UW Difference Makers: CB Mesphin Forrester Looks to Finish Career on High Note

Mesphin was almost an afterthought for most Husky fans when he was recruited.  He came in with a DB class that included Okeobor, Bankhead, Sanders, Harris, and Goldson.

Okeobor had a string of terrible knee injuries, Bankhead never got in, Sanders dropped out his first year, Goldson only played two years because he had to go the JC route, and Harris had to sit out a full year with a back injury.

Five years later, the most important DB recruit in that class turns out to be Mesphin Forrester.

He has played both corner and safety, but as one observer told me, he was a cornerback in a safety's body.  You could see him struggle a bit with the position in 2007 when Jason Wells went down.  His best moments have come playing in the nickel.

This year he moves to CB fulltime and is trying to hold off Byron Davenport for one of the starting positions.  No matter who gets the starting nod, both will play quite a bit in 2008.

The thing I like best about Mesphin are his hands.  The kid rarely drops the ball when it is thrown at him, and that has resulted in some pretty big interceptions since he landed on campus.  His biggest came last season when he returned one for 54 yards against USC.

I think he will thrive at CB this year because he has plenty of experience, and the less physical side of the field suits him much better than safety.  I think it is a great move because now you have a physical, experienced cornerback, 6'2", 200, as opposed to a kid that may just not be physical enough for safety.

This is Mesphin's fifth year on campus, and he is one of the survivors of Gilbertson's one and only recruiting class.  Only 15 of the 23 ended up playing at Washington, and only nine iron men remain from what was supposed to be a top 20 recruiting class.

These kids have been through a lot over the past five years, and it would be great if Mesphin and his fellow seniors could finish up their careers with a bowl game in 2008.