Feb 2, 2012, Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Lorenzo Romar speaks with Washington Huskies guard C.J. Wilcox (23) during free throws by the UCLA Bruins during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Washington defeated UCLA, 71-69. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

In case you haven’t heard, Lorenzo Romar made two additions to his staff this month. Most recently, he brought Raphael Chillious back after a season at Villanova. The other name isn’t so familiar. T.J. Otzelberger comes to Washington after spending the last seven seasons at Iowa State. He spent his first four seasons at Iowa State as an assistant coach under Greg McDermott before Fred Hoiberg took over. Under Hoiberg, Otzelberger acted as associate head coach.

At Iowa State, Otzelberger was mostly known for his recruiting prowess. Throughout his tenure there, he helped bring in NBA draft picks Craig Brackins, Mike Taylor and Justin Hamilton among others. While that was his main role, Otzelberger eventually grew into a bigger role in game planning as well. As his role became bigger, the Cyclones record got better. In Otzelberger’s three years as associate head coach, the Cyclones made the NCAA twice (the two years the Huskies did not).

The move to Washington is a natural progression in Otzelberger’s career that he hopes to one day lead to a head coaching job. With his track record, it shouldn’t be hard for Romar to expand his coaching tree. For now, though, he is in Seattle to help the Huskies get back to the expectations that were established nearly a decade ago.

While the roles are still being established within the coaching staff, it is expected that Otzelberger will rank high as an assistant under Romar. He brings two key qualities: recruiting and X’s and O’s.

As a high-up assistant, Otzelberger should make a big impact in both areas, being an ace recruiter as well as helping a sometimes-stagnant offense.

It is no secret that the Huskies have lost out on some big time recruits over the last few years, many being post players, leading to a rather depleted frontcourt recently. This is where Otzelberger can make the biggest impact.

The additions of Chillious and Otzelberger compare nicely to Steve Sarkisian’s additions of Justin Wilcox and Tosh Lupoi. Both coaches know what they’re doing on the field, but really can make an impact off the field too, with recruiting.

Lupoi practically singlehandedly switched Shaq Thompson to Washington; maybe Otzelberger or Chillious can do the same in the future. Maybe Romar isn’t enough anymore. For a team to be truly elite, it has to have elite talent and/or coaching. With a staff that includes Romar, Otzelberger, Chillious, Jim Shaw, Paul Fortier and Brad Jackson, we know the coaching is there. With the additions of two top recruiters, the talent should be there in no time.

After two down seasons, things are looking up for the Dawgs. This is arguably the best coaching staff Romar has had in his twelve seasons at Washington. The roster is oozing with potential, as well as future rosters with the new possible recruits Otzelberger could help attract. He should help revitalize Husky basketball.

So to get an idea of how Sankey amassed 1439 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in his first year as a starter, I’ll look at the most important elements of running the ball and how they factor into Sankey’s personal style and approach. As you read, it might help to watch this video of highlight’s from the 2012 season:

Speed

Sankey’s speed is actually sort of tough to evaluate. He’s clearly fast. There were multiple occasions when he would catch a screen with a defender pursuing downhill with a good angle, only to have Sankey manage to skirt by him. He also has the ability to really turn it on and accelerate once he’s gotten through a hole and sees daylight. The big touchdown run to end the first half against Stanford is a good example of this.

That being said, I don’t think Sankey’s speed is elite, or exceptional for the position. I would think somewhere around 4.5 speed, if he were to run the forty combine-style. Not something that holds him back by any means, especially with his above average acceleration and, for lack of a better term, “situational speed” like I talked about above, but his style isn’t defined by his ability to burn defenders.

Strength

At 5’10″ and 200 pounds, Bishop is almost a little small for a feature back, someone who will carry the ball 20-25 times a game. He has a solid build, but he isn’t a bruiser in the Marshawn Lynch, Robert Turbin, or Christine Michael mold (to point to the trio of frighteningly muscular Seahawks backs). He doesn’t just lower his shoulder and blow defenders up. But that doesn’t mean he struggles to get yards after contact. He breaks tackles by virtue of his great balance and footwork, and instead of bowling linebackers or safeties over, he bounces off of them or keeps his legs churning through arm tackles.

