That’s debatable and it depends a lot on context. From one viewpoint, Steve Sarkisian took over a football team coming off a 0-12 season and led them to a 7-6 record two seasons later. Another is that a football program that holds four national championships and 14 Rose Bowl appearances hasn’t won more than seven games since 2001.

Since Rick Neuheisal was dismissed, the program has hit rock bottom twice and seen just four .500 seasons, one of which came the year after his departure. The other three have come in the past three seasons, under Sarkisian.

He may have turned Washington into a respectable football program once again, but can Sark meet higher expectations?

All three of his last recruiting classes have been ranked in the top-25, but the Huskies have been ranked a total of two weeks over those three seasons in the AP Top 25. They were No. 22 in 2011 after blowing out Colorado to improve to 5-1. They dropped out once and for all that season after losing, 65-21, at Stanford.

Oct 27, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies running back Bishop Sankey (25) celebrates his touchdown run against the Oregon State Beavers during the fourth quarter with Washington Huskies quarterback Keith Price (17) and Washington Huskies fullback Jonathan Amosa (48) at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Last season, the Huskies were once again ranked for one week. This time it came after a defeat of the Cardinal. The AP voted them No. 23 after upsetting the No. 8 Cardinal, 17-13. They proceeded to lose 52-21 at No. 2 Oregon the next week to drop out again.

Sarkisian’s only other top-25 ranking came after UW upset No. 3 USC in the ‘Miracle on Montlake’ in 2009.

According to AP voters, the Huskies have been one of the 25 best teams in America just three of the possible 64 weeks since Sarkisian took over.

With the arguably the most talented roster in the past decade, this is the season that Sarkisian needs to break the trend. Anybody should be able to win six or seven games with a roster that includes Kasen Williams, Austin-Seferian Jenkins and Shaq Thompson. If Sark doesn’t do more, Scott Woodward may take notice and send him packing.

What will earn him another year on campus? Probably a 8- or 9-win season and a respectful bowl appearance. Another three? Give me 11 wins and a BCS bowl. Want a statue on campus? Win a damn championship!

In all seriousness, there is a very real chance that the man we all worshiped three years ago will be fired if the Huskies don’t perform this season.

As refreshing as a couple winning seasons were after years in the basement, the University of Washington won’t stand for mediocrity for much longer. What was once a football powerhouse thought it had its man to return them to the promise land. Four years later, they sit in the same spot they were three years ago: a talented team with little to show.

This will be the season to know if they’ve got him. The Pac-12 North rivals the SEC West (nobody comes within a mile of the East) as one of the hardest divisions in college football, but there will be no more excuses. A 10-win season will mean beating the teams you’re supposed to while beating at least three of Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Arizona State and Oregon State.

It is a tall task facing Sarkisian and the Huskies, but every elite program makes the jump at some point. This is the Huskies time.

Josh Perkins and Willis Wilson were on the Husky Football roster. Then they weren’t. Now they’re back on it. Many figured that when they were initially dismissed that it may have just been a big time college program doing what big time college programs have to do to reach the upper echelon of competitiveness in terms of player turnover. With a big recruiting class coming in and not a lot of seniors on the roster, players are going to have to move on in one way or another.

Perkins and Wilson didn’t really make sense in that respect though. For one, Wilson isn’t occupying a scholarship as a walk-on, so dismissing him wouldn’t have helped the team from a numbers standpoint. He’s also getting reps in practice due to the injury to Deontae Cooper and the lack of depth at the RB position, so he’s a player who definitely has value for this team.

Perkins, also, is a player who has value in that he’s transitioning from WR to more of a hybrid WR/TE player. He may not get a ton of playing time this season, but down the road the Huskies may run into a problem at the TE position with all 3 true TE’s being sophomores (and, as of yet, 0 TE commits in the 2013 class). Perkins may be relied upon to bridge that gap.

That the players were reinstated and the matter is being dealt with “internally” suggests perhaps a few things. One, this might have been a warning shot from coach Steve Sarkisian about behavior that will not be tolerated. Whatever happened clearly was not something that the coaching staff would ever like to see, and maybe the plan all along was to give Wilson and Perkins a bit of a scare, while at the same time sending a message to the other players on the roster. Or perhaps the leaders of the team, guys like Drew Schaefer, Keith Price and Desmond Trufant, met with the coaches and came to an agreement on bringing them back. This scenario would suggest a healthy amount of trust in the older players, and a good relationship between the leaders and the coaches: both very good things.

Whatever the reason, don’t be too happy for Perkins and Wilson: having things “taken care of internally” means that those two guys probably had one of the most grueling workouts of their lives pretty recently. And maybe that’s not a bad thing.

via Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

Yesterday, John Breech of CBSSports.com wrote a post about 3 Washington players who need to shine.  And, he kind of duffed it. The premise is simple: one offensive, defensive and special teams player who need to have big seasons for the Huskies to have a big season. So of course for offense and defense, Breech chooses two captains, two players who went to Pac-12 Media Day with Steve Sarkisian, two upperclassmen on everybody’s radar: Keith Price and Desmond Trufant.

