Jake Browning stays, gives Washington Football team edge

Welcome back Kotter… er, Browning

With 2018, Browning will benefit with the return of speedster wide receiver Chico McClatcher, plus both tight ends Hunter Bryant and Drew Sample.  They hope to compensate for the offense losing the services of senior wide receiver Dante Pettis, tight end Will Dissly, and running backs Lavon Coleman and Myles Gaskin.

So of course, the team will search for a starting wide receiver and running backs to help Browing.  You can bet that fleet-footed running back Salvon Ahmed will get the nod next year.  And for the first pass at wide receiver, Aaron Fuller seemed to win that role late in the 2017 season. But that opening came at the cost of backup wide receiver Quinten Pounds, who will no doubt be competing for playing time as well.

More in 2018 recruits too

The 2018 recruiting class gives plenty of reason to hope for some good things as well.  6-foot-3 wide receivers Marquis Spiker and Austin Osborne arrive with tight end/wide receiver Devon Culp. There is talk that one or more could compete for a starting role with the offense in 2018. Spiker has the highest ranking ever to be recruited to a Chris Peterson team. His 6-foot-3 height will give the quarterback an immediate target. Osborne compliments Spiker, and has a similar height but slightly less speed.  While Spiker is ideal for deep routes, Osborne is a solid slant, crossing route, hitch and go, or curl receiver.  Add 6-foot-5 Devon Culp to the mix, a young man with incredible hands who translates into a very tall target Dante Pettis, and you can see why the coaching staff is excited for the upcoming season.

Next: Will Harris to become Washington Football team’s 10th coach

Still, the quarterback position is not a slam dunk this year.   While the team says farewell to backup quarterback K. J. Carta-Samuels, they welcome two highly recruited quarterbacks in Jacob Sirmon and Colson Yankoff.  The incoming pair of QBs gives this team tremendous variety of options to consider in planning their offensive scheme.  And if Browning fails to deliver, he will risk losing playing time to one of the young stars arriving this season.  In the end, Browning will have many more weapons to sort through come game time in 2018.  And as other Pac-12 teams reload at quarterback, Browning’s return gives the Washington Huskies stability.  In the end, that will prove to be the edge head coach Chris Petersen needs to reclaim the Pac-12 title.