Jedd Fisch is settling in at Washington, keen to move on from the disappointing 2024 season. Optimism is quietly growing in Montlake, and so are the Huskies’ chances of bouncing back in a big way. Fisch is also making strides in recruiting. The Huskies sit within the top-20: a great feat for an HC who was handed a bare skeleton of a unit when Kalen DeBoer moved to Alabama. The new HC is leaving a mark on his commits, and one of them even decided to give the CFB blueblood a pass for Washington. With a brilliant record and an appearance at the Under Armour All-American game, he explains why the Huskies won his commitment.
This week, Fisch was able to score two major commitments together–Gavin Day and Dominic Harris, and is well ahead in the race to land Dre Pollard. The Huskies are upping their recruitment strategies by miles and are making their way back on track. The new HC is now owning the colors of his new team, which is resonating well with prospects. Derek Zammit, Fisch’s 2026 QB commit, regards Fisch and the new zeal in the Huskies program as the final push that made him pick Washington. He was also pursued by programs like Syracuse, Rutgers, and CFB juggernaut Alabama. Zammit explains how the UW earned his commitment in a June 5 episode of Locked On Huskies.
“I like to consider myself, you know, pretty open-minded. So, you know, every school was up for consideration. And to me, the most important thing is my future. So no matter where I got to go, you know, I’ll be willing to do it. Obviously, Coach Fisch was a big part of it,” he said, and it was not just the HC. Zammit revealed that OC and QB coach Jimmie Dougherty and his assistant, JP Losman, also built a relationship with him over the recruiting period. He also mentioned that Fisch was very persistent and dedicated during the process. “He came out here to New Jersey and obviously, you know, it’s not an easy trip. So that meant a lot to me… He’s actually from New Jersey. So that was kind of a focal point of the conversation there, just having something in common.”
Washington 4-star commit Derek Zammit is the latest QB to receive an invite to the Elite 11 Finals
Read: https://t.co/hhmMbYJgdt pic.twitter.com/tn1AYchOUu
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) May 18, 2025
But what stood out most for Zammit was Jedd Fisch’s and Washington’s link to the big leagues. “He’s been in the NFL. He’s been in college, obviously. And, you know, we’ve done a bunch of Zoom meetings even before I got to Washington, you know, just talking football, going over the offense. They were on the NFL system… So, you know, as a quarterback that, you know, wants to make it to the highest level, I think that’s super important, just having that NFL offense in the NFL mind… I just think especially with the head coach and quarterback, having that connection there is super important.”
Fisch was able to get him to commit to the Huskies after a tough fight with Alabama. The Tide’s QB room is immensely crowded. With Ty Simpson likely taking up the QB1 role this year, the race will be fought next year with Austin Mack and freshman Keelon Russell. The latter would be his prime competitor. Zammit comes with a whopping total of 5512 passing yards and 841 rushing yards in his prep career so far. Last season, he pitched in 2582 yards, 35 TDs, and only 4 INTs–no wonder why Washington won big against Alabama by getting Zammit in his class. Zammit, in his freshman year at high school, led his team to a state title at just 14 years of age.
DeBoer is still uncertain about the QB1 position at Alabama. He’s also lost out on a key talent to an underdog team. Whether Fisch gets a chance to triumph over his predecessor in the future through Zammit’s development is a test of time.
Zammit joins an emerging QB room under Jedd Fisch
The most attractive freshman QB in Montlake is Dash Beierly. He comes from Mater Dei and was an early commit of Fisch’s 1st recruiting class. He was with the school for only his senior year, but led Mater Dei 13-0 in the Trinity League. Beierly is just as formidable as Zammit, producing 2,175 yards, 26 TDs, and only 2 interceptions that year. He is more suited to fight for the backup role, which will also be contested by freshman Treston Kini McMillan. The QB1 position will have to wait for a while, but this trio holds immense potential for success in Fisch’s future season campaigns.
The QB1 competition in Montlake is led by Demond Williams Jr., who started in the tail-end games last season. His crowning as QB1 came in the third quarter of the UCLA game last year, after Will Rogers threw two interceptions. The Huskies were doomed until Williams’ arrival, who sealed a win with a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. That win earned UW a bowl game qualification. Williams is a sophomore now, and if some of those QBs transfer out in the future, more space opens up for Zammit to learn from Williams. Hopefully, it would also help him make a mark on the field.
Washington made an offer to Zammit way back in August last year. Since then, it has grown into a major favorite for him. He committed to the Huskies before he took a visit to watch their spring game. That’s how squarely Fisch was able to land this important target. As Jedd Fisch works to get more promising talents on the roster, it sure looks like Montlake can go back to its winning ways in the future.
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