That takes strength, certainly, but there are bigger stronger backs in the conference. He is average, or even a bit above average, but like his speed, strength isn’t something he leans on. It doesn’t define him.

Nov 10, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies running back Bishop Sankey (25) carries the ball and scores a touchdown against the Utah Utes during the 2nd half at CenturyLink Field. Washington defeated Utah 34-15. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Vision

To me, this IS what defines Sankey’s running style. Watching tape from last year, what really stood out is the way Sankey managed to quickly identify the hole, however small, and commit to it. No dancing in the backfield, no unnecessary changes in direction. He goes where the development of the play demands that he goes, and any cutting has a specific purpose. He hesitates or jukes only to make specific defenders miss, or to redirect towards an emerging running lane.

I hesitate to call Sankey a “downhill” runner, because it’s a bit more nuanced than that. He does a great job of limiting unnecessary east/west movement, but he is great at running at an angle to follow the grain of his blockers while still maintaining his forward drive and momentum. It results in even his lesser runs often going for three or four yards, and plays without obvious rifts in the defense going for six or seven.

Where a simple one-cut, downhill powerback might try to force the action, hitting a hole that is closing too fast in the hopes that the power behind his lowered shoulder will grind out some yards, Sankey is wonderful at avoiding running into unnecessary dead-ends. If a running lane is there, he’ll take it, but he rarely over-commits.

Balance

Another key to Sankey’s style. Despite what I see as roughly average strength and size, for defenders in pursuit, arm tackles just won’t due. Weakly try to grab at his jersey without squaring up and wrapping, and he will dismiss you with a stiff arm or run through the attempt with legs that never fail to churn. Launch like a missile, or simply try to shove him, and you’re likely to give him a boost five or ten yards forward without knocking him over (it happened two or three times, and it was almost comical).

This well above-average balance also allows Sankey to squeeze through holes that seem too small, and to emerge from a crush of linemen that seem likely to swallow him up.

Elusiveness

Sankey has such outstanding vision, and stays so focused on getting upfield, that his elusiveness isn’t on display in obvious ways during most plays. It is more subtle. The way he shifts the weight to his left or right side, while leaning that direction, to avoid a diving tackler without breaking his stride, or his ability to zoom up the sideline when it appears certain a defender will force him out of bounds.

He’s capable of some nifty planting to change direction, and can juke and spin defenders off balance better than most, but I believe that a true definition of Sankey’s elusiveness is…well, elusive.

Summary

These seem to me to be the most important elements of a back’s running style, and Sankey is at least average in every single one, with his vision and balance popping out the most. However, running isn’t all that a halfback has to do. Blocking and receiving are also key, and in both respects Sankey is very solid, and his relative lack of weakness, the well-rounded nature of his game, seems to bode well for an NFL future, and of course a great deal more success as a Husky in 2013.

Did I miss a category? Do you disagree, or have more to add? Comment below, or tweet @HuskyHaul. Thanks for reading!

Dec 29, 2012; Hartford, CT, USA; Washington Huskies guard C.J. Wilcox (23) shoots the ball against the Connecticut Huskies during the first half at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

After ailing from a stress fracture in his foot through the last half of the 2012-2013 season, Washington Huskies’ guard C.J. Wilcox had surgery on his left foot Friday morning. In order to repair the stress fracture, Wilcox had his fifth metatarsal stabilized in the procedure. Washington called the surgery a success and said Wilcox is on track to return for the 2013-2014 season at 100 percent.

Although Wilcox refuses to blame his late season struggles on the stress fracture, his production clearly declined after the loss at UCLA after which he revealed the injury. He scored 15 points in the game, but in the two that followed, scored just 17 points combined. Before those, he had only failed to record double figures once, against UConn.

He was still able to score — putting up 20-plus points three times — but it normally required more shots. In the 23 games before the injury, Wilcox shot below 30 percent just three times, compared with five times in 11 games after it.

The decline in shooting — Wilcox’s best skill — resulted in him plummeting on draft boards. There is a very good chance that if he had stayed healthy, he would not be returning next season. Many pegged him as a mid-to-late first round pick for much of the season, but by the end of the season, he had fallen out of the top-60 on some lists.