Now, I don’t disagree with either choice but it just seems really lazy to pick those two guys. A quarterback needing to have a good season for his team to be successful? Not exactly breaking new ground there. As for Desmond Trufant, he’s been anywhere from serviceable to really good over the past three seasons, and the defense hasn’t mirrored his play.

So without further ado, here are my 3 Washington players who need to shine.

Offense: LT Micah Hatchie

Assuming Hatchie wins the starting left tackle job as is expected, he may well be the key to making the offense go. It’s pretty much a given that Keith Price is going to have a good season considering what he did last season, Sark’s history with quarterbacks, and what Price did in his healthiest appearance against Baylor. And that’s one of the biggest keys to Price’s season: keeping him at his healthiest so that he isn’t limited. That’s not happening without solid play at the tackle postions, especially on the blind side.

The other thing that Hatchie will have to do to to make the offense hum is to open holes in the running game. With the talent Washington has at running back, the real question mark is whether or not there will be holes available for Jesse Callier and Bishop Sankey to run through. Hatchie being dependable in run blocking will keep the ball moving forward, and prevent defenses from focusing on defending the pass.

Defense: DE Hau’oli Jamora

The Huskies defenses the last couple of years have had good players in the secondary (Sean Parker, Desmond Trufant), at linebacker (Mason Foster) and defensive tackle (Alameda Ta’amu), and the results have been pretty underwhelming. The position that hasn’t had a standout player manning it in that span has been defensive end. Washington hasn’t had a (healthy) standout defensive end who can do it all since Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, and Jamora could end up being much better than UW’s all time sacks leader.

Breech props up Trufant because of the prolific passing offenses in the Pac-12, but I’d go the other way and say that the best way to defeat those passing attacks is with a sound pass rush. With Jamora on one side and Josh Shirley coming from the other, opposing quarterbacks will not have the luxury they’ve had in recent years of dropping back and waiting until their receivers pop open. If the defense can force passing situations, they should be able to get off the field more often than than in the past.

Special Teams: PK Travis Coons

Alright, I’ll give you that one, Breech.

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When highly touted recruits enter a program, the natural inclination often is to overlook the current players on the roster. When the Huskies signed Nick Montana, most assumed he was the heir apparent to Jake Locker. When Locker was briefly injured against USC, Keith Price came in for a play and threw a touchdown pass. All according to plan. Wouldn’t want to burn Montana’s redshirt season for one play, right?

Then the competition for the job the following offseason came and went, and the depth chart stayed as it was: Keith Price ahead of Nick Montana. Montana watched from the sidelines as Price broke UW passing records, and when Montana got his chances he did not look good. And here the program is, returning one of the top QB’s in the country, while his former backup is no longer with the team.

This season, the backup quarterback position is undergoing a similar battle. Derrick Brown has a year in the program, and two hotshot young QB’s have come in behind him — Jeff Lindquist and Cyler Miles — and the assumption is that it’s just a matter of time until the incoming freshmen overtake him. Likewise, at RB there is a battle to replace Chris Polk between Jesse Callier and Bishop Sankey, and though Callier has been around longer and we’ve seen more from him, many expect that the job will ultimately be Sankey’s.

It’s no certainty that the older players will beat out the younger players any more than the younger players will win the jobs, but it’s folly to assume one or the other. Whoever wins these jobs will do so based on talent and skill, not how many stars the recruiting services gave them, and definitely not based on age. Yes, it’s definitely more intriguing to have a young player atop the depth chart, knowing that he’s coming back for another season or two and the position is secure for the foreseeable future, but it’s more intriguing to have the best players playing or ready to play.

The beauty of this is that there are these kinds of legitimate battles happening all over the field. That’s something that hasn’t been the case in quite a while, and is a testament to Steve Sarkisian and the job his staff has done in recruiting. Just remember that guys like Derrick Brown were given a scholarship because the coaches thought he could play. He’s not going to roll over and let the younger players overtake him without a fight. Either way though, it sure seems like the program is in good hands.

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He has already missed two seasons and will now have to sit out for a third. This torn ACL will need surgery and will force Cooper to spend this season recovering. It is sad for any Husky fan and really any fan as he simply cannot get on the field. Disheartening.

Here is the statement from CoachSark.com:

I am saddened and dismayed to report that Deontae Cooper has torn the ACL in his right knee while participating in a non-contact drill during practice. Deontae has done everything we have asked of him, and has been an example to his teammates with his hard work in the classroom, and the dedication he showed in returning from two previous ACL surgeries in his left knee. Our football program will do everything we can to support him in this tough time.

Cooper was a highly rated running-back out of high school and was expected to be a big-time contributor for the Huskies. Yet injuries have kept him from even playing in one collegiate game.

Husky Offensive Line Could Use Nowicki. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE

Ryan Nowicki is one of the first players from Penn State to openly be looking to transfer. His eye is on Illinois, Washington, and Arizona State as potential landing spots.

His decision to transfer comes as no surprise to Tim Tolley who writes for Victory Bell Rings, our Penn State affiliate on Fansided.com. He said, “Nowicki is one of the kids that it makes perfect sense for his eligibility as it would mean ZERO bowls, plus he’s not on the 2-deep depth chart”

Nowicki is a player that was sort of a head scratcher when he committed to Penn State out of High School, as he is from Cactus High School in Glendale, Arizona and most of his scholarship offers came by way of the West Coast schools.

