Since arriving at Washington, Adam Mohammed’s rarely had a hard time standing out from the crowd. 

The 6-foot, 220-pound running back was one of the bright spots of UW’s first spring camp under coach Jedd Fisch before the 2024 season. Mohammed flashed potential throughout his freshman campaign, steadily climbing the depth chart to become UW’s second-choice running back. 

But Mohammed has a new look to make him just as distinguishable on the sideline with his helmet off as he’s been with the ball in his hands. Mohammed dyed his hair, sporting a cheetah-print pattern that might make Dennis Rodman proud. 

“Just wanted to switch it up,” Mohammed said. “I dyed it in high school, so I just wanted to do it again.”

Mohammed enjoyed a strong start to his sophomore season, rushing for 25 yards on seven carries and scoring the first touchdown of his career in the Huskies’ 38-21 victory over Colorado State last weekend. He also added two catches for 38 yards and was an impactful kickoff returner, totaling 87 yards on three attempts.

Mohammed might be in line for a heavier workload Saturday, when Washington meets FCS opponent UC Davis for an 8 p.m. kickoff at Husky Stadium. 

A Glendale, Ariz., native, Mohammed has enjoyed a steady upward trajectory since following Fisch and running backs coach Scottie Graham to Washington from Arizona. 

Mohammed accumulated 193 yards rushing on 42 carries and tallied six catches for 41 yards receiving as a true freshman during the 2024 season while playing in all 13 games. The second carry of Mohammed’s college football career was a 32-yard rush up the middle where he skipped out of one Weber State tackle and dragged another defender down to the 1-yard line. 

He entered 2025 as the undisputed backup to senior running back Jonah Coleman and took a majority of the first-team offense repetitions throughout spring practices and fall camp while the Huskies tried to keep Coleman healthy for the upcoming season. 

The experience with the top offense paid dividends during Washington’s victory against Colorado State. Mohammed was just one carry shy of a career-high mark and had no rushing attempts for negative yardage. 

His shortest run of the day was the 1-yard touchdown plunge — which Mohammed celebrated by waving to fans seated in the touchdown terrace before darting toward the UW sideline with his arms extended straight behind him like Naruto, the Japanese anime character. Mohammed said he was given the ball from his first career touchdown and currently has it in his room. 

But Mohammed’s biggest play from scrimmage actually came on a pass. Facing third-and-12 with the game tied 21-21 and 6:38 remaining in the third quarter, Mohammed caught a screen from sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. The running back slalomed through Colorado State defenders and hit the right sideline before a pair of Rams brought him down after a 33-yard gain. 

It was the longest play from scrimmage of Mohammed’s young career and helped set up UW’s go-ahead score, a 12-yard touchdown pass from Williams to junior wide receiver Denzel Boston. Mohammed credited the team’s revamped offensive line for his strong performance, and said he was able to build real trust with the group because of all the time they had to practice together. 

“This group’s a lot closer,” he said. “I mean, we scrambled last year to get a whole bunch of guys. There were like nine offensive linemen last spring. But we all just got a lot closer, for real.”

Yet Mohammed’s biggest impact likely came as a kickoff returner. He returned three kicks for 87 yards including a 34-yard return to open the second half that Washington eventually converted into Kade Eldridge’s 1-yard touchdown rush. 

“It’s amazing to even be back there returning again,” he said. “It’s been a while — since high school actually. So just being back there feels good. I’m just hoping to flip the field every time I go out there. Hopefully get the offense great field position and potentially even score.”

Mohammed averaged 29 yards per return against Colorado State. Washington averaged just 22.56 yards per return during the 2024 season. Coleman, Daniyel Ngata and Keith Reynolds, who handled all of UW’s kickoff returns, combined for two returns of 30 yards or more. Fisch said Mohammed’s size, speed and strength, combined with good vision, make him an ideal kickoff returner. 

“He’s got all of those elements,” Fisch said. “He’s got great size for a running back. He’s extremely powerful. And he’s explosive. So if you can break a couple tackles and you’ve got good vision, which running backs usually do, it gives us a chance to put him back there and not just have a bunch of touchbacks, but have the ability to get the return game going.”

It’s notable that Mohammed has earned a spot as one of UW’s primary kickoff returners. Fisch said he will continue using Boston as the team’s primary punt returner because he believes in using his best players if they are the best option. Coleman, similarly, returned one kickoff and was with Mohammed on almost every kickoff as a return option despite his status as the team’s starting running back. 

Fisch said Boston will continue to be the primary punt returner until another player can prove they are better or equal to Boston. Mohammed, in comparison, has shown he can be as effective as Coleman, as a kick returner. 

The UW coach also said Mohammed’s development during the past offseason has been remarkably reminiscent of Coleman’s progression. 

Like Mohammed, Coleman contributed as a true freshman. He totaled 372 yards rushing on 75 carries for the Wildcats in 2022, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Mohammed, who took 33 fewer carries, averaged 4.6 yards rushing per attempt. 

Coleman took a major leap as a sophomore. He tallied 871 yards and five touchdowns on 128 carries and All-Pac-12 honorable mention status in 2023 while splitting carries with DJ Williams and Michael Wiley. Fisch said Mohammed is getting a similar experience learning from Coleman in preparation for a major role next season while also contributing significantly this year.

“It’s really nice,” Fisch said, “to see the progression continue that way.”