Despite the lack of production in the stretch run, Wilcox still averaged 16.8 points per game, good for sixth in the conference. At one point he was at the top of that list, just as he is expected to be next season.

With Nigel Williams-Goss to dish him the ball, there should not be much drop off from the point guard position next season, allowing Wilcox to get as many, if not more, open shots.

A healthy Wilcox is good news for everybody but the Huskies’ opponents.

Jan 16, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Andrew Andrews (12) dribbles towards the basket during the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Alaska Airlines Arena. Washington defeated Colorado 64-54. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Just days after former Iowa State assistant coach T.J. Otzelberger was added to Lorenzo Romar’s staff, a familiar name was also added. Raphael Chillious, who left for a season at Villanova, has rejoined Romar and the Huskies as an assistant.

After the 2011-2012 season, Chillious decided to return home to the Northeastern United States and join Jay Wright at Villanova. He was an “vital member” of a Villanova team that made the NCAA Tournament as a nine-seed. The Wildcats went 20-14 overall and 10-8 in the Big East.

“It was a different perspective playing, coaching and recruiting in the Big East. It’s very different from the Pac-12,” Chillous told GoHuskies.com. “That has given me more tools in my coaching tool box.”

As if his coaching tool box wasn’t full enough already, Chillious has apparently expanded it. Even before taking the Villanova job, he was considered a prime head coaching candidate. He was reportedly a finalist for the Loyola (Md.) coaching job earlier this offseason as well.

There’s good reason behind the interest in Chillious. He has been a part of three NCAA Tournament coaching staffs and has recruiting connections around the globe. Now he’ll be able to coach one of the guards he was integral in recruiting: Nigel Williams-Goss.

Chillious is somewhat of a guard god. He coached some of the best backcourts in UW history. Among the players under his instruction were Isaiah Thomas, Abdul Gaddy, C.J. Wilcox and Terrence Ross.

Now, he gets to work with one of the best and deepest backcourts the Huskies have had in recent memory, certainly since Chillious has been on board. Not only is there experience in Wilcox, but potential in Andrew Andrews, Darin Johnson and Williams-Goss to name a few.

He may be known as a star recruiter, but this is where Chillious will shine. Sure, he should help Romar land some recruits that they  missed out on this year or before 2010, but his impact on the guards’ development will be key.

The core of the backcourt includes all underclassmen outside of Wilcox. Guards like Williams-Goss will see what Chillious can do and want to come here, while others will come to UW and display the impact Chillious has.

We all saw how Thomas took the Pac-12 by storm. A scrappy, three-star recruit turned into (should have been) Pac-12 Player of the Year and NBA starter. Sounds like something from Andrew Andrews’ horoscope. Maybe Jahmel Taylor opened that fortune cookie. Or Darin Johnson?

The only guard that has come to UW and truly failed to live up to expectations was Abdul Gaddy. The year Chillious arrived, Gaddy improved tenfold before tearing his ACL. Afterward, he showed far less drastic improvements in the year he had left under Chillious.

With Chillious, UW will not only be able to get recruits like Gaddy and Williams-Goss, but develop them, too. If this doesn’t show his impact, just look at the season without Chillious went.

Oct 13, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; USC Trojans guard John Martinez (59) blocks Washington Huskies defensive tackle Danny Shelton (71) during the game at CenturyLink Field. Southern California defeated Washington 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier today, the watch list for the 2013 Lott IMPACT Award was announced. The list of 42 players around the nation included 11 from the Pac-12. Representing Washington are linebacker John Timu and defensive lineman Danny Shelton.

The award is named after former USC Trojan and San Francisco 49er, Ronnie Lott. It is more than just a defensive award, it is also an award based on character. IMPACT stands for: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

It is always nice to see two Huskies on an award watch list, but this seems even better, seeing as character and academics are taken into account. We all know Timu and Shelton are monsters on the field, but to be recognized for their character off of it many times means even more to the athletes.

After not having a player on the watch list last season, the Huskies have two this one. UCLA joins Washington as the only Pac-12 schools with multiple nominees.

