Husky Trails | A Year of Maturation Bodes Well for Husky Receivers

With spring practice nearing its finale on April 25, the Washington Huskies are starting to look more secure in new head coach Steve Sarkisian's scheme. One of the most notable improvements is that of the Husky receiving corps.

Dropped passes were a major problem over the course of the last two years, and are part of the reason that Jake Locker's completion percentage has been as low as it has been.

Last year was not a banner year for the Husky receivers, with true freshmen, redshirt freshmen, and sophomores making up the unit. D'Andre Goodwin proved to be an incredibly solid go-to receiver with 60 receptions last year.

This was a product of the Huskies needing to throw often last year.  However, notice Goodwin's paltry haul of one touchdown for so many receptions.

This season some of the younger guys seem to have matured greatly in the new scheme put in place by Sarkisian. Jermaine Kearse and Jordan Polk are two players who have really come on strong this spring.

Kearse is turning into that big-bodied receiver that fits well into Sark's schemes. Multiple times he's gone up for high passes with the cornerback or safety in his face and come down with the pass.

Polk is someone who has been really consistent this whole spring. He's a small guy, measuring only 5'8", but he has speed to burn, as evidenced by the kickoff return during the first scrimmage this spring.

He's also shown a great leaping ability, run after the catch, and ball security. Monday's practice showed another couple fine catches in traffic for big gains.

Some other standouts from Monday were Chris Izbicki, the tight end, and Cody Bruns. Izbicki has been a force at tight end all spring after falling out of favor with the Tyrone Willingham staff for some off-field discretions.

Bruns has been praised for running really crisp routes and having the hands to make some difficult catches. Those who follow Husky football remember that the Willingham staff burned his redshirt rather late in the season, to some unnecessarily.

On the more negative side, D'Andre Goodwin has been hampered with a hamstring problem this spring and has only seen the field in limited action. In some ways this is a blessing in disguise with some of the younger guys being given the option to shine. 

Kavario Middleton started brightly but has faded over the stretch, with Izbicki getting most of the looks at tight end.

Anthony Boyles, a player I had tabbed as someone who needed to step up, has been just normal. He makes plays at times and at others will drop some key passes.

Overall, however, I think the unit has progressed well under the new system. Along with the quarterbacks Locker and Ronnie Fouch, they have shown a great aptitude for picking up the offense. 

Sarkisian's system is more run-oriented, but with no clear-cut favorite at the position of running back it behooves the staff to make sure the receivers are as prepared as possible. This they seem to be doing well.

News and Notes

The Huskies might have gotten in trouble for some illegal contact on the field between some players and former Huskies receiver Jerome Plathon, who was acting as a student assistant while he is finishing some classes at the university. Apparently, he is only supposed to draw up plays and stay in the background, but some players apparently approached him and he replied to their questions.

Alvin Logan switched from receiver to safety in monday's practice. Sarkisian didn't state one way or they other if this was permanent, rather he stated that they wanted to get film on him at the position before spring ended.

Quinton Richardson, the sophomore cornerback, had a nasty collision right at the end of practice and stayed down for a couple minutes, but was able to walk off the field.

The new uniforms will be unveiled at the spring game on Saturday, though only on mannequins, not on the players.