David Washington Provided Unexpected Pop in Kentucky Spring Showcase

You never know exactly what you’re going to get from spring football. There’s typically an unexpected star who makes a few eye-opening plays. At the 2025 Kentucky Spring Showcase, David Washington filled that role admirably.

A true sophomore, the Philadelphia native was ranked near the bottom of the Cats’ 2024 recruiting class. Washington carved out a role on special teams during his true freshman season. He did much more than that on Saturday at Kroger Field.

No. 82 was targeted early and often by Zach Calzada. The Cats really got rolling during the ones’ second series of the 11-on-11 scrimmage. That’s when Ja’Mori Maclin caught a long ball down the sideline. A few plays later, Calzada dropped one in the bucket. Washington got loose on a play-action pass to reel in a 25-yard touchdown.

It took a moment to adjust to seeing No. 82 catch passes at Kroger Field. Fred Farrier and freshman phenom DJ Miller were unavailable after suffering injuries late in spring practice. They’re still waiting for Tru Edwards to receive clearance to join the program (which is expected).

The wide receiver absences weren’t the only reason why we saw Washington make plays on Saturday. Maclin watched Washington make strides during spring practice to earn more opportunities.

“He’s done really good this spring. I’m proud of him,” said the veteran wideout. “He was a young guy last year who made plays for us. I’m excited to see him take that next step and be one of those guys who’s helping teach other guys what to do. He’ll be good for us, for sure.”

Maclin has flashed as an explosive playmaker. Finding big pop from the wide receivers hasn’t been that group’s biggest problem. They’ve struggled to make the routine look routine. Washington showed consistency throughout spring practice, resulting in a few big plays on Saturday, and likely, more later in 2025.

“You’ll definitely see more of him in the fall,” Mark Stoops said after the scrimmage. “He’s a guy that we’ve always liked. He’s one of those guys who’s usually very steady, very sturdy. You know what you’re going to get out of David.

“He’s shown that he can be a sure-handed guy, a steady guy, and somebody that we can count on. We look forward to using him in the future.”

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