The full list of Pac-12 players on the watch list is: Henry Anderson (Stanford), Anthony Barr (UCLA), Scott Crichton (Oregon State), Alden Darby (Arizona State), Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (Oregon), Jake Fischer (Arizona), Eric Kendricks (UCLA), Devon Kennard (USC) and Ed Reynolds (Stanford).

This year the Pac-12 makes up more than a quarter of the nominees and will try to win the award for just the second time. The only Pac-10/12 player to ever win the award was California’s Dante Hughes in 2006. Last season, Manti Te’o took home the award.

May 4, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (21) participates in drills at Falcons Rookie Camp. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

After a long few weeks of pre-draft, draft and post-draft coverage, the storm is clearing and we have a good idea of where our first-year Dawgs are going to end up. Obviously, Desmond Trufant is the big name of the group and was selected No. 22 overall by the Atlanta Falcons. Unlike the others, he should have no problems making the roster. His biggest battle will be that of a starting role. No other Huskies were drafted, but two were signed as undrafted free agents. After tryouts with their respective teams, fullback Jonathan Amosa and safety Justin Glenn both sign NFL contracts; Amosa’s with the Green Bay Packers and Glenn’s with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Now, simply signing the contract doesn’t in the slightest mean you have a roster spot. There are already UDFAs getting cut around the league. What it means for Amosa and Glenn is that they are getting their shot in the NFL.

Both are going to need to hone their special teams skills in order to stick in the league (at least at first), as the Packers are set at fullback with John Kuhn and the Chiefs at safety with Eric Berry among others. Glenn is already a step ahead of many other rookies in that category. Even as a college star, Glenn still played on special teams and excelled at it; he was named the Special Teams MVP at the end-of-season banquet.

Amosa joined the Huskies as a walk on. Not as a fullback, but as a linebacker. The Rainier Beach product spent each of his first three years on campus either on the bench or practice squad as a linebacker before switching sides of the ball and becoming a fullback. In his two years of starting, he caught three passes while blocking for Chris Polk and Bishop Sankey.

While Amosa was lead blocking, the Huskies had two of the most prolific rushing seasons in school history. Polk rushed for 1,488 yards in 2011 (second), while Sankey was good for third, with 1,465 rushing yards in 2012. With the lack of running success the Packers have had recently, it couldn’t hurt to add an extra body. Amosa’s tackling ability as a former linebacker and blocking ability as a fullback should translate well into the Green Bay special teams scheme as well.

Lots of things can change from here until the season starts, but if I had to guess if we’d be seeing these two guys in NFL uniforms in September, my guess would be “yes.” Glenn has the better odds, as he brings more depth and experience to the table on a worse team, but Amosa will have every chance Glenn does to make a roster.

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Raphael Chillious is leaving Villanova to rejoin Lorenzo Romar’s staff at Washington, per multiple sources….

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 15, 2013

Chillious first joined Romar’s staff in April of 2009, and in the span of time before his departure in August 2012, Husky basketball was very successful. GoHuskies.com specifically credits him with the tutoring of UW’s guards, and also mentions his assistance as important to the Pac-10 Tournament Championships in 2010 and 2011, as well as the recruiting classes in 2010 and 2011 that included Terrence Ross, Aziz N’Diaye, Desmond Simmons, Tony Wroten Jr, Shawn Kemp Jr, and Andrew Andrews, among others.

When combined with the recent hiring of assistant T.J. Otzelberger, formerly of Iowa State University, it is clear that Romar is looking to strengthen his bench, not only for player development and on-court instruction, but for recruiting, reportedly one of Otzelberger’s greatest strengths.

It’s impossible to be certain how much credit Chillious deserves for the successful run enjoyed by the program during his time as assistant coach, but I do know that he is held in high regard by many in the college basketball world, and that he has long been discussed as a future head coaching candidate. When you consider that the god-awful 2013 year occurred after Chillious departed, it seems as though his presence could go a long way towards righting the ship, developing some of the talented incoming guards, like Nigel Williams-Goss and Darin Johnson, and of course towards building up a solid 2014 class of recruits.