He held offers from 11 different schools according to Scout.com but only decided to visit three; Penn State, Washington, and USC. Both Scout and Rivals had him rated as a 3-star lineman out of High School.

Nowicki spent his first year as a Nittany Lion red-shirting, this gives him the ability to have 4-years left of eligibility and per the NCAA sanctions he can play right away if he transfers. Illinois came at him the strongest sending eight coaches to State College in order to recruit him, along with other players. But Washington and Arizona State were also able to line up visits.

While the Fighting Illini seem to be the favorites and many are reporting it is close to a done-deal that he will transfer to Illinois. He is visiting Washington this weekend and Arizona State on Monday. Thus, the decision isn’t completely shored up.

PennState/Cactus OL Ryan Nowicki at #Washington now, then goes to #Illinois for weekend and Monday will be #ASU #plainstrains&automobiles

— Kevin Stewart (@KevinPStewart) July 27, 2012

Nowicki would be an instant boost to a depleted depth at offensive line. He was highly rated out of High School and spent a year as a red-shirt getting stronger and learning the college game. He most likely wouldn’t come in as an immediate starter but he would be a guy that Coach Sark would rotate in and by next year could find himself in a starter position.

July 24, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian (left), quarterback Keith Price (center), and corner back Michael Clay talk to the media during PAC-12 Media Day at Universal Studios Hollywood. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

The Pac-12 Media Day was yesterday and a lot of great things came out of it from many of the coaches. Each coach had their own nuggets that they dropped and many interesting topics, questions, concerns, and ideas were expressed yesterday by both coaches, players, and the media.

Here are five things that we learned (or re-learned) about UW at Pac-12 Media Day:

1. UW Projects to Only Start Four Seniors

This is a staggering number when you think about it. The majority of teams not only in the conference but in the nation are hoping to have primarily a junior and senior starting base. The Huskies are pushing for a sophomore and junior starting team.

2. The Defense is A Lot Better

Coach Steve Sarkisian states that the defense has had a “great spring and has been giving our offense fits”. He is impressed with the progression of the defense and what Justin Wilcox, Tosh Lupoi, Peter Sirmon, and Keith Heyward have already done to improve that.

The idea that the defense was giving the “offense fits” is either an alarming statement in the negative way for the offense. Or it shows how far a new scheme and coaching staff has helped improve the level of play on the defensive side of the ball. I believe it is the latter.

Coach Sark also takes the time to ask Desmond Trufant a question (because he hadn’t had one yet) about the defense, Trufant’s response is this:

The defense is looking good. Spring ball went great, obviously in the beginning we had to learn it so there was some mistakes but once we stopped thinking we were playing and competing.

3. Tosh Lupoi wasn’t hired to poach Cal’s recruits.

Coach Sark spoke to the fact that many said that Coach Lupoi was hired simply to steal big name Cal recruits like Shaq Thompson. Sark said that was not the case and they hired Lupoi for his ability to recruit and coach in the long-term. They wouldn’t hire someone just for the short term it is for the long-term too.

4. Keith Price Said He Is Improving

Price talks about how he is still learning to get better in the game. He speaks to the fact that last season was only his first year as the quarterback. He wants to continue to improve. He specifically talks about recognizing defenses, changing protections, and helping the team into manageable situations/plays.

5. Coach Sark Talks About ‘Hybrid Defense’

Hau’oli Jamora, Andrew Hudson, and Josh Shirley is impressive depth at the defensive end position. Coach Sark told the media that the plan is to use them all in different schemes. The team won’t be exactly type-cast into one type of a defense. He says, “That’s kudos to Justin Wilcox, putting the guys in the best position to be successful when he’s on the field, and like I said, I thought our defense had a tremendous spring, and hopefully, that’s a sign of things to come.”

Let’s start part two where we left off part one. The statistics of what Justin Wilcox did after coming to his new program as the new defensive coordinator both at Boise State and Tennessee.

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To really get a picture of how that looks, we need to take a look at the same table but with the name Nick Holt instead. Remember, Holt came with Coach Steve Sarkisian in 2009, the year after arguably the worst season ever for the Washington Huskies, 2008.

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The comparison speaks for itself, or should. Even when Wilcox was coordinating in the SEC, the defensive numbers were nowhere near what they were at Washington. It also should be noted that Holt seemingly was only able to really cut down yards in one way or the other, never both. The years he was able to cut down the running attack, passing numbers were through the roof, and vice-versa.

To figure out ‘how much better the defense will be’ we also need to break down certain aspects of Holt’s reign as defensive coordinator as compared to the new coordinator. A deeper look into stats.

All the stats below are for the year 2011.

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No real surprises in those lines. The thing I didn’t put in that table and maybe should have, was the fact that Washington was always towards the bottom of the FBS in the above categories while Tennessee was middle of the pack or towards the top.

The line I heard often after part one of the series was, “well it couldn’t get much worse.” But in reality, Husky fans don’t want a defense that is ‘better’ because that is easy to do. The talent alone should make the defense ‘better’, what Husky fans are looking for and hoping they see in Justin Wilcox is a defense that is ‘WAY BETTER’.

