Washington Huskies RB Jonah Coleman taken in fourth round of NFL draft

Jonah Coleman's football journey took him from Mudville to Montlake. Now, it will continue in the Front Range.

Coleman, a 5-foot-8, 220-pound running back, became the third Husky drafted when he was selected by the Denver Broncos with the No. 108 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL draft Saturday. He's the 14th UW player drafted by Denver since 1963, and the first since center Luke Wattenberg in 2022.

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He's the first UW running back drafted since Myles Gaskin went to the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2019 draft, and the highest since Bishop Sankey was selected 54th overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2014.

"Jonah will get an opportunity to play wherever he goes," running backs Graham said Thursday. "He's a football player."

A Stockton, Calif., native who starred at Lincoln High, Coleman started his collegiate career at Arizona, committing to coach Jedd Fisch and Graham, despite the Wildcats' 1-11 record during their first season at the helm in 2021.

Coleman established himself as an important contributor during his true freshman season. Along with veterans Michael Wiley and DJ Williams, Coleman helped form a dynamic trio of tailbacks for the Wildcats in 2022. He tallied 372 yards rushing and four touchdowns, while adding eight catches for 24 yards in his first season in Tucson, Ariz, while Fisch's Wildcats won five games, narrowly missing out on bowl eligibility.

All three running backs returned in 2023, but Coleman was promoted into a larger role after a high ankle sprain sidelined Wiley.

Coleman totaled 871 yards rushing and five touchdowns, while also making 25 catches for 283 yards receiving and a score, earning All-Pac-12 honorable mention status. Fisch and the Wildcats won 10 games, just the fourth time the program had reached double figures in wins during a single season. Arizona capped its breakout 2023 campaign with a 38-24 victory against Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.

It was the final game of Coleman's Arizona career. Fisch was hired to replace the outgoing Kalen DeBoer at Washington, and brought Graham with him. Coleman was one of the first Arizona players to announce intentions to follow Fisch to UW for 2024.

Coleman entered his first season in Seattle as the undisputed starter for the first time in his career. Running behind a patchwork offensive line, he registered 1,053 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns during his first year at UW, along with 23 catches for 177 yards receiving. Coleman earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the media. He was the 15th player to reach 1,000 yards rushing in UW program history.

Despite his strong 2024 campaign, Coleman chose to return for his final season of college. He got off to a fast start, racking up consecutive 100-yard performances to begin the 2025 season, but a knee injury suffered against Wisconsin on Nov. 8 limited his availability during UW's final five games.

He still posted 758 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns, tying Rashaan Shehee's 1995 campaign for No. 6 in UW program history for most touchdowns rushing in a single season. Coleman led UW in yards rushing during both of his seasons in Seattle.

Coleman, a William V. Campbell Trophy finalist who was a team captain in 2025, also had his most productive season as a pass catcher. He added 31 receptions for 354 yards receiving and two touchdowns. He also handled kickoff return duties.

During the final game of his collegiate career, he rushed for 85 yards on 12 carries to help lead the Huskies to a dominant 38-10 win against Mountain West champions Boise State in the LA Bowl.

Additionally, Coleman was perhaps the most vocal proponent of the culture Fisch and his coaching staff were instilling. He followed Fisch and Graham to Washington from Arizona, and consistently served as one of the faces of the program, through big wins and difficult losses. On Nov. 25, before playing his final game at Husky Stadium, Coleman called it the "best decision of my life" to play for the Huskies.

"I always can say that I put my complete, whole self into this program, building this culture," he said. "Making sure that what I've done here won't be forgotten. I've done my best in terms of being with the young guys and recruiting and getting things flowing how they need to be flowing around here as far as how the culture is built, what the standard is and the expectations."

In Denver, Coleman joins a running back group without an established starter. J.K. Dobbins started the team's first 10 games, totaling 772 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 153 carries before a season-ending foot injury.

Dobbins has suffered an injury-riddled NFL career since his time at Ohio State. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), meniscus and hamstring while playing for the Baltimore Ravens in a preseason game in 2021, missing the entire season. He underwent surgery again in 2022, missing six games, before tearing his Achilles tendon in 2023. He signed a two-year extension with the Broncos in March.

Denver leaned on rookie RJ Harvey in Dobbins' absence. The former second-round draft pick tallied 540 yards rushing and seven touchdowns in 2025. He was also a standout kickoff returner. Coleman will be expected to compete with Harvey, Dobbins and fourth-year tailback Jaleel McLaughlin for snaps in 2026.

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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 5:01 PM.