Rothstein is a respected voice, but he has so far been the only person I’ve seen report this move, so until it is announced officially by the university, it is not for sure. That being said, there has been pretty consistent rumblings that the Otzelberger hire wasn’t the last coaching move Romar planned to make, so this makes a lot of sense.

As soon as more info is available, I will update this post.

Coach Steve Sarkisian sent out a “Woof!” via twitter about an hour ago, leading to a mad dash to figure out who the commitment could be, but it wasn’t until Blakley tweeted out the news that the story truly broke. To put it simply: this is a big one. While rankings are far from cemented so early in the recruiting cycle, the Class of 2014 tight end is considered a four-star prospect by Rivals, and they also have him pegged as the #8 tight end in the nation. Scout has him listed as a three-star prospect, and ESPN hasn’t given him a ranking yet, but even if a consensus hasn’t formed around his exact ranking, Blakley is undoubtedly a top-10 tight end in his class.

Just committed to the University of Washington!! #UDUB #dawgs #WOOF

— Chase Blakley (@chase_blake208) May 14, 2013

There is also a bit of disagreement around his physical dimensions, but the Rivals listing at 6’5″ and 227 pounds appears to be fairly accurate next to the numbers listed by the other recruiting services. Over the course of his upcoming senior season and the next off season, it would be nice to see him add on 10-20 pounds, but he has plenty of time, and even as he stands Blakley appears to be a speedy (4.7 forty) and talented pass-catcher who could go a long way towards replacing junior tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who may declare for the draft after this season.

Of course, Washington will have to hold on to Blakley for the next several months until the February National Signing Day, which is no easy feat in the cutthroat world of college football recruiting. But if Blakley sticks to this decision even when more offers roll in during his senior season and beyond into early 2014, he will certainly be one of the gems of Coach Sark’s class.

Amosa served primarily as a lead blocker in his time at Washington, rarely catching the ball or receiving carries. He was very solid in this respect, and while it’s always tough to determine how much credit a fullback deserves for the success of his halfback, the fact that Amosa blocked for two different 1,000 rushers, Chris Polk and more recently Bishop Sankey, shouldn’t be ignored.

Sept 3, 2011, Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies fullback Jonathan Amosa (48) makes a reception against the Eastern Washington Eagles during the second half at Husky Stadium. Washington defeated Eastern, 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Along with Glenn, Amosa went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft in April, and it wasn’t really a certainty that he would get an NFL shot. With fullbacks a bit of a (slowly) dying breed in the league, while also being a position that is tough to evaluate when watching games unless there is a dramatic pancake block, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see Amosa’s football career end with the Vegas Bowl loss to Boise State.

Apparently Amosa wasn’t having that. He earned a contract, which clearly indicates that the Packers coaching staff sees pro-level potential in his game. Still, with fan favorite John Kuhn and fellow undrafted free agent Ryan Roberson also on the roster at fullback, it will be a tough fight for Amosa to remain on the roster all the way until September.

If he manages to keep his spot, it will likely be as a 2nd fullback, which would mean serving on the practice squad. Still, for a guy that didn’t get a lot of acclaim as a Husky, collecting a paycheck as a professional player is a victory (and should probably be a victory in anyone’s book), and I hope that this is only the beginning of Amosa’s NFL career. More on both Glenn and Amosa as more news becomes available.

Glenn had a solid career for the Huskies, including a senior season in which he amassed 68 total tackles and 3 interceptions. Despite this, the 5’10″ 220-pound defensive back went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft back in April, and it was unclear whether or not he would be able to earn an NFL contract.

November 02, 2012; Berkeley, CA, USA; Washington Huskies safety Justin Glenn (20) carries the ball after the fumble recovery against the California Golden Bears during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Now that he has his shot, it is still far from a given that Glenn will stick to the Kansas City roster all the way until opening day, as the Chiefs had previously signed 13 other undrafted free agents, who will compete with the rookie draft picks and those veterans already on the roster for a limited number of spots.

Glenn is a local product, having played high school football at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, Washington. He was recruited as a cornerback, and was considered a three-star talent by both Scout and Rivals when he committed as part of the Class of 2008.