The stats above help paint a picture of what it may look like with Wilcox at the helm. There is obviously a +/- you have to give Wilcox as he has a different team and is in a different conference. Whether you see that as a positive thing or a negative thing.

Pro:

• He was in a rebuilding situation at Tennessee.
• He was in the SEC.
• He only had a couple years to do something at Tennessee.

Early returns are positive.

Price mentioned how impressive the defensive staff has been at UW…big upgrade

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) July 16, 2012

Washington Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian (right) celebrates with quarterback Keith Price (left) after defeating the California Golden Bears at Husky Stadium. Washington defeated California 31-23. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

There is no doubt in my mind that  Coach Steve Sarkisian is doing a magnificent job convincing talent to come to Washington. Since 2009 he has changed the culture at UW not just in terms of wins and losses but has helped maximize the talent on the roster and bring in new talent.

There will be some that disagree because in the last two years, talent that LIVES  in Washington has decided to play elsewhere. Players like Zach Banner and Josh Garnett who were not only the top players in the state last year but also among the top players in the country. Both decided to play for other programs.

This year, Coach Sark has lost 5-star QB Max Browne to USC, 4-star OLB Myles Jack to UCLA, and 4-star OLB Danny Mattingly to Notre Dame. Those were the three most talented players in Washington State.

That being said, Coach Sark is bringing in talent by the truck-load from California. He has also been able to steal kids from places like Texas, Oregon, and Hawaii.

Let’s look at his recruiting classes since he came to UW: (all rankings are taken from Scout.com)

2009

• The class was ranked 66th in the country.
• This was the lowest ranking in the Pac-10. UCLA was ranked the highest at 5th.
• The class featured 11 3-star players.
• Top players to come out of this class were Keith Price, Desmond Trufant, and James Johnson.

2010

• The class was ranked 11th in the country.
• 3rd in the Pac-10 behind USC and UCLA.
• It had nine 4-stars (two in the top 100) and 16 3-stars.
• Top players to come out of this class were Sean Parker, Erik Kohler, and Josh Shirley. There are still many in this class that are waiting to be seen if they turn out great or not. Example: Sione Potoa’e.

2011

• The class was ranked 22nd in the country.
• It was 4th in the Pac-12 behind USC, Oregon, and California.
• This classed featured the first two 5-stars in Coach Sark’s tenure. It also had three 4-stars and 15 3-stars.
• Austin Seferian Jenkins and Kasen Williams are the top of this class (they were the two 5-stars). They will be more in the future to really come out of this class but it is too young to really know yet.

2012

• The class was ranked 22nd in the country (again).
• It was 5th in the Pac-12 with Stanford, UCLA, Oregon, and USC ahead of the Huskies.
• The class features one 5-star, three 4-stars, and 15 3-stars.
• This class hasn’t even played a down of college football so there is no telling who the top-performers will be but the top ranked players are Shaquille Thompson, Jeff Lindquist, and Cyler Miles.

2013

• The current recruiting class is ranked 13th in the country (could change by the day, up or down).
• It is currently ranked 2nd in the Pac-12 behind USC.
• The class has currently six 4-stars and eight 3-stars (these are not the final rankings).
• Any of the 4-stars could be mentioned but early returns show that Troy Williams (QB) may be extremely elite.

It was just last night that Coach Sark and company was able to convince the number one linebacker in the country to come visit.

While much of Sark’s recruiting classes still need to be tested. Rankings alone show that now Washington is competing with the best in the nation and the Pac-12 and able to haul in talent. The climate has changed for UW football.

Reuben Foster not here at #TheOpening anymore, heard he’s visiting #Washington on unofficial

— Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) July 7, 2012

While up participating in the Nike hosted event, The Opening in Oregon, Foster was dealing with a minor injury so he decided to take the three hour drive up to Seattle and see the Washington campus. Washington is one of the many programs hoping to steal him away from Alabama.

The latest story about Foster is that he is 100% committed to Alabama from 24/7 Sports yesterday. The article is a paid article so we can’t dive in too much but Foster may just be enjoying the recruiting process and being one of the best players in the country.

There isn’t an expectation that he will switch his commitment to UW but this is more the fact that the Huskies are flashing their “recruiting guns” by getting him to drive up to Seattle. Especially, because many Husky fans were/are worried that Oregon has an advantage in recruiting with The Opening being in their state. Though the location is actually Beaverton not Eugene.

Foster is rated as the number two prospect in the country by both Rivals and Scout. He is also listed as the top linebacker by both sources. He is an impressive linebacker with explosive speed, strength, and uncanny ability to find and destroy the ball carrier.

