The Montlake Report: Which Huskies' Running Backs Will Seize Opportunity in Wide Open Backfield?
The Washington Huskies face a backfield puzzle as Quaid Carr, Jayden Limar, Trey Cooley, and Jordan Washington jockey for carries under head coach Jedd Fisch’s historically committee-style approach. Can any of these running backs break through, or will health and spring performances keep the depth chart in flux? As Jonah Coleman heads to the NFL and Adam Mohammad joins Cal, competition heats up—especially with wild cards like Brian Bonner Jr. and Ansu Sanoe waiting for their shot.
On a new “The Montlake Report” podcast, Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe breaks down what's at stake for Husky football, analyzing projected carries, injury uncertainties, and the role of each ball carrier for UW. He explores Fisch’s history of spreading opportunities, shares insider updates on Jordan Washington’s recovery, and weighs the potential impact of new transfers. One question drives the conversation: Will any running back emerge as a true difference-maker in Seattle this fall?
Mariners Win Series in Houston, Set Sail for Uncharted Waters with Raleigh Out
After their 8-3 victory against the Astros on Thursday, the Mariners are 7-1 with a +26 run differential against that team in 2026. They’re also 15-22 with a -7 run differential against every other team.
Thursday was something of a fulcrum for Seattle. It was the day the M’s officially sent Cal Raleigh to the 10-day IL, though this was an obvious development after his exit from Wednesday’s game with clear discomfort on the same oblique he had tweaked earlier. Mitch Garver caught Luis Castillo in the latter’s final full start for some time as the piggyback plan goes into effect the next time through the rotation. The cloud of these changes hung over the game’s activities, which saw the M’s take the bad Astros pitchers to task once more.
Brendan Donovan and Mitch Garver stood out on both sides of the ball on the day Cal Raleigh went to the IL.
There were two individual performances in particular that echoed Raleigh’s absence in a way. Garver, obviously, moved into the primary catching role upon his addition to the IL, while for Brendan Donovan, his performance was a lesson in the virtues of caution around early injuries.
Who’s Going to Carry the Running Back Load for the Huskies in 2026?
When the Washington Huskies football team opens the 2026 season with the Sept. 5 Apple Cup, quarterback Demond Williams Jr.’s first handoff to a running back will likely invoke a question from casual fans.
“Who is that guy?”
The answer at the end of spring football appeared easy: That guy was Quaid Carr. Who it will be in September, and how carries are distributed among a new-look running back room, may still be a question Washington coaches are asking each other a few games into the season.
Well-Traveled Spanish Forward Izan Almansa Commits to Gonzaga
Continuing to sink its teeth into the international player pool, the Gonzaga Bulldogs reportedly received a commitment from 6-10 forward Izan Almansa, who, at just 20 years old, has already played at several competitive levels in his basketball career.
The Spaniard’s stops range from Overtime Elite to the Australian league to sitting in the NBA Draft green room last summer. Because of this, Almansa’s eligibility is still a question mark heading into the fall, and there’s a chance his commitment to the Zags is all for naught if the NCAA doesn’t distribute him a waiver. GU had a messy eligibility situation as recently as last year when Tyon Grant-Foster needed an injuction hearing to finally get on the court. But for the time being, Almansa is GU’s third new addition this offseason, joining Massamba Diop and Houston transfer Isiah Harwell. If he is cleared to suit up for the Bulldogs, Almansa becomes a considerable addition to the roster, bringing valuable depth behind Diop and Braden Huff in the frontcourt, which was something the team did not have last season.
Seahawks 2026 Schedule: Primetime Games Galore, Plus Other Takeaways
Ready to begin their title defense, the NFL announced the Seattle Seahawks’ 2026 schedule on Thursday, which will kick off with a rematch from Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots at Lumen Field.
Digging deep into Seattle’s schedule, which features seven primetime games and matchups against every team from both the NFC East and the AFC East divisions, what stands out about the 17-game docket? And where may the Seahawks encounter the most trouble as they aim to get back to the top of the NFC West and compete for another Lombardi Trophy?
Sounders Down Western Conference Front-Runner San Jose in Heritage Cup Classic
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down a 3-2 barn-burner between the Seattle Sounders (7-1-3, 3rd in Western Conference) and San Jose Earthquakes (9-2-2, 2nd in Western Conference).
Osaze De Rosario netted an 89th-minute game-winner as the game swung back and forth after an early Sounders mistake led to a second-minute San Jose goal. Albert Rusnák scored off a penalty kick late in the first half to equalize before Jesús Ferreira went coast-to-coast in a spectacular individual effort to give Seattle the lead.