Even if it will be difficult to survive the various waves of roster cuts over the next several months of the off season, this is obviously an important first step in that journey, and Andy Reid and his staff must have been impressed in rookie camp in order to offer Glenn the opportunity in the first place.

We will keep you updated on his journey through Kansas City’s OTAs, and if Glenn manages to make it all the way through to the beginning of the 2013 season, he will join a growing list of Washington grads playing in the NFL.

Sunday, the Pac-12 Network decided to broadcast the second straight Washington-Utah baseball game live from Husky Ballpark. This was a matchup between a 19-30 Washington team and an equally bad or worse 17-28 Utah team. There was no hype at the beginning of the season for these games, nor was there yesterday.

The other game Pac-12 Network decided was worthy for television was Arizona State-California. Admittedly, a better matchup than UW and Utah, but still not top-notch. ASU is a top-15 team, but Cal is below .500 and tenth in the Pac-12.

What games were not broadcast this weekend from the Pac-12? Conference leader and top-ten team Oregon State versus No. 19/21/25 Stanford (there are way too many college baseball rankings; I’ll use Baseball America from here on out, which lists Stanford at No. 25). Another great series took place in Los Angeles between the No. 8 UCLA Bruins and defending national champion Arizona Wildcats.

Not one of these games was televised, but Washington and Utah was? I would have rather seen Washington State-USC than Washington-Utah, let alone a couple of top-30 matchups.

One of the great features of Pac-12 Network is its live stream. A generally downgraded broadcast, sometimes put on by broadcast students, sometimes by radio voices or even Pac-12 broadcasters. This was not utilized efficiently by the network this weekend.

Instead of choosing to display the highest quality product it has, the Pac-12 put the spotlight on its lowest.

I wish I never had to be disgruntled about seeing a Husky sport, but there is simply better baseball being played by almost every other Pac-12 school right now. Utah, USC and Washington State are the only teams with worse overall or conference records. All four played this weekend and two were broadcast on television.

I don’t know if this is a calling-out of the Washington baseball program or if it is one of the Pac-12 Network, but I felt it needed to be said.

Lindsay Meggs and the Huskies have gotten some big wins this year, hopefully program changing wins. They swept a double header from Oregon State; they swept a very good Gonzaga team on the road; they beat Arizona 23-1! Unfortunately, before and after these impressive victories have been losses. A lot of losses.

Three losses to each UC Davis and Lamar to start off the season, an eight game losing streak before taking two from USC, another four-gamer before upsetting Stanford.

There are a lot of young contributors for this Husky squad, so one can hope Meggs is getting the ship turned around. They’ve overcome their early struggles to put together a pretty impressive stretch of baseball. If they’re getting the kinks out now, next season looks promising.

This season, however, I’d rather feast my eyes on Stanford-Oregon State or Arizona-UCLA. Even ASU-Cal, if I didn’t get Pac-12 Washington.

The one man that is largely forgotten in this preseason talk? Travis Feeney, who recorded 76 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 interceptions as a redshirt freshman. I find it interesting how similar that stat-line appears to the 67 tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 interceptions amassed by Shaq Thompson. It makes good sense that fans and the media are more enamored with Thompson. He came in as a five-star prospect, put up those numbers in his first year in the program, and possesses such rare physical tools that many believe he has the potential to do much more in future years.

October 6, 2012; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Colt Lyerla (15) runs the ball against Washington Huskies linebacker Travis Feeney (41) in the first half at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

But that doesn’t make Feeney’s season less impressive. The guy came in as a two/three star defensive back prospect out of Pinole, California. He then took a redshirt year in 2011, and spent the season practicing as a safety on the scout team. Then Sark had him move over to outside linebacker last offseason, and despite being pretty seriously undersized with his wiry 6’4″ 209-pound frame, he flew all over the field making plays.

He also struggled with some injuries, and did not compile any stats against Portland State and Oregon State. That makes his season statline a bit more impressive, but it also does provide a reason to worry just a bit about Feeney’s potential for success over the course of his Husky career. He is entrenched as a starter heading into the 2013 season, but he has already had to deal with some minor injury issues in spring camp. I don’t know if he is an injury-prone player, if his lack of size at such a physically demanding position could be contributing, or if it’s just been bad luck over a fairly brief sample size.

