Washington

The biggest story in Seattle wasn't who left — it was who stayed. Demond Williams Jr. entered the transfer portal but ultimately returned, giving Washington its starting quarterback back alongside one of the Big Ten's best defenses. The Huskies rank 18th nationally in JP+ at +14.4 points, powered by an elite offense (+8.4, 10th) and strong defense (+5.7, 17th), though special teams remain a glaring weakness at 122nd. They lost significant firepower with Denzel Boston heading to the NFL Draft and replaced him with Christian Moss from Kennesaw State, while adding Stanford transfer Elijah Brown as quarterback depth and Oregon's Jayden Limar in the backfield.

JP+ projects 8.1 wins for Washington in a challenging Big Ten slate that includes road trips to Oregon and USC, plus a home date with Indiana. The offense should hum with Williams back under center, but defensive continuity presents some uncertainty after losing key contributors along the front seven and in coverage. The lines need more toughness to compete with the conference's physical style, and special teams must improve dramatically from last year's bottom-tier performance. If Williams stays healthy and the defense reloads successfully, this team has top-15 upside. If the front seven struggles to replace departed pass rushers, they're looking at another 8-4 ceiling.