Washington is nearing a deal to hire former Purdue head coach Ryan Walters as its next defensive coordinator. This comes after the announcement that Steve Belichick will be heading to North Carolina to join his father Bill Belichick on the staff for the Tar Heels after the Huskies’ bowl game. Walters coached two seasons in West Lafayette, leading the Boilermakers to just five total wins in that stretch. His stint at Purdue was his first as a head coach. Before that, Walters had success at Illinois under Brett Bielema as the team’s defensive coordinator.
Walters directed the Fighting Illini’s defense in 2021 and 2022. He improved that unit from 49th nationally in total defense in 2021 to third the following season. Under Walters in 2022, the Illini allowed just 12.8 points per game, the fewest in the nation. Illinois allowed just 273 yards per game that season. Walters was previously the defensive coordinator at Missouri from 2016 to 2020.
2022 Illini Defense
At Illinois, Walters coached cornerback Devon Witherspoon to the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft. Witherspoon was named a Jim Thorpe Award Finalist that season. He finished with 14 pass breakups and three interceptions in 2022. Defensive backs Quan Martin and Sydney Brown were also selected in the top 70 of that draft class. The Illini defense pulled down 24 interceptions, the most in the country that year.
Ryan Walters’ Schematics
Walters’ defense utilizes man coverage frequently. At Illinois, he primarily ran cover one with a five-man front. This defense is structured with man coverage on the outside, one free safety deep, and five defensive linemen. This formation allows for a more aggressive front but requires a breadth of talent in the secondary. Putting cornerbacks on islands with limited safety help is not something any defensive personnel group can rely upon. It needs talented defensive backs who have the athleticism to play single coverage. Illinois had that with Witherspoon, Martin, Brown, and others.
In cover one, the single high safety needs to be a player with extensive knowledge of the coverage assignments, and a “do-it-all” mentality, willing to roam all parts of the field. Brown was that kind of player for the Illini defense. The senior pulled down six interceptions that season with 59 tackles.
Walters continued with this defensive alignment at Purdue. The Boilermaker defense played a lot of man coverage, and it wasn’t as effective against more talented programs. It had Dillon Thieneman at safety, but their consistency at cornerback was not at the level he had at Illinois. As a result, Purdue finished 125th in total defense this past season.
Ryan Walters at Washington
The Huskies might have the personnel to make this defensive approach work. At cornerback, Ephesians Prysock and Thaddeus Dixon are two players who have shown their abilities in press coverage and man. Prysock’s foot speed and quick twitch allowed him to keep up with route runners this season. And his length makes it difficult to throw against. Prysock broke up six passes this season. Dixon led the team with 10 pass breakups and pulled down an interception. Dixon’s stats for 2025 is uncertain at the moment, but the NCAA’s blanket waiver for junior college transfer eligibility has paved the way for an additional year if he wants it.
At safety, Washington is losing its veteran Kamren Fabiculanan, and fellow senior Cameron Broussard. But it added Alex McLaughlin from Northern Arizona. McLaughlin has played in 23 career games with 16 pass breakups and six interceptions. FIU transfer CJ Christian will also compete for snaps at safety. Last season he had three pass breakups, an interception, and a career-high 80 tackles. The Huskies will also have Makell Esteen with another year of eligibility at safety.
Jordan Shaw is another player that could thrive in this kind of defense. He lines up at the “STAR” position in the current defense, the nickleback. His aggressive nature as a coverage defender allowed him to make four tackles for loss and six pass breakups in 2024. Shaw isn’t afraid to jump routes and make instinctual plays on the football. In single coverage, that could be a dangerous style of play, but Shaw has the speed and quickness to recover on the back end.
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