The Washington Huskies football team is seven games into its 12-game regular season and are barely over .500 with a 4-3 overall record and a 1-3 mark in Big Ten play.
The Huskies will have five more opportunities to earn two more wins and make it to a bowl game to end the season, whereas a College Football Playoff berth is all but out of the question.
Washington is currently in the middle of its bye week and will be back in action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at 5 p.m. PT on Oct. 31 (Halloween) at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.
When the Huskies go back on the road against the Cornhuskers, one of their starters in the secondary will be entering the game with a new honor.
On Wednesday, the Sporting News released its offensive, defensive and special teams midseason All-American teams.
On the All-American defense team, fourth-year safety Alex McLaughlin earned a placement as the fifth defensive back. The two designated safety spots were awarded to California's Kingston Lopa and UCLA's Tai'Shawn James.
McLaughlin is in his second season as a starter on Washington's secondary. He transferred last season from Northern Arizona in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
The senior safety has posted a better season in his second campaign in the Pacific Northwest than the first and has factored into both the run and passing game.
In seven games this season, McLaughlin's registered 48 total tackles (29 solo), including 6.5 tackles for loss and has registered 2.5 sacks. He's picked off two passes, has defended another five and has forced a fumble. He didn't register a sack last season and has more than twice the amount of tackles for loss (three) than he did in 2025.
EVERYTHING'S COMING UP HUSKIES! 🐺 Alex McLaughlin comes away with the interception to secure the win!
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 6, 2026
📺: Washington State at #17 Washington on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/vRpcukW10a
McLaughlin earned several honors last season. He was named All-Big Ten honorable mention and won the team's Defensive Most Valuable Player award at the team's postseason awards banquet. He was the only player on the Huskies' current starting secondary that started all 13 games for the team last season, which included the 38-10 Los Angeles Bowl win against the Boise State Broncos.
If McLaughlin continues at his current pace, he'll likely earn more honors to close out his second year in the Pacific Northwest. He'll be eligible to return for a fifth season under the NCAA's new "5-for-5" eligibility rules.
McLaughlin was one of two UW upperclassmen to earn midseason All-American honors from various publications Wednesday.