Jonah Coleman didn’t accomplish every one of his goals in his brief two years at the University of Washington.
He never returned to Lucas Oil Stadium—the site where the annual Big Ten football title game is played—as he stated he planned to at the conference’s media days in July 2024, but he made sure to check a few boxes before his final season concluded.
Coleman, a native of Stockton, California, began his college football career at Arizona with now-UW head coach Jedd Fisch and running backs coach Scottie Graham as he watched and learned from Michael Wiley and D.J. Williams, who gave the blueprint for the 5-foot-9, 229-pound human ice cream cone to follow.
Although the one-time three-star recruit donned purple and gold befitting the Huskies instead of dark blue and white that he started college with, Coleman executed it to near perfection between 2024-25 with his name on his diploma and five school rushing records for his 25 games at UW.
Coleman announced Monday he is off to the try his hand at the next level and declared for the 2026 NFL draft with 25 rushing touchdowns—15 of which came as a senior to tie Rashaan Shehee for sixth-most in a single season by a Huskies running back—and 1,811 rushing yards on 349 carries to average 5.2 yards per attempt, tied with Beno Bryant for eighth-best in a UW career among players who took a minimum 300 carries, 72.4 yards per game, the eighth-highest rushing yards per game average of Husky backs with at least 18 career appearances.
“First off, I want to begin by expressing my deepest gratitude to the University of Washington and the University of Arizona. Both programs played a major role in my growth as a football player and as a man, and I’ll always appreciate the opportunities, support, and memories from each,” Coleman wrote in a note graphic posted to his social media as an adieu to his time in college as he announced his plans for the NFL.
“I also want to thank Coach Graham and Coach Fisch for believing in me and giving me chances that ultimately changed my life completely. The trust, guidance, and leadership pushed me to grow on and off the field and shaped me to the man I am today. To my teammates, thank you for everything. The bond we built through countless workouts, practices, games, and adversity is something I will always carry with me. We became more than just teammates; we became brothers forever. Lastly, I want to thank my parents and siblings. None of this would be possible without the sacrifices you made and the constant support you gave me throughout this entire process. You have been my rock through every high and low, and I carry your love and belief with me every step of the way.
“Since I picked up a football, I’ve always had a dream I was chasing. Above all, I want to thank God for his guidance and blessings. He put me in a position I prayed for and worked relentlessly toward, and with that being said, I’m blessed to announce I will be declaring for the 2026 NFL draft.”
Graham, who never met Coleman in person until he stepped foot on campus in Tucson after he enrolled at Arizona in January 2022—almost one year exactly from when he received his offer from the then-Pac-12 coaching staff—and Fisch are unquestionably his loudest champions outside of his parents.
Over Coleman’s two years at UW, his position coach has repeated the star running back’s name more times than he’s seen him take a handoff, which says a lot both about how impactful Coleman was at both schools and the one-of-a-kind relationship the two have built.
ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller praised Coleman as “one of the best running backs in the nation” in response to the news of the UW running back declaring for April’s draft, while Pro Football Focus has the Big Ten bruiser ranked No. 2 prospect at his position among running backs who are awaiting their name to be called by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Coleman has already accepted an invitation to the 2026 Senior Bowl set to take place in Mobile, Alabama, on January 31, 2026. After that, he’s expected to be back at Lucas Oil Stadium in February to participate in the NFL combine with a return to UW for the school’s Pro Day sometime in March as he weaves his way through the draft process.