Highlights of the UW 2011 Recruiting Class

Signing day has come and gone, and UW was innovative with the online “Fax Cam” they had airing the whole day. As a fan, you could go on the website and watch, in real time, the letters of intent roll out of the fax machine. It was creative–it was innovative, and this seems to be the approach of the organization and the upcoming year for Husky Football. The biggest evidence of this is the 2011 recruiting class.

Now, don’t get nervous about UW switching to a spread offense, or running the wildcat all game. This is not what I mean by creative or innovative.

What I mean is, Coach Sark and his coaching staff are not going completely back to the pro-style offense, they are not going to just run a typical 4-3 defense. They aren’t looking for just your average ‘joes’ at their respective positions. This recruiting class is full of athletes at almost every position. There are guys that can play multiple positions, guys that have speed, agility, and in high school excelled at both sides of the ball.

Let’s start with the most important position on the football field, the quarterback. Many experts and fans alike thought that once Jake Locker graduated, the offense would switch back to what Sark ran at USC–a prototypical pro-style offense. However, Sark recruited a bunch of QBs that have a similar style to Jake Locker more than they do to, someone like Carson Palmer.

Derrick Brown is the most touted QB in this class. A 6’3/220 QB that is known for his legs as much as his arm. He was committed to Utah, which runs a spread offense, but was convinced to sign with the Huskies.

The other QB in the class is Antavius Sims, who is not even listed as a QB by every scout. Some scouts have him listed as an Athlete because of his ability to play a few different positions. He is fast, and rushed for almost as many yards as he passed for at his Junior College, in Ventura California.

This is just the start of a class that has flexibility and Coach Sark and company can be completely creative with how they use this young talent.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins the second overall TE (listed by Scout.com) is known for his amazing hands and athletic ability at the TE position but many scouts have him listed at OT. Many think that in the long run Jenkins will be better fitted as a left tackle because of his freakish ability to block.

James Sample is listed as a safety, line backer, and a defensive back. Leave it up to Sark to pick which one Sample fits best on the team.

The list goes on and on for recruits that we may see at a different position then what they were “recruited” for, and Sark seems to love this style of player. Think of Jesse Callier and Johri Fogerson.

Other highlights from the class include Kasen Williams, one of the best wide receivers in the country. Bishop Sankey, a running back out of Gonzaga Prep. Danny Shelton and Taniela Tupuo to help add depth on the d-line. These five (including Austin Seferian-Jenkins) are the top five recruits in the state, and not only was Coach Sark able to keep them in state, he was able to make sure Wazzu didn’t land them.

This is a great recruiting class, and as a Dawg Fan, you should be thrilled! And ready to yell ‘GO DAWGS!’

—Over the next 30 weeks, (till football season) I will be doing a profile on each of the commitments that UW was able to land. Remember to check back to read more about these commits.