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 Washburn University football held its annual Spring Game Friday in Yager Stadium with a big twist, hosting William Jewell in a departure from previous intrasquad scrimmanges.

 

 

"The reason we did it was we need to see where we're at,'' Washburn coach Zach Watkins said. "We're a young team in a lot of ways with a lot of transfers, 17 new transfers, and we have kids that redshirted last year that haven't played a college game and this is as close to a college game as we could get it.

 

"We didn't do a four-quarter scrimmage because you want to do some drill work and get better, but it exposed a lot of things good and bad, things we're doing well, things we need to improve on and you don't see that unless we play a scrimmage like that.''

 

"Practice is one thing and we make practices very competitive and very efficient and fast, but you just can't simulate live tackle scrimmaging with refs, with a play clock, another quality opponent, so it was just a really good situation for us to essentially get a game before we actually play a season.''

 

 

Watkins, who is heading into his second season as the Ichabods' coach, said he is very pleased with how spring ball went.   

    

"I felt great,'' he said. "We were so far ahead of where we were last year, obviously taking over year one and having a month to recruit, coaches moving here and figuring each other out.

 

"Now we're not doing any of the off the field stuff, we did that last year. Now it's just football and lifting and the football IQ acumen is way up and we're a bigger, stronger, heavier, taller, wider team and you have to have all that stuff in the MIAA. I really like where we are. We're nowhere near where we're going to be in August, but it was a really good and productive spring.''

 

 

Washburn also had a big number of potential recruits in attendance for Friday's scrimmage.

 

"Our entire staff recruits as well as anybody,'' Watkins said. "We work really hard at it and we want guys to be here because if you see Washburn's campus you're going to fall in love with it -- the people, the facilities and just the whole feel of what Washburn is. Our goal is to get kids here, then we recruit them, then we sell them on it.

 

"And to be honest, Washburn's an easy sell once they get here.''

 

Washburn captain Ty Weber, a senior tight end, said he relished his final Spring Game.

 

"It's one of those things where it's awesome just to be a part of this team, what we're building, what we're working towards,'' said the Washburn Rural product. "But also being my last spring ball you kind take every moment and you don't take it for granted.

 

"You try to make the most out of it and with these guys it's real easy to do that.''

 

Washburn went 3-8 in 2025 and Weber feels like the Ichabods are poised to make a big jump in the upcoming season.

 

"Our biggest thing was we should take our biggest step in year two and I think we're doing that,'' Weber said. "I'm just excited to be a part of it.'' 

 

Washburn will open the 2026 season on Aug. 29 at Truman State before opening its home schedule on Sept. 5 against Colorado School of Mines.