Wonder what the best linebacker in the country looks like, check out his video from last season:

Washington Huskies running back Chris Polk (1) runs away from the Cougs. Washington defeated Washington State 38-21. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

There is an argument that Chris Polk is the greatest running back, in a long line of great running backs, in the history of the University of Washington. His 4,049 rushing yards, ranked 2nd all time in Husky history, just barely behind Napoleon Kaufman’s 4,106. This is despite the fact that Kaufman played in 44 games as a Husky while Polk played in just 40 games. Polk also holds the school record for yards per game (101.2 ypg), 100 yard games (21), and is tied with Kaufman and Greg Lewis as the only Huskies with three consecutive 1000 yard seasons. In 2011, Polk finished 2nd all-time in total yards with 1,488 yards, behind the ridiculous 1,695 yards put up by Corey Dillon in 1996. Despite the shock of Chris Polk going undrafted in the NFL draft, after being projected as a 2nd round pick, many observers expect Polk to earn a major role with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Whether Chris Polk is the greatest running back in the history of the Huskies (against such competition as Kaufman, Greg Lewis, Cory Dillon, and Hugh Mcelhenny) is a great matter of debate. But, what can not be debated is that it will be a tough act to follow for whoever wins the job in 2012. Who wins this job and how well they do will go a long way toward determining the success of the Husky season. Keith Price suffered from injuries all season long last year, but one thing that kept him going was the ability of Chris Polk to take on much of the load. The best way to keep Price on the field this year will be to have an effective running back. Will Polk’s replacement be able to have the durability and productivity to help keep Price healthy and open up his options for passing down field?

Let’s look at the options;

Jesse Callier is many ways can be viewed as the heir to the position. The junior-to-be has a total of 84 carriers for 693 yards in his career. He also has 25 receptions for 153 yards. While Callier was lightly used due to the production of Chris Polk, after being in Steve Sarkisian’s system for the past two years, he seems to have the most experience to step into that role. However, Callier will definitely have his work cut out for himself to beat back a challenge from up-and-coming sophomore Bishop Sankey.

Washington Huskies running back Bishop Sankey (25) is brought down by Southern California Trojans linebacker Shane Horton (23) during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

Bishop Sankey shocked Pacific Northwest football fans when the 4-star recruit pulled out of his commitment with Washington State to come over to Seattle. Some thought he ought to have redshirted last year since Polk and Callier would take up all the carries. But, Sarkisian saw that Sankey was too good to keep off the field and played him as a true freshman, both on special teams and occasionally on the offense. Sankey showed some glimpses of brilliance, ultimately ending up with 28 carries for 187 yards. His best game came against Colorado when he ran for 71 yards on just 8 carries.

In spring ball, Steve Sarkisian said that Callier and Sankey were very close on the depth chart, calling them 1A and 1B. It seems most likely at this point that one of those two will get the majority of the carries, but it is also possible that Sarkisian will go into the season rotating both of them in to see who is more effective. But, if neither is able to show much effectiveness, there are some additional options in the backfield.

The biggest question mark for Husky fans is the health and conditioning of Deontae Cooper. The highly touted 4-star redshirt sophomore has yet to play a down for the Huskies after not once, but twice tearing his ACL. Steve Sarkisian has indicated that he is working Cooper along slowly to make sure he can come back completely healthy. Cooper may not be ready to contribute right away, given his rehab schedule and the fact he has been out of football for over two years. So, even if his knee is 100%, conditioning may still take some time. But, if Cooper can get back up to his potential, the sky could still be the limit.

I expect to see Cooper get limited carries and maybe mostly work on special teams to begin with. But, if either Callier or Sankey are injured or ineffective, you might start seeing Cooper moved into the rotation. Then, it is just a matter of time to see where he fits in.

Washington Huskies running back Jesse Callier (24) rushes against Colorado Buffaloes defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe (9) and Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Anthony Perkins (7) during the first quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE

Then there are the wildcards. The Huskies have two freshmen RB who were rated 2-stars by Scout; incoming freshman Erich Wilson and redshirt freshman Dezden Petty. In addition, they have JC transfer Antavius Sims, who was also rated 2-stars out of high school. While 2-star recruits may not inspire excitement among the fans, the ratings system is not always entirely accurate. Steve Sarkisian obviously saw something in each of them to be willing to bring them in.

With the depth on the roster (6 running backs), it would seem that true freshman Erich Wilson is most likely to redshirt. The others who are not part of the regular rotation will almost certainly be heavily involved on special teams, with one of them likely earning a punt or kick off return spot.

But, there is also the fact that the running back position is wide open right now. If any of these six players were to come into fall camp and show themselves to be the ONE who needs to be on the field, that opportunity is there for them to take it.

Replacing a player like Chris Polk is almost impossible. But, Steve Sarkisian does appear to have restocked the stables with a number of players with great potential. The key question is whether any of them will be able to play at this level we have come to expect.

However, it seems like at least initially, the most likely scenario is to start with a “running back by committee” approach. I usually cringe at the idea of play by committee. Often this results in a number of players running in for a few ineffective plays, without any of them being able to get into the flow of the game. I want depth and getting players time on the field and better preparation, but I worry if there is not one focal point to the offense that all of them may become ineffective. In addition, it is important to Keith Price for him to have confidence in his backs. He needs to know that the player he hands the ball too will hold onto it. He needs to know the player behind him will have his back and protect him from sacks and open up holes in the line to run through when he has to scramble.