The goals come at good times for Ferreira and De Rosario, who have both been lacking on the scoring edge as Seattle finally met its expected-goal mark after two frustrating draws against Kansas City and San Diego.
The win also meant history for the Sounders, who swept San Diego in the regular season for the first time.
Instant Takeaways: Mistake-Prone Storm Stumble Against Tempo
A healthy dose of turnovers doomed the Seattle Storm in an 86-73 loss to the Toronto Tempo on Wednesday, May 13, at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Toronto earned its first win in franchise history after losing its opener, dropping the Storm to 1-2 overall. It was far from Seattle’s best performance, with a lack of contributions across the lineup, sloppy play on both ends of the court and simply a lack of resilience to battle back.
Storm head coach Sonia Raman, just a few days removed from her first win, was a victim of Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello’s first win with Toronto.
Best/Worst Case Scenarios For Every 2026 Seahawks Draft Pick
Now officially embarking on their NFL careers, the Seattle Seahawks unveiled their latest draft class for the first time earlier this month at their annual rookie minicamp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, providing an opportunity to begin evaluating first-round selection Jadarian Price and the rest of the team's 2026 draft picks before the start of OTAs next week.
While Price and his 2026 draft cohorts won't be playing in game action for several months, it's never too early to prognosticate how they may perform in their first season with the Seahawks. As they prepare to begin competing against veterans in the final phase of the offseason program during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, what can the franchise realistically expect from the third draft class of the Mike Macdonald era?
Looking into the crystal ball, with potential injuries not in consideration, here are best and worst case scenarios for all eight of Seattle's incoming draft picks in 2026.
Arozarena, Canzone Crush Stros Pitching, Raleigh Breaks Slump in 10-2 Mariner Win
Monday night and Tuesday night represented two very different kinds of Mariners victories. In the bottom of the ninth on the first night, the M’s got a win by the skin of their teeth, with Andrés Muñoz getting the better of Yordan Alvarez to finish out a badly-needed win for the M’s.
When Domingo González wrapped up the bottom of the ninth on Tuesday, things were far less tense. Although the Astros had runners on first and third, the M’s were already up 10-2, and with the final out, that was the final score. It was sublimely special for González, who had just completed his very first inning, but the Mariners’ offensive explosion had long since shattered all but the slightest chance of even the mighty Astros offense clawing back into the match.
Against the whole gamut of Houston hurlers they faced on Tuesday, the Mariners put up numbers. They scored 10 runs on 11 hits, six walks, and two batters hit by a pitch; they got hard hits on 57.6% of their batted balls. With runners in scoring position, the M’s went 2-for-8, but one of those hits was Dominic Canzone’s first career grand slam, which he slammed on the first pitch Astros starter Tatsuya Imai sent his way in the fourth inning.
Seattle took Tatsuya Imai to Randyland and the Can-zone.
The Astros’ big pitching signing of the offseason, Tatsuya Imai, hasn’t turned out how Houston had hoped in the first month and a half of the season. The last time he faced Seattle, he had to be pulled with one out in the first inning due to four walks and one hit batsman, then he wound up on the IL with right arm fatigue. He did better on his return start on Tuesday on account of the fact he went four innings. That’s about the only positive Joe Espada’s club got out of the outing.
From Undrafted to Super Bowl Champ, Ty Okada Keeps Seizing ‘Special’ Opportunity With Seahawks
Now heading into his fourth NFL season with the Seattle Seahawks and soon to have a Super Bowl ring coming his way, Ty Okada would love to say he expected such successes all along after going undrafted out of Montana State.
But coming from humble beginnings growing up in Woodbury, Minnesota and starring for an under-the-radar FCS program located in Bozeman, Montana collegiately, while Okada isn’t hurting in the confidence department and believes in his talent, making such proclamations wouldn’t be relaying anything the real truth. Like most players who don’t hear their names called on draft weekend and sit on what seems like a chronic roster bubble, he battled through bouts of insecurity and uncertainty as he tried to stick around and survive in a league known for short careers that can end in a flash.
However, Okada’s resolve never wavered when the pressure of such doubts may have dragged down other players under similar circumstances, and the Seahawks continued to reward him with chances to prove his mettle. Backed by a strong support system around him in and out of the team facility, he kept on fighting, and with a couple of injuries opening the door last fall, he finally made a name for himself as a valuable member of coach Mike Macdonald’s “Dark Side” defense.
