Husky Trails | Is Jake Locker Destined To Be an NFL Quarterback?

If you have followed Washington Husky football this spring, especially some of the articles coming out of the Seattle Times, you will have noticed that quarterback Jake Locker has greatly improved his accuracy. If you are a Husky fan that bodes well going into next season, but it may have consequences going onto the next level.

I'm going to say right now that Locker's athletic talent will lead him to play another position in the NFL, with a lot of experts saying possibly safety. I think it goes without saying that he has the talent for the next level, no matter what position.

However, I think if he can go on and flourish in the pro-style system under coach Steve Sarkisian he could make a strong case for NFL status. 

Locker himself has stated that he feels like his accuracy is a lot better, and that he is not throwing high like was the case in the past season.

Quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier has said that a lot of his problems have come from when he switches from his first receiver to his second and third he gets antsy and opens up a lot.

Watching his play, personally, he does look a heck of a lot better throwing. I haven't kept track of his completion percentage when I've been at practice, but he throws a really good ball. He certainly isn't trying to blow the hands off his receivers anymore, as was his tendency.

Sarkisian is a proven quarterback guru, just look at his track record of sending Carson Palmer, Matt Leinert, John David Booty, and extremely likely Mark Sanchez to the NFL during his time at USC.

Carson Palmer is the real pertinent example to pick out of those four guys. Palmer's stats in his first two seasons were merely ok, throwing for 16 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in 2000 and 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2001.

His 2002 campaign showed a massive improvement in all categories, completing was up to 63 percent, he threw almost 1,500 yards more than 2001 at 3,942, and threw for 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Now an increase of that proportion has a lot to do with a lot of things. A better athletic core around him could account for that, I don't follow USC football well enough to say if that is true. It stands more to reason that he sat down and studied what his coach was telling him.

A jump like that isn't just blind luck, as much as I like to believe in those kinds of things. It has more to do with just practice, and practicing right.

In this way, I think Sarkisian is bringing the right attitude to teaching Locker. They haven't drastically changed his mechanics as much as his mentality in the pocket. Sarkisian has stated on multiple times that Locker just needs to switch to his checkdowns if the pass isn't there and let his athletes do some work.

Bleacher Report writer Will Osgood left me a note talking about the comparisons between Brady Quinn and Locker. I think he brings up an interesting point here, in that both had similar situations playing two years in Tyrone Willingham's schemes and two years in a pro-style (ostensibly, in Locker's case since he could leave, which I think is unlikely).

Quinn played well for Willingham, but played great under Weis and a more pro-style offense, going on to be a Heisman finalist in 2006. He went on to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the Browns.

It helped to be tutored in NFL style systems by a "football luminary" such as Charlie Weis. Barring the somewhat disdain I have for Weis, he can recruit and get people on the right path for the NFL.

Willingham had a tough four years at UW, and I don't think it helps that he didn't really develop Locker's talents particularly well, at least not in the right way. I think it was just expected if Locker couldn't carry the team with his arm than he would with his feet, which is a lot to put on a young kid.

I, unfortunately, have no crystal ball, so I can't say how Locker's next level future will turn out. I will say that having the pro-style tutoring, specifically under Sarkisian, over his last two years will help him immensely. It worked for Palmer and Quinn to be sure.

If you want other examples, the Florida Gators did hire Scott Loeffler from the NFL to coach up Tim Tebow on the finer points of being a top of the line quarterback.

But hey, there's also Mike Leach who says a player can be taught to take snaps from center in what? 15 minutes? If that is the case then it really does come down to a lot of other factors when it comes to being an NFL quarterback.

Even if he doesn't make it to the next level as a quarterback, Locker is a special talent. If the talent around him can step up this year, or next, he could have a really special end to his career at Washington.

News and Notes

Not much to report, however, Terrance Dailey and Allen Carroll have both left the team. Dailey, the top rusher from last season, is leaving for academic reasons. Carroll, on the other hand, seems to have left for more personal reasons, with some hinting he may just not be that into football anymore. If that is the case Nate Fellner and Will Shamburger, who were supposed to grayshirt, shouldn't have to now.

The Husky Stadium bill in the state legislature appears to be dead, and as of now there is no plan B, possibly because they will make a go of it next year.