Ultimately though, the question I posited in the title is “Who will be the next great Husky running back?”. Looking at the six currently on the roster, I believe the answer to that question is Bishop Sankey. Whether he will be able to win the outright starting spot over Jesse Callier out of fall camp remains to be seen. But, based on what I saw out of each of them last year, Sankey looks to me to have the most potential. I see Sankey eventually getting more touches as the season moves on and then grabbing a stranglehold on the spot during his junior year. But, running back is a very difficult position to predict and if someone else wins the job, I would not be shocked to see it. What do you think?

Nick Montana's career as UW starting QB lasted just one game. Mandatory Credit: Jim Z. Rider-US PRESSWIRE

When Keith Price does eventually move on to the NFL, the question in this game of survival at quarterback is who will stay at Montlake for the duration and who will go the way of Ronnie Fouch and Nick Montana? Because only one quarterback can play at a time, there is often a matter of luck involved in whether you will get a chance to play. Will the QB ahead of you get injured? Will the QB ahead of you leave early for the NFL? Will a new coach reopen the QB competition and give you the chance the previous coach didn’t? Do you have other skills that makes you useful to the team?

Let’s examine each of the backup QB’s and address whether some of these factors could improve their chances of getting on the field and/or needing to transfer.

When Derrick Brown committed to UW, many people also heard about his talent as a punter. Some people speculated that maybe he might find his niche there, while being the backup QB to Keith Price. Some fans even fantasized about the idea of having a true QB back there punting who could keep defenses guessing on every punt (especially those near mid-field) that instead there would be a pass for a touchdown or a run for a first down. But, the Huskies have since brought in punter Korey Durkee from Gig Harbor for 2012 and kicker Cameron Van Winkle from Mount Si has committed for 2013 (who is apparently a very good punter as well). Thus, Brown’s opportunities for that spot seem greatly diminished, barring injury.

As I mentioned in Part I of the series, Cyler Miles is a dual-threat quarterback with a tremendous ability to run or throw. These skills could make him useful as a true freshman both on special teams and on offense. If he were on the field at the same time as Keith Price, he could be useful on reverses or out wide as a receiver, who could also throw downfield. He might also be used in the Wildcat formation. Miles might be able to follow in the footsteps of Isaiah Stanback and Eric Bjornsen, who were both recruited as QB’s to UW, but ultimately found jobs in the NFL as a wide receiver and tight end respectively. Often when these athletic dual-threat QB’s are being recruited, they really desire to play QB, even when the coaches see them being more effective at another position instead. Sometimes these athletes narrow their college choices based on which coach promises to keep them at the QB position, while others base their decisions more on the qualities of the program or location rather than the position projections. What Steve Sarkisian will choose to do with Miles is pure speculation at this point. But, if he has as much talent and athleticism as the reports say, he may find his route to the next level is actually at another position instead.

Jeff Lindquist is projected as more of a true pro-style QB. While Sarkisian has shown an ability to be somewhat flexible in working his offense to the skill set of the players he has, he has stated multiple times that what he would prefer from a quarterback is a tradition pro-style QB with an accurate and strong arm. Lindquist’s running ability is more limited than Miles, but he may fit Sarkisian’s offensive schemes better. If he is truly as good as most think he will be, he seems to be the heir apparent to take over the starting role from Keith Price. It seems unlikely, especially if he redshirts in 2012, that Lindquist would lose his chance to start and have to transfer when the time comes.

Who will stand on the sideline with Coach Sarkisian? Mandatory Credit: Jim Z. Rider-US PRESSWIRE

Then there is 2013 recruit Troy Williams. Steve Sarkisian knew that he didn’t have to sign a QB for this class, since he has three freshman already in the fold already. So, he had the option of being more selective in his recruiting. He only targeted some of the top QB’s in the nation. Sarkisian did lose Skyline’s Max Browne to USC (#1 QB in the nation) and Salt Lake City’s Cooper Bateman committed to Alabama after Doug Nussmeier left Montlake for Tuscaloosa. But, both were not huge surprises given the depth UW has at that position and the better opportunities those two have to play immediately at the other two schools.

Steve Sarkisian then decided to just focus his attention on one other QB, that of Narbonne, CA in Troy Williams. Ranked the #14 QB in the nation by Scout, Williams, like Price, is a little small for an NFL level QB being on 6’0″ and 168 lbs. But, Williams has an extremely accurate arm. And, also like Cyler Miles, is a dual-threat, with great mobility. Thus, even if he has to wait a little while to earn his starting role, he could find time on the field in other capacities.

Looking at this potential logjam at the QB position, the Huskies certainly have the good problem of a quantity of riches. But, it seems really unlikely that four QBs all within two years of each other will all be able to fit in and would be willing to wait their turn. Quarterbacks rated 4-star and in the Top 20 in the country are not going to a university to sit on the bench and hold a clipboard. So, while all of them will have the confidence that they can win the competition, not all of them will be able to do so. At some point, one or more of them will want to get their chance to shine and if it is not at UW, it’ll be somewhere.

