have likely been penciled in as the starter at nickelback this Spring. Ephesians Prysock and Davis are both entering the NFL Draft. And Dylan Robinson and Rahshawn Clark likely become starters on the outside, leaving room for Bryant to earn a more full-time role. Instead, Bryant will enter the portal with two years of remaining eligibility.
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