Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies coaching staff have asked a lot of freshman defensive tackle Derek Colman-Brusa in his first year of college football.
The former four-star recruit out of local Kennedy Catholic High School has started all six games for defensive coordinator Ryan Walters and has compiled 10 tackles, 2 for loss, with a sack and a pass breakup at the halfway mark of the season, while he was also named an honorable mention on ESPN's list of the nation's top 25 freshmen.
As the Huskies sit at 3-3 on the year following a trio of consecutive losses to open conference play, Colman-Brusa looks like a building block for Washington's defensive front, as he continues to learn more about what it takes to succeed in the Big Ten.
Our @PFN365 highest-graded true freshman DTs:
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) October 2, 2026
Deuce Geralds, LSU: 87.9
Derek Colman-Brusa, Washington: 77.9
Valdin Sone, Georgia: 77.5
Richard Anderson, LSU: 77.9
Dion'Dre Taylor, Kent State: 77.3
Cam McHaney, Indiana: 76.5
Noah Clark, South Carolina: 79.3
Jaylen Hill, Oregon… pic.twitter.com/xf2ZR3IRGF
"I think just getting used to the pace of the game," Colman-Brusa said on Tuesday of his biggest adjustment to the college game. "Obviously, it's a lot bigger in the Big Ten than it is in high school, but (defensive line coach Jason) Kaufusi and (quality control coach Korey) Rush have done an unbelievable job getting me to where I am today."
His growth and physicality have also stood out to Fisch as the Huskies prepare for a Purdue running game that posted 305 yards in a 41-13 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday, and Colman-Brusa will be an important piece in the middle of the defense.
"I felt Derek Brusa got a lot of double teams on him because of the amount of counter plays that they ran," Fisch said of the freshman after Washington's loss at USC. "I thought he did a really good job of standing in there and being stout."
With defensive tackle Kai McClendon and edge rusher Jacob Lane both listed as questionable for the contest, Colman-Brusa may see an expanded role when the Huskies head to West Lafayette on Friday.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Freshman DL developing into a key piece of Washington football's front