Those who have the ability to contribute in other ways may be willing to stick it out. With the talent that Cyler Miles and Troy Williams bring, it seems like they will find a role in Sarkisian’s system, even if they are not starting QB’s to begin with. So, when examining who would be most likely to transfer, it comes to talented, but more limited QB’s like Derrick Brown and Jeff Lindquist. If Lindquist does redshirt in 2012, it will certainly limit his transfer options, and Brown has already done so. Often QB’s in this situation transfer to FCS or Division II schools because they do not have to sit out an addition year and can play right away. But, doesn’t it seem unlikely that a player ranked #8 in the country like Lindquist could end up at a Portland State or Central Washington?

Derrick Brown on the other hand was ranked #46 in the nation by Scout and was stated as having some issues with accuracy, despite his good footwork and mobility. To me, he would seem the most likely odd-man out. But, the key to this decision for him and the others is whether Keith Price were to enter the NFL draft after 2012 or return for the 2013 season. If Keith Price entered the NFL draft after this season, then there will be a wide-open free-for-all QB competition between Brown, Lindquist, Miles, and Williams for the starting role in 2013. In that scenario, I could imagine all four of them sticking around trying to win that competition, because players at this level have enough confidence to believe they can. Although, if after spring camp (Troy Williams says he will graduate early so he can be in spring ball next year), one of them ends up far down the depth chart, they may choose to transfer in during the summer.

But, if Price decides to stay for 2013, then the decision by one of them to transfer could come sooner because they would see yet another year sitting on the bench for sure. I hate to see someone leave UW, but the QB position is a very difficult situation when you have too many talented quarterbacks on the roster. But, it certainly is a good problem for Husky fans and coach Steve Sarkisian to have!

Of course, there is one other scenario that is just as plausible as anything else I wrote on here. All five of the quarterbacks on the roster may love Seattle and the University of Washington so much that they are willing to stick it out and be proud of being Huskies no matter what happens with their spot on the depth chart. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how this competition develops…

Washington Huskies quarterback Keith Price (17) passes against the Southern California Trojans. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

In January of this year, Nick Montana transferred out of the University of Washington after one redshirt season and after serving as Keith Price’s backup last year, earning one disastrous start against Oregon State when Price was injured. A recruit with so much promise left so early because he saw a sophomore Keith Price in front of him on the depth chart and realized he might be sitting on the bench for the next two years before only getting his chance to be the starter in his final season of eligibility. Because he had already used up his redshirt season, Montana would have to sit out another year if he transferred to another FBS school. So, Montana decided to transfer to Mount San Antonio College in California, where after playing one season there, he could transfer to a school where he has a chance to earn the starting role for his final two seasons of NCAA eligibility.

So is the life as a college quarterback, where under normal circumstances there is only one player in that position on field at one time and if you are not the starter, you will not play. No other position, other than walk-on kicker or punter, is that situation so particularly true. Most FBS schools attempt to recruit one scholarship quarterback per year and usually have four QB’s on scholarship at any one time. Most teams try to have their quarterbacks staggered, so that when the starters graduate or get injured, there is a veteran backup ready to take over. In addition, you usually want your freshmen redshirting so they can learn the system while not using one of their years of eligibility.

A similar thing happened with Ronnie Fouch. He sat behind Jake Locker, until Locker’s broken thumb. Then, he started most of the disasterous 2008 season before returning to the bench for Locker’s junior season. Fouch then transferred to FCS Indiana State following the 2009 season upon recognition he would again sit on the bench again after Jake Locker announced he was not entering the NFL draft that year. Had Fouch stayed at UW, he would still have had to compete with Keith Price in his final season of eligibility for the starting job.

At many schools who properly stagger their QBs, the quarterbacks work their way into the starting role, often starting for two years at a time. In fact, if you look at the long and illustrious history of quarterbacks at UW, most of them started two years before heading to the NFL. But, what ultimately happens when a young (freshman or sophomore) QB earn the starting role, as Keith Price did as a sophomore, is that everyone under them realizes they will have a long wait and they may never even get the chance to start a college football game. Will the same thing happen to one of the potentially five QB’s on the Husky roster next year that happened to Montana did this past winter?

Going into the 2012 season, the Huskies will have four scholarship quarterbacks. Keith Price is a redshirt junior. Derrick Brown is a redshirt freshman. Jeff Lindquist and Cyler Miles will be true freshmen. The assumption most people make is that Derrick Brown will be the primary backup to Price this year, given that he has already used his redshirt and has more experience in Steve Sarkisian’s system than the two incoming freshmen. But, most people also believe that highly touted Jeff Lindquist (4-stars and #8 in the nation by Scout) is likely the heir apparent to the starting job when Keith Price eventually leaves for the NFL. Looking ahead, it would make sense that Steve Sarkisian would try and save Lindquist’s eligibility by redshirting him in 2012. But, if Lindquist is far-and-away a better backup than Derrick Brown in the fall and Price were to suffer an injury early enough in the season, Sarkisian could potentially decide to put him in if he felt it was giving the team the best shot at a successful season.

