Vea, Gaines propel Washington Football defensive line atop Pac-12 rankings
By Bret Stuter
Despite the loss of Elijah Qualls, the 2017 Washington Football defensive line is already atop the fierce Pac-12 rankings
The Washington Football team needs a strong defensive showing in 2017 to have a chance at defending the Pac-12 title earned last season. And to that, the team is already set at the linebacker position, where Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierria are already expected to dominate the conference.
That can only happen if the team gets tremendous effort from the defensive line. And per Pacifictakes.com, that is exactly what will take place. In fact, Pacifictakes.com now ranks the defensive lines of all Pac-12 schools for the upcoming season, and projects the Washington Huskies line as the best in the conference.
Vea Gaines
They do this in assessing based on defensive tackles Vita Vea and Gregory Gaines Jr. We’ve lauded Vea in the past as well, projecting him as one of the top NFL draft picks from the Huskies this year. In fact, ESPN’s NCAA expert Todd McShay projects Vea as a first round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. That’s quite a statement for an interior lineman.
But Jack Follman of Pacifictakes.com believes that Gregory Gaines may be just as impactful, and he’s likely correct. Here is a video of Gaines versus Arizona. You can see Gaines absorb plenty of offensive linemen, allowing his linebackers to make the tackles.
Check out this video of the young man delighted after a big games against the Utah Utes. He’s having fun but has a strong passion for the game which shines through even in the casual locker room interview.
And why not? After all, this is the defensive line which focuses on finishing plays. You can see that in play from this practice films
This is a well coached defensive line which is ready to play hard-nosed smash mouth football in the trenches. And they have to be ready. The Pac-12 is one of the premier NCAA college football conferences in the nation, and the Washington Huskies are the best in the conference.
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The 2017 season will be a tough defense for these Huskies. But the defensive line will be ready to play.