Former Gonzaga Bulldogs Forward Brandon Clarke Passes Away at 29
Former Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Brandon Clarke passed away, his current team, the Memphis Grizzlies, announced on Tuesday. No cause of death has been announced at this time. He was 29 years old.
“Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten,” the team wrote in a statement.
His agency, Priority Sports, also released a statement: “Everyone loved BC because he was always there as the most supportive friend you could ever imagine. He was so unique in the joy he brought to all of those in his life. It’s just impossible to put into words how much he’ll be missed.”
Gonzaga has not released a statement on the news at this time.
Three Breakout Candidates for Seahawks in 2026
Coming off a Super Bowl LX win, the Seattle Seahawks’ path back to championship contention will not hinge on splashy free agent additions or blockbuster trades.
Instead, bolstering Seattle’s chances for a repeat could come from within. As the franchise enters an exciting 2026 season set to defend their title, several young players are positioned to take major steps forward and potentially transform the roster in the process, helping offset some of the key losses suffered in free agency back in March.
Specifically, three Seahawks could be on the verge of breakout campaigns that reshape the roster and help in Seattle’s quest for a repeat Super Bowl title.
Bullpen Locks Down Four Frames, Mariners Eke Out 3-1 Win in Houston
It was power on power in the bottom of the ninth. Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz, who had reached 101.3 miles an hour two pitches earlier, had a 2-2 count against Yordan Alvarez himself. Alvarez represented the tying run, and with 13 home runs already this season, he was a real threat to knot the game.
Muñoz tossed his rarest pitch, a 93.2 mile an hour changeup that tailed away from Alvarez. Expecting either a roaring fastball up or a slider along the lower edges, he was completely flummoxed; the Mariners won 3-1 as Alvarez struck out.
For a team desperately in need of a hot streak, getting any win on the board against Houston was a plus. George Kirby didn’t go as deep into the game as the M’s would have hoped and the bats fell silent for nearly the entire game, but they got just enough production while Kirby and every other arm stepped up enough run-prevention wise to notch Seattle’s 20th victory.
Mariners hitters put three early runs on the board but fell familiarly silent as the game wore on.
The second inning was fruitful for Seattle. Randy Arozarena knocked a one-out single into right and Luke Raley walked to set a two-runner table, and with two outs, both Dominic Canzone and Cole Young found the outfield for an RBI each. Julio Rodríguez rocked a towering homer to begin the third.
And then 20 of the next 23 batters made outs.
Analysis: Tony Freeman Headlines Mostly Revamped Cougars’ WR Corps
With Kirby Moore taking over as the new head coach at Washington State, the Cougars will have an almost new receiving room in 2026, with a few old standbys and several intriguing newcomers to watch heading towards training camp this summer.
Returning after briefly testing the transfer portal, Tony Freeman is probably the most proven receiver in this group right now. The third-year Coug had a strong 2025 season, hauling in 54 catches for 590 yards and three touchdowns. At 5-8, Freeman is a smaller but extremely shifty receiver who not only finished as the Cougars’ second-leading pass catcher last season, but also became a dynamic weapon in the return game, earning 2025 Pac-12 Special Teams Performer honors with 415 punt return yards.
As the other noteworthy wideout to stay in Pullman after the coaching change, Brandon Ganashamoorthy will enter his fourth season with the program hoping to take on a larger role in Moore’s offense. The former walk-on and Monroe native was primarily used as a blocking receiver last season and brings solid size at 6-3 and 194 pounds. Ganashamoorthy caught five passes for 42 yards in 2025 and will hope to carve out a more consistent piece of the pie in the passing game while playing for his third coach in as many seasons.
Away from Freeman and Ganashamoorthy, the Cougars will lean on a number of transfer acquisitions, starting with Daniel Blood.
Analysis: Three Positions Seahawks Could Still Reinforce in Post-Draft Free Agency
Close to a month after he initially visited the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Seahawks finally announced the official signing of veteran pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. on Monday, addressing their last significant roster hole created via free agency this offseason.
But while the Fowler signing may wind up being the last noteworthy signing by general manager John Schneider before training camp starts in late July, nobody should be surprised if this latest move turns out not to be the cherry on top. In the past, the reigning Executive of the Year has kicked the tires on vets shortly before or even during the early stages of camp, and he’s always on the hunt for ways to improve his roster 365 days a year. If the right opportunity presents itself to spruce up depth at a position with proven commodity, he won’t think twice about taking advantage.
Looking at the players who have yet to sign with a new team as well as the depth chart for the Seahawks after the 2026 NFL Draft, which positions could still be worth consideration for further reinforcement? And which free agents may be the ideal match to fill those voids?
