Washington WR Peyton Waters withdraws from NCAA Transfer Portal

Peyton Waters, an athlete in the 2024 recruiting cycle who committed to Washington but decided to enter the transfer portal is now officially withdrawing his name and remaining with the Huskies, On3 has learned.

His decision came after previous head coach Kalen DeBoer left Washington to take the Alabama job. But now, it appears new coach Jedd Fisch and his staff have convinced the talented incoming freshman to stay the course at UW.

Waters was a four-star wide receiver prospect out of Birmingham High School in Los Angeles who has switched positions to safety for the next level. He ranked as the No. 260 overall player and No. 10 athlete in the 2024 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Waters is the highest-rated player from the Washington’s 2024 recruiting class, which ranks as the No. 48 class in the country according to On3’s Team Recruiting Rankings. He was an early enrollee with the Huskies.

If Peyton Waters does enter the transfer portal, he would be the 24th Washington player to do so. The Huskies have already had notable names such as cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, offensive lineman Parker Brailsford, quarterback Austin Mack and several others.

Washington is coming off of a 14-1 season and appearance in the national championship, but saw coach Kalen DeBoer leave for Alabama. Several of the transfer portal entries following him to Tuscaloosa, and now coach Jedd Fisch is left trying to piece things together as another player departs.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

More on Washington’s transfer portal situation

The number of players Washington has lost has made this a brutal transfer portal season so far. The Huskies rank No. 68 overall and last in the Big Ten according to On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings.

However, it hasn’t been all bad. Washington added its 10th player through the transfer portal when former Arizona running back Jonah Coleman announced his commitment. He finished as the Wildcats’ leading rusher with 871 yards and five touchdowns and was also heavily involved in the passing game with 25 catches for 283 yards and a touchdown. 

Former Arizona State edge rusher BJ Green II is the highest-rated transfer addition for Washington, coming in at No. 35 overall in On3’s Transfer Portal Player Rankings. He finished this past season with 39 tackles (11.5 for loss), six sacks and a forced fumble.

The Huskies still have a long way to go to make up for their losses in the transfer portal. However, there is belief that more players could soon follow Fisch from Arizona, and he’ll certainly explore other options as well.