Washington Huskies 2012 Evaluations: S Will Shamburger

November 02, 2012; Berkeley, CA, USA; Washington Huskies safety Will Shamburger (13) is called for pass interference against California Golden Bears wide receiver Chris Harper (6) during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Washington won 21-13. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Statistics: 20 total tackles, 0 interceptions, 0 sacks.

What He Did In 2012: Backed up senior Justin Glenn at free safety, and though he was often listed as the co-starter, he functioned as if he were a clear-cut second-string guy behind Glenn, who played his last UW football in ’12. Looking at his 2012 stats, I was actually a little surprised that it was just the 20 total tackles and nothing else. He seemed like he saw the field a lot, and often performed pretty well. He was around the ball a decent amount and he never stood out as a guy getting beat in pass coverage on a regular basis.

What I Expect Of Him In 2013: I think based on the fact that he was listed as a co-starter at free safety, coupled with Glenn’s loss to graduation, Shamburger should be the favorite to start at the position in ’13. It’s possible a younger guy could take the spot, but beyond maybe redshirt freshman Brandon Beaver, who made the move from corner to safety during his redshirt 2012, I don’t see anyone likely to leapfrog him. He’s a good player, but I’ll admit that I don’t really know what to expect of him as a full-time starter, especially statistically with so many other talented defensive backs and linebackers roaming around the field alongside him.