Analysis: A Deep Dive Into Mariners’ Slugger Cal Raleigh’s 2026 Struggles
It certainly has not been the smoothest of starts for the Seattle Mariners, or their star catcher Cal Raleigh. Dating back to the World Baseball Classic in March, Raleigh has been under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. From Handshake Gate with teammate Randy Arozarena, to his subpar hitting, Raleigh is under a microscope this season.
Fair or not, the expectations are sky high. How could they not? After all, he became just the sixth player ever to reach 60 home runs in a season. Once you enter the same company as Babe Ruth, Aaron Judge, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Roger Maris, the expectations change.
Still, Raleigh has stumbled out of the gate in 2026. Why? Could it be the weight of those crushing expectations? Locker room trouble with teammate Randy Arozarena? Or just simply, the ebbs and flows of the grueling marathon that is a 162-game regular season? Or is he injured and trying to play through it?
Gonzaga Baseball Sweeps San Francisco, Clinches No. 1 Seed in WCC
After a lackluster week on the mound for Gonzaga baseball (32-17, 19-5 WCC), its staff couldn’t have responded any better in San Francisco.
A no-hitter and the two first shutouts of the season stole the show, as the Zags’ pitching powered their team to their first WCC regular-season title since 2022 during a sweep of the Dons (22-27, 13-11). In the three games, GU outscored its opponent 32-5. USF entered the weekend at second place in the conference, but after running into the Bulldogs’ buzzsaw, it left in fifth.
What went into the Bulldogs’ dominant series win over the Dons?
Seawolves Take Down Old Glory in Second Half, Move Up Table with Second Straight Road Win
The magnitude of the Seawolves’ 30-25 win on Mother’s Day afternoon might not have been immediately obvious. A three-game rut against Anthem, the Legion, and the Hounds early in the 10-game season meant that the team, just as in 2025, needed to put together a massive run to get back in the hunt.
Now, the situations weren’t identical. While Seattle needed to go on a big run just to make it back into a playoff spot by the end of the season in last year’s powerhouse Western Conference, the league’s contractions have resulted in a six-team MLR with four teams bound for the playoffs.’
The big prize, then - though a playoff spot can never be taken for granted - is the guarantee of a home playoff game. The Chicago Hounds, who won their sixth game of six on Sunday, are virtually guaranteed to be the top seed in the MLR, with 30 points in the table.
California is in second with 18 points. And after the Seawolves’ windy, rainy win against Old Glory DC on Sunday afternoon, they have 16. A home semifinal is well within reach.
Reign Devastated By Late Washington Goal in Loss, Continue Scoreless Streak
Seattle Reign coach Laura Harvey was dejected in her postgame presser.
Sunday saw her team try to break a three-game scoreless streak against a hot Washington Spirit team led by USWNT star Trinity Rodman. Though the Reign hit the crossbar in the early going, their issues with quality in the final third continued to frustrate the team as the game wore on.
With six minutes of regular time to play, the Spirit, which hadn't generated many of their typical chances all night, drove a dagger into the Reign as substitute Claudia Martinez scored off a Seattle turnover.
Seattle dropped to 3-3-2, now winless in their last four with zero goals to show in each.
Former Gonzaga WBB Forward Yvonne Ejim Searches for WNBA Opportunity
With the WNBA’s 30th season now officially underway, Gonzaga women’s basketball is still searching for more representation at the highest level. To this point, only two former Zags have logged minutes: future Hall of Famer Courtney Vandersloot and point guard Katelan Redmond, who played 42 total minutes over seven games with the New York Liberty in 2012.
Yet, the Bulldogs have had nine players drafted to the W throughout their history, including three across the last three years. In 2024, GU had a couple of second-round selections, Brynna Maxwell and Kaylynne Truong, who were taken 13th and 21st overall, respectively. But Maxwell suffered an injury in training camp and was cut by the Chicago Sky, opting to play professionally in Spain for a year before becoming an assistant coach at Eastern Washington. Meanwhile, Truong was waived by the Washington Mystics shortly before regular-season games commenced and has played the last two years competing overseas in Greece and Poland.
Their teammate of six seasons combined in Spokane, 6-1 forward Yvonne Ejim, heard her name called in New York a year later. The Indiana Fever selected Ejim 33rd overall and waived her less than a month after drafting her as well. But unlike some of her alma mater peers, Ejim recently signed a training camp contract with the Toronto Tempo, remaining in the mix as one of those on the cusp of making her WNBA debut.