Jeff Lindquist during the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl high school football game. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Then there is dynamic and athletic Cyler Miles. While local folks talk about Lindquist, the Colorado product was also rated 4-stars and ended up deciding between UW and USC. That’s some heady company and he would not have had a USC offer unless he could really play. It is certainly conceivable that Miles could beat out both Brown and Lindquist for the backup job. What is also conceivable is that Miles is probably less likely than Lindquist to redshirt because of his incredible athleticism. He is a dual-threat QB who could give Sarkisian some incredible play-calling options on the field if he were inserted as a WR or tailback on certain plays. He could be used in the “Wildcat” formation or slotted out wide, with defenses needing to respect his ability to catch, run, or throw. He could also be very useful on special teams, possibly even returning punts or kicks. Also, if he played next year and Lindquist redshirted, it would stagger the QB’s in terms of eligibility a bit better than they are currently.

If this scenario does indeed occur, with Brown as the primary backup, Miles used on special teams and special situations on offense, and Lindquist redshirts, then there would appear to be stability at the QB spot for the next year. The bigger question is what happens in 2013. There is the question about whether Keith Price will still be in Seattle when highly touted Troy Williams arrives in Montlake from Narbonne, CA. If Keith Price stays at UW for his final season, then the Huskies would potentially have five QB’s under scholarship at the same time. That is a lot. While Price’s record-breaking season last year (despite injuries) had people talking NFL, there is no guarantee that even another season like that would get him into the high rounds of the NFL draft. NFL scouts have worried about his size (a little short and skinny for most of their tastes) and his apparent proclivity for injury. He may need to put together two successful and injury free seasons to convince NFL teams to take a chance on him, despite his proven on-field success.

If Price were to leave after 2012, then there would certainly be a wide-open battle for the starting spot between Brown, Lindquist, and Miles, with the winner of the spot potentially being the starter in Montlake for the next 2-3 seasons (barring injury). But, the two losers of that battle would certainly need to start thinking about their options. Are they willing to stand on the sidelines with a clipboard for the rest of their career? If Price stays for 2013, then the problem is exacerbated even further with the arrival of Troy Williams. That log jam would make it unlikely that all four players would be willing to wait it out for the long term. The question is, who would be most likely to transfer? Obviously this is a matter of pure speculation. But, speculation is one thing I am quite good at. So, in Part II, I’ll examine the possibilities and come up with what I think is the most likely scenario.

Williams out of Harbor City, California (Narbonne High) is ranked as a 4-star quarterback by all the major recruiting sites; Rivals, Scout, and ESPN. Williams narrowed his list down to Arizona and Washington but today announced that he would like to wear purple and gold.

It’s official, Troy Wiliams is a Dawg, woof, woof, woof!

— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) June 8, 2012

Steve Sarkisian has now landed his third highly ranked quarterback commitment in the last two years. Jeff Lindquist from Mercer Island (WA) and Cyler Miles from Colorado also were listed as 4-star quarterbacks in the class of 2012. Williams will come in behind them looking for his chance to compete at the starting job in a couple of seasons.

Williams is an athlete and draws comparisons to some of the other dual-threat quarterbacks that UW has had over the years. Brandon Huffman of Scout.com says that he is comparable to Price out of High School but is more developed than Price was. Obviously, since Price has done a lot of developing. Price would be a good mentor for him in the Husky offense.

Greg Biggins broke down Williams’ visit to UW last week in this article. Williams said that there were multiple times on the visit that he felt like committing but decided to hold off and wait so he could think it over. One of the highlights was that he would be able to learn from Keith Price.

The Huskies also added a 2013 kicker late last evening in Cameron Van Winkle from Mount Si High School in Snoqualmie Washington. He is their first commitment from a kicker for 2013 and most likely their only.

Steve Sarkisian and company are making an early splash in the 2013 class with now 7 commitments. Williams is the highest rated of those commitments.

Tyrell Robinson (image from facebook)

Tyree and Tyrell Robinson are being highly recruited by schools all over the country. They have picked up about 20 offers alone in the last couple months. However, they are limiting the schools that have a shot with them unintentionally with the two major things they want from a university.

1. They are a package deal.

They told Rival’s Adam Gorney, ‘we came into the world as a package and we want to go to a university as a package.’ This being said, any schools that have only offered one twin and not the other won’t be considered. Which limits their options.

2. They want to play both football and basketball in college.

There are many recruits that say that they want to play both but often it doesn’t work out. But with the Robinson twins they are ranked in both sports. They are not only receiving basketball offers and basketball coaches are asking the football coach to do them a favor and offer them too. Football coaches are going hard for these two as much as basketball coaches.

Rivals list both as 4-star prospects in football and Tyree is a 4-star in basketball while Tyrell is a 3-star. Scout has Tyree as a 3-star in football and Tyrell as a 2-star. But in basketball Tyree is a 4-star and Tyrell is a 3-star. They are obviously talented in both sports.

These two above requirements for a university are what will help them decide on their future school. This isn’t going to be easy but at the same time they still have coaches lining up for them.

Rivals states that they have over 30 offers and many of those are for both football and basketball. However, one school that is towards the top of their list; Washington.

UW is always one of the first schools out of their mouth when they list schools they are interested in. They are planning a visit to Washington and both Lorenzo Romar and Steve Sarkisian are eager to have the twins. They are hot commodities and some even say they could be the best “athletes” on the west coast.

These are two names to keep an eye on, especially because now UW has a big recruiting tool for high school recruits that want to play both sports; Austin Seferian-Jenkins.