Washington’s long-term plan at running back appeared to be firmly in place. After relying heavily on Jonah Coleman for the past two seasons, the Huskies expected Adam Mohammed to step into the lead role in 2026, following a familiar developmental path under coach Jedd Fisch.
That plan has now changed.
Mohammed announced Wednesday that he will enter the transfer portal when it opens Jan. 2. The sophomore running back becomes the 10th Washington player to depart this offseason and will have two years of eligibility remaining.
A native of Glendale, Arizona, Mohammed initially signed with Arizona before transferring to Washington to follow Fisch and running backs coach Scottie Graham. His move paid dividends quickly, as he emerged late in his true freshman season as UW’s No. 2 running back. In 2024, he rushed for 193 yards on 42 carries and added 41 receiving yards while appearing in all 13 games. Fisch publicly labeled Mohammed as part of the future core of the Huskies’ offense.
Mohammed’s role expanded significantly in 2025. He totaled 523 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 106 carries, added 138 receiving yards on 17 catches, and became Washington’s primary kick returner. On special teams, he finished among the Big Ten leaders in kick-return yardage and average, earning praise from opposing coaches.
His biggest impact came late in the season when Coleman suffered a knee injury. Mohammed stepped into the lead-back role and delivered consecutive 100-yard rushing performances, including a three-touchdown outing against Purdue and a career-high 108 yards against UCLA. He followed that up with another strong performance against Oregon, further solidifying his case as the presumed starter for 2026.
With Coleman set to exhaust his eligibility, Mohammed was positioned to be Washington’s most experienced returning running back. Instead, his decision to leave reshapes the Huskies’ depth chart.
Washington now turns to a younger group that includes Jordan Washington, Quaid Carr, and Julian McMahan, along with incoming recruits Ansu Sanoe and highly regarded four-star prospect Brian Bonner. While Mohammed’s exit may open opportunities for younger players, it represents Washington’s most significant transfer portal loss so far and marks the second expected 2026 starter to depart in a short span, following wide receiver Raiden Vines-Bright.