Shine on you crazy diamond- Washington recruit Brandon Kaho 5-star

Incoming fresman recruit Inside linebacker Brandon Kaho lands fifth-star, becoming the first for Washington Football head coach Chris Petersen

The 2018 recruiting class for the Washington Football team has many great narratives among the incoming freshmen. From a double barreled shotgun, to soft hands, each prospect brings an intensity and passion. But perhaps the coup de grace is the thrilling narrative unfolding over the interior linebacker positions.  Inside linebackers M.J. Tafisi combining his thunderous power with the devastation of lightning-fast quickness of Brandon Kaho. The power of Thunder and Lightning.

The sound of rumbling thunder in the distance on a hot summer night can be calming and thrilling. And when lightning flashes across the sky, watching from a living room window can be quite the light show, even if the carnage disrupts your power. In the midst of the maelstrom, you can be calm and simply watch the incredible display of power. In the midst of summer heat, there is an eye of peace and contentment as rain washes away the heat and stress.

Replacing stars with new stars

The Washington Football team may have captured the sheer force of both thunder and lightning in the 2018 recruiting class. But they virtually had to. After all, the team is losing both Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierria this year, and both had made significant contributions to the team durning their tenure.

There is no way to fully replace Victor and Bierria. However, there is a way to refurbish the team with new talent with equal game-changing potential.  Tafisi is the boom.  Brandon Kaho is that dazzling brilliance.  So bright, that he has just been upgraded from a four-star to a five star.  And in doing so, he becomes the first five-star recruit under head coach Chris Petersen’s tenure:

2018 continues to shine ever so brightly.

Why Kaho/Tafisi tandem so important?

The key to any squad in NCAA football is building trust and chemistry. And the sooner you do so, and the longer you can sustain it, the better the team.  Right now, the team is losing a solid pair of linebackers in the exodus of Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierria.  Bierria played in 50 games, and recorded 240 total tackles and 7.5 sacks.  Victor played in 34 games, and recorded 198 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and one interception.  438 tackles, 11 sacks, one interception for a touchdown.

That level of proficiency does not occur in one game, nor one season, but over the course of four seasons together. And it’s that need to build something together over the long haul which make this pairing so important so quickly.  Neither is assured of starting roles nor playing time just for showing up. That is not the Washington Husky way. On this team, you need to earn playing time. And to earn that time, you have to want it, passionately.

Next Man Up

The “Next Man Up” prinicipal is important to the success of the Washington Football team.  By eliminating stratification of starters and reserves, the team ensures a vigilance by all players on the team to improve and maintain game readiness.  That aids the team when starters fall to injury, and the reserve comes in with a nearly equivalent level of play. Now, with the addition of Brandon Kaho and M.J. Tafisi to the roster, they too will be expected to attain and maintain the proficiency to start at any time.

Don’t discount the newcomers

The presumed starters for the 2018 season are inside linebackers Ben Burr-Kirven and Brandon Wellington. Burr-Kirven was the 2017 starter, and Wellington was the ipso facto understudy to Bierra. And for now, that is just fine.  Burr-Kirven and Wellington understand the system, have earned their minutes, and now have the opportunity to showcase as defensive starters.

Autzen Zoo

But…

Don’t discount either Tafisi or Kaho. Clearly both players have untapped potential and they could very easily be quite impressive in training camp. And beyond that, each will have opportunities to perform on special teams and amidst defensive rotations.  After all, it’s hard not to slide in Kaho into the defense with his upgrade to 5-star.

No rush

And there is plenty of time to assess and reproject.  After all, that process is already underway.  You can bet that the coaching staff is multitasking to attract more talent to the team, while simultaneously working to field the best 11 men on both offense and defense. And as they familarize themselves with the 2018 roster, they will change their depth chart.

While there is no expectation of incoming freshmen to earn starting roles with this team, the talent level is so great that I wouldn’t eliminate the possiblity too hastily.

2018 future five-star bright

The Washington Football team enters the 2018 season with a great deal of positive momentum. The team has learned that both starting quarterback Jake Browning, and featured running back Myles Gaskin will return for their senior seasons.  Gaskin’s return solidifies Washington’s chances at reclaiming the Pac-12 title.  Add to the mix the return of bookend tackles Tra Adams and Kaleb McGary and the offense feels solid.  The team needs to replace running back Lavon Coleman, tight end Will Dissley, center Coleman Shelton, and offensive lineman Andrew Kirkland.

The defense must replace defensive tackle Vita Vea, and linebackers Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierria.

Plenty of early excitement

While the current team roster already has players slotted for promotion to the starting ranks, the infusion of Brandon Kaho is a huge win for the 2018 Washington Football team. And the team is already garnering national attention.  The Washington Huskies have placed two players in the CBS Top 25 Players, and two additional players among their Honorable Mentions.

Next: Washington Huskies Pros and Cons to proposed NCAA eligibility rule changes

Now the team is learning that incoming players are ranked even better than originally thought.  While that remains subjective and nebulous, it certainly does amp up the optimism for the team for the upcoming season.  Right now, there are big shoes to fill in the Washinton Football team lineup. But as the team fits the right players to the right roles, they don’t have to worry about doing so in the dark.  You see, the future is very bright right now.   Five-star bright.