Washington Husky running back Adam Mohammed will enter transfer portal

Washington’s succession plan at running back was supposed to be straightforward. 

After two years of leaning heavily on Jonah Coleman’s production at running back, the Huskies expected to transition to Adam Mohammed in 2026. The Glendale, Ariz., native was following the same path Coleman had during his four seasons in coach Jedd Fisch’s programs at Arizona and Washington. 

Coleman began his career as a complementary tailback behind veteran running back Michael Wiley. But when Wiley’s final season was derailed by injuries in 2023, Coleman established himself as a capable replacement, propelling him into his breakout 2024 campaign at Washington. Mohammed appeared to do the same thing in 2025, stepping up with consecutive 100-yard rushing performances when Coleman was limited with a knee injury.

“I do my best as far as being with the young guys,” Coleman said Nov. 25. “Attacked recruiting and basically just getting things flowing around here as far as how the culture is built and what the standard is. The expectations. Being able to do that with the staff and connect with some young guys like Demond Williams Jr., who’s going to be here. Adam is going to be here.”

But now, Mohammed’s development will pay off for a different program. 

Mohammed, the 6-foot, 220-pound sophomore running back, announced he will enter the transfer portal when it opens on Jan. 2 in posts on his social media accounts. He is the 10th player to depart Washington and the fourth player to announce their departure Wednesday. Mohammed will have two years of eligibility remaining. 

A former Arizona signee, Mohammed transferred to Washington shortly after enrolling with the Wildcats to follow coach Jedd Fisch and running backs coach Scottie Graham. 

His decision quickly paid off when Mohammed emerged as UW’s second-choice running back near the end of his true freshman season. He registered 193 yards rushing on 42 carries while adding six catches for 41 yards receiving while playing 13 games in 2024. Fisch called Mohammed, along with quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and tight end Decker DeGraaf, the future of UW’s offense. 

Mohammed stepped into a larger role as a true sophomore in 2025. He tallied 523 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 106 carries and made 17 catches for 138 yards receiving. Mohammed also took over as UW’s primary kick returner, making 16 return attempts for 420 yards including a seasonlong 41-yard return against No. 2 Ohio State on Sept. 27. 

He ranked No. 5 in total kick-return yardage in the Big Ten in 2025 and was tied for fourth in yards per kickoff return attempt. Boise State coach Spencer Danielson made specific note of Mohammed’s impact as a special teams returner before the LA Bowl. 

But Mohammed’s final month of the season helped spark excitement for his 2026 campaign. Coleman suffered a knee injury during the first half of UW’s surprising 13-10 defeat on the road against Wisconsin on Nov. 11. Mohammed, stepping into the lead-back role for the first time in his career, finished the game with 54 yards rushing on 12 carries — one of the only productive offensive players during the loss. 

His role continued to expand with Coleman out against Purdue and UCLA. Mohammed enjoyed a three-touchdown performance as the Huskies trounced the Boilermakers 49-13 at Husky Stadium on Nov. 15. He had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career a week later against the Bruins at the Rose Bowl, totaling a career-high 108 yards rushing on 21 carries in another blowout victory for the Huskies. 

“We put ourselves in a really good position with the amount of plays Adam has played, seeing the way Adam can do it,” Fisch said Nov. 24.

Mohammed nearly matched his totals a week later against No. 6 Oregon, adding 105 yards rushing on 14 carries and two catches for 18 yards despite Coleman’s return from injury. 

His development gave the former Apollo High standout an inside track to start in 2026 after Coleman exhausted his eligibility. Mohammed was going to be the only tailback on UW’s roster with more than 30 carries in a season and more than two touchdowns. 

Mohammed’s departure, instead, leaves UW with an inexperienced — though still intriguing — running back group. 

Jordan Washington, who emerged as a good change-of-pace tailback during the second half of the season, totaled 235 yards rushing and a touchdown on 27 carries in 2025. Quaid Carr and Julian McMahan will be redshirt freshmen in 2026 after getting a full season of experience. 

UW also signed two prospects: Ansu Sanoe — a 6-1, 210-pound tailback from Lake Oswego, Ore., whose frame is similar to Mohammed’s — and Brian Bonner. 

A highly touted running back from Valencia, Calif., Bonner was a four-star recruit, the No. 9 player in California and the No. 5 running back in the country, according to the 247Sports composite ratings. He totaled 3,043 yards rushing on 389 carries and 41 touchdowns during three seasons at Valencia High. Bonner is the highest-rated running back UW has signed since 1999, when modern recruiting websites began tracking the information. 

While Mohammed’s departure paves the way for Bonner to gain more snaps immediately, he is UW’s biggest transfer portal loss to date. The Huskies have now lost two players who were expected to start in 2026 in the span of a few hours, as both Mohammed and wide receiver Raiden Vines-Bright were lined up to play important roles next season.