Washington Huskies Football: Roundtable Discussion Part III

Linebacker E.J. Savannah, the leading tackler of the Washington Huskies, broke his arm and is out for three months.  How does his loss affect the defense, assuming he will not be back in the lineup by opening day?

E.J.'s suspension from the team in Spring practice turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  Savannah played with the second team in the Spring Scrimmage, with senior Chris Stevens able to fill in for Savannah.  Out of all the positions, the UW is deepest at LB.

 

Can quarterback Jake Locker make similar strides in the passing game during his sophomore year to that of Tim Tebow?

If you look at the history of QBs in college football, you find the biggest leap is from freshman to sophomore year.  I don't think Tebow is the right comparison— in my opinion Locker is a better runner, just not as strong as Tebow.

Locker was also plagued in many games by subpar receivers who lacked the ability to make plays and catch a cold, much less a pass.  I expect Locker to complete about 58 to 60 percent of his passes this year.  Better utilization of the tight ends will help him as well.

 

Losing Anthony Russo and Marcel Reece to graduation forces a group of very young wide receivers into starting roles.  Which of the young WRs will step up and take some of the pressure off Jake Locker?

Russo will hurt a little, but on a prime-time I-A roster, he is at best a slot option.  Reese had the physical tools but just couldn't get it together mentally.  Watch for Anthony Boyles and Chris Polk (who decommited from USC) to make big strides, along with Devon Agular.  Polk will see time in the slot and in the backfield as well.  Expect more utilization of Chris Izbicki (top recruit last year) at TE.

 

Should RB Brandon Johnson be a workhorse, or should Tyrone Willingham go with running back by committee for fresh legs?

The key to the UW running attack will be the depth at the offensive line.  Losing Juan Garcia (6th year senior) in the spring is a blow that will be difficult to recover from.

Look for Johnson to get the bulk of the carries with Brandon Yaboski spelling him.  Yaboski is a better receiver out of the backfield (NFL-type hands there) and has a good burst.  There is no real home-run threat here.  Another wildcard will be if highly touted James Hasty Jr. will ever pan out.

 

The Huskies' defense was abysmal last year.  Is there any reason to suspect a turnaround this upcoming season?

Yes, there is a reason to think the UW D will be better—it can't be any worse.  With new coaches and new schemes, it will be better.  It only has to hold teams to 30 points, as the offense should be able to score at least that many points.