But if Feeney can work to add a bit of bulk to his frame by the time August 31st rolls around (I don’t know if he came in heavier than 209 in the spring, but I would hope so) while also staying reasonably healthy, I would expect him to have a pretty huge 2013. Throughout last year, he was noticeably active, roving sideline to sideline making tackles. He played with impressive speed, which leads me to believe that he really only needs to get up to right around 220 to avoid sacrificing any of his speed, and his ability to snag a few picks while also getting to the quarterback showed off his versatility.

And all of this happened in his first year playing linebacker, his first year seeing the field. We have no clue what sort of leap he might make with another full offseason at the position. With two other experienced, talented ‘backers alongside him, there may not be room for the crazy tackle totals a guy like Mason Foster put up when talent was much thinner, but there is always room for more play making. Look for more picks, and most importantly, more sacks for a guy that looked pretty natural wreaking havoc in the offensive backfield.

Be excited about Shaq. Be excited about Timu. Just don’t sleep on Travis Feeney.

From what the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote Monday, it sounds like he is doing pretty well.

Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford were buzzing around the field with ease. You could really see their speed and agility in the special teams stack drill. They’d run and then re-route around the dummy as if they were running down to cover a punt. “It was nice to see Desmond out there,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “The competition was fun. The guys were getting out there working against each other. Desmond has a very good skill set. He’s going to get thrown a whole bunch of things at him over the next month, month and a half.”

Like Jesse wrote on Thursday, Trufant seems to be the real deal and the solution to Atlanta’s hole in the secondary.

As he continues to impress the Falcons, here are some photos of him in his first NFL gear.

May 4, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (21) participates in drills at Falcons Rookie Camp. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

May 4, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (21) participates in drills at Falcons Rookie Camp. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

May 4, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (21) participates in drills at Falcons Rookie Camp. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

May 4, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (21) shown on the field at Falcons Rookie Camp. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

May 4, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (21) participates in drills at Falcons Rookie Camp. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

May 4, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (21) participates in drills at Falcons Rookie Camp. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Other Huskies getting their shots in the NFL include Justin Glenn with the Chiefs and Drew Schaefer with the Seahawks.

March 14, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Lorenzo Romar instructs against the Oregon Ducks during the first half in the second round of the Pac 12 tournament at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Despite silence from the Washington athletic department, goaztecs.cstv.com announced that San Diego State would be hosting the Huskies on December 8, 2013. It won’t just be one game, but a home-and-home series with the Aztecs. They will visit Seattle as part of the 2014 non-conference schedule.

While it might not be the top-notch non-conference opponent UW fans have been waiting for, it is a step up from the bottom dwellers that have been visiting Alaska Airlines Arena recently. Of course, Husky fans will have to wait a year, as UW heads south in the first half of the series.

The Aztecs went 23-11 last season and earned themselves a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Dunk City, otherwise known as Florida Gulf Coast, bounced them in the second round (or round of 32) of the tournament.

We all know the disappointment that the Huskies were last season, but they should be able to bounce back well next season with the additions of Nigel Williams-Goss and Mike Anderson among others.

Luckily for the Huskies, Aztecs’ leading scorer last season, Jamaal Franklin, decided to enter the NBA Draft, rather than return for his senior season. The junior wing averaged 17 points and 9.5 rebounds per game last season. The next returning leading scorer is Xavier Thames, who averaged just 9.5 points in 28.7 minutes per game as a junior.

The Huskies have key losses too, but none is as big as Jamaal Franklin. With a better and bigger recruiting class, Washington should be reloaded, while San Diego State might be struggling to hang on.

Steve Fisher brings in four-star wing Dakarai Allen and three-star guard D’Erryl Williams. Allen should help make up for the loss of Franklin, while Williams can help burden the loss of Chase Tapley. Neither, however, will replace the production of the team’s top two leading scorers.

A team that would have probably been beaten by 20 last season should hold their own, if not beat, the Aztecs next season. With an improved Huskies squad and a depleted Aztecs one, it should be a good game. It never hurt to get a little experience in a hostile environment before conference season, too.