Amier Washington

From a productive high school career in Orange, Texas, to three seasons at Texas Tech and a new opportunity with UCLA, Amier Washington has built his football journey around development, versatility, and the pursuit of greater impact on the defensive line.

Defensive football is often defined by the moments everyone remembers: a quarterback brought down behind the line of scrimmage, a back stopped before reaching daylight, or a third-down rush that forces a hurried throw. But the work that creates those moments begins long before the ball is snapped. It takes technique, discipline, strength, and the willingness to keep improving when recognition does not arrive immediately.

For Amier Washington, that process began in Southeast Texas, where his high school production established him as a disruptive defensive presence. His path to the UCLA Bruins has since taken him through the developmental stages of college football, including a redshirt season, experience as an outside linebacker, and a role in Texas Tech's rise to the top of the Big 12.

Now listed as a senior defensive lineman for UCLA in 2026, Washington enters another chapter of his career with experience earned across 26 college appearances at Texas Tech. His story is not simply about statistics. It is about learning how to turn early promise into sustained contribution at the highest levels of college football.

• Full Name: Amier Roman Washington
• Sport: American football
• Position: Defensive Line
• Height: 6 feet, 2 inches
• Weight: 286 pounds
• Birthplace: Orange, Texas
• High School: Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School
• College: Texas Tech University; University of California, Los Angeles
• Current Team: UCLA Bruins
• Jersey Number: 90
• Years Active: 2023-present

Washington grew up in Orange, Texas, a community in the state's southeastern corner. He attended Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School, where his development as a defensive lineman brought him into the spotlight of the regional high school football scene.

As a sophomore, he earned District 10-4A Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors, an early indication that his physical tools and defensive instincts were translating into results. He continued to develop over the next two seasons, eventually becoming one of his team's most productive defenders.

His junior season proved particularly significant. Washington recorded 87 tackles, including 18 tackles for loss and nine sacks. Those numbers reflected a defender capable of disrupting plays before opposing offenses could establish their intended rhythm. His performances earned him first-team All-District 10-4A recognition and finalist consideration for the Willie Ray Smith Award, which honors outstanding defensive players in Southeast Texas.

Washington also demonstrated athletic versatility outside football. He competed in track and field, winning district and area championships in both the shot put and discus. Those achievements offered another competitive outlet and complemented the strength-oriented demands of his football position.

By the end of his high school career, Washington had earned District 10-4A Co-Defensive MVP recognition as a senior. He helped Little Cypress-Mauriceville produce consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1994-95. His accomplishments attracted college attention, and he ultimately chose Texas Tech over Baylor, Central Michigan, and Houston.

Washington arrived at Texas Tech in 2023 as a three-star prospect. He appeared in two games during his freshman season, including the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl against California, and retained a redshirt year to continue developing.

His role expanded in 2024, when he started three games at outside linebacker as a redshirt freshman. He recorded 10 tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hurries. His progress, however, included an injury-related interruption: Washington missed Texas Tech's Big 12 road opener at Arizona. He ultimately appeared in 12 of the team's 13 games, demonstrating that the setback did not end his season.

In 2025, Washington continued contributing to Texas Tech's defensive line rotation. He appeared in 12 games, recording seven tackles, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hurry. His availability was again affected by injury concerns. Before Texas Tech's September matchup against Utah, he was listed as doubtful on the official availability report. The report did not identify the specific injury, so a more detailed diagnosis cannot be confirmed from that source.

Despite those interruptions, Washington remained part of a Red Raiders team that won the Big 12 Championship and reached the College Football Playoff. Following the season, he entered the transfer portal and joined UCLA for 2026, bringing experience from 26 appearances at Texas Tech into a new competitive environment.

Washington's development illustrates the importance of adaptability along the defensive front. His high school production of 87 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and nine sacks as a junior established his ability to disrupt opposing offenses. At Texas Tech, he gained experience as both an outside linebacker and a defensive lineman, adding to his understanding of different defensive responsibilities.

His college career has not been entirely uninterrupted. An injury kept him out of Texas Tech's 2024 game against Arizona, and he was listed as doubtful ahead of the 2025 Utah game. However, the available records do not establish the full nature or severity of either issue, nor do they support describing his injury history as extensive.

At UCLA, Washington's next challenge is to translate that accumulated experience into consistent production. His official 2026 roster lists him at 6 feet 2 inches and 286 pounds. Those measurements provide context for his defensive-line role, but his impact must ultimately be judged by verified game performance rather than physical attributes alone.

Washington's career has included several meaningful milestones:

• District 10-4A Defensive Newcomer of the Year as a high school sophomore.
• 87 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and nine sacks during his junior high school season.
• Finalist for the Willie Ray Smith Award and first-team All-District 10-4A selection as a junior.
• District 10-4A Co-Defensive MVP as a senior.
• District and area champion in both shot put and discus.
• Four tackles for loss and a forced fumble in the 2023 Independence Bowl.
• Three starts at outside linebacker during Texas Tech's 2024 season.
• Member of Texas Tech's 2025 Big 12 championship team that reached the College Football Playoff.

Washington's path has included the ordinary challenges of college football development alongside injury-related interruptions. Missing a game can disrupt preparation and playing rhythm, particularly for a young defender establishing himself in a new role. His return to the rotation after the 2024 absence and his continued participation during the 2025 season form part of his documented journey.

At the same time, the available evidence does not establish a major injury, a prolonged rehabilitation period, or a specific medical diagnosis. His story is therefore best presented with restraint: injuries affected his availability at particular points, but the record does not justify overstating their impact on his career.

Washington entered the 2026 season as a senior defensive lineman for UCLA after three seasons at Texas Tech. His transfer gives him another opportunity to build on his previous experience while contributing to the Bruins' defensive front.

Any assessment of his current health should be based on current team availability reports and verified game participation. Earlier injury listings alone cannot establish that he is fully healthy or that he has avoided all subsequent injury concerns. His 2026 performance and continued availability will provide the clearest evidence of how this chapter develops.

Washington's football journey demonstrates that college development rarely follows a perfectly straight line. His progression has included early promise, a redshirt season, expanded responsibilities, reserve work, and a transfer to a new program.

His high school numbers remain the clearest evidence of his disruptive potential, while his Texas Tech experience supplies the foundation of his college résumé. The next measure of his career will be what he accomplishes in UCLA colors.

Amier Washington's story is one of continued development. From Orange, Texas, to Texas Tech's championship season and now UCLA, he has built his career through successive opportunities to learn and compete.

The next stage is not defined by what he has already achieved, but by what he can turn that experience into. For Washington, the challenge is to make each opportunity count and to transform years of preparation into a lasting contribution to the Bruins.