ESPN Mitch Sherman lists the 2018 Washington Football team among the nations Top 5 exciting programs for the 2018 NCAA football season
Grab a cupcake. No really, the same sports network who claimed the 2017 Washington Football program played non-conference confections has done an about face already in 2018. Or perhaps Mitch Sherman, ESPN staff writer, simply marches to the beat of a different drummer. You see, he wrote a pretty good article about the five top 2018 NCAA football teams in terms of generating the most excitement since the bowl season ended. His list includes:
(1) Ohio State Buckeyes
(2) Texas A&M Aggies
(3) Florida State Seminoles
(4) Iowa State Cyclones
(5) Washington Huskies
Washington Football optimism
Some programs made the list over coaching changes, some made the list over recruiting classes. But the Washington Football team made the list over the continuity of this teams coaching and key players for another year. His article runs the same line as one we had published earler about how this 2018 Football team gives reason for fan confidence.
Each season, Coach Chris Petersen seems to one up the previous year in his recruiting class. And that’s not just his own efforts, but that of his entire coaching staff. While they don’t get the highest nationally ranked players, they do a great job of recruiting the right players for this program. And the fact that the coaching staff has worked together relatively intact so far despite success bodes well for the foreseeable future.
Getting the band back together
The Huskies were not immune to coaching changes. The team lost former offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith to the head coaching position at his alma mater, Oregon State University. But the team may have upgraded almost instantaneously, as they signed former wide receiver coach Bush Hamden as the new offensive coordinator.
The return of Hamden, who coached up John Ross, Dante Pettis, and Chico McClatcher, is good news indeed. The passing game and quaterback Jake Browning regressed in 2017. But now, under Hamden’s watch, there is plenty of optimism for a huge progress. With the talent onboarding with the class of 2018, that euphoria is widespread.
Optimism springs from who didn’t defect
There are quite a few talented players aiming at an NFL career right now. While that list includes some huge heavy hitters from the roster, it does not include several names whose departure could be devastating. OT Trey Adams, OT Kaleb McGary, DT Gregory Gaines, TE Drew Sample, RB Myles Gaskin, QB Jake Browning, and more. Some of whom were projected as potential day one names, that adds quite a bit of value to this team for their senior season.
With two bookend offensives tackles anhoring the offensive line who return four of five starters, there is plenty of excitement looking at Browning, Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed, Chico McClatcher, and Hunter Bryant all returning healthy to the same offense. With those returners, the Washington offensive attack will be very robust. But if a few of those talented players from the class of 2018 match expectations, this team will go places in a hurry.
Transfer student hullabaloo
But perhaps the biggest story so far this season centers around a player who will not impact the Washington Football team until 2019. That player is former Georgia transfer quarterback Jacob Eason. Eason is a five-star quarterback who was recruited to play at Washington, but elected to play for Georgia. He started 13 games for the Georgia Bulldogs in 2016. But in 2017, he injured his knee in the first game.
And so, from that moment in time, the team belonged to teammate and freshman Jake Fromm. With no opportunity to play at far away Georgia, Eason came home to Washington to try his chances closer to home.
The more, the Huskier!
He joins two outstanding quarterbacks who signed up for 2018, Jacob Sirmon and Colson Yankoff. While some question just how this Washington Football team can manage so many talented quarterbacks on one team, that question is never asked of those SEC powerhouse programs. And it should not be an issue now. Football competition culminates on the football field on game day, it shouldn’t begin there. With three outstanding quarterbacks competing for starting time, the Washington Huskies will be all the better team as a result.
Next: Washington Football program Pro and Combine Day March 10
In the end, there is a wave of almost euphoric confidence and optimism about this Washington Football team’s foreseeable future. But the fact remains that this is optimism steeped in tangible improvements and forces already in place. As Mitch Sherman states so well in his article:
"” The biggest shot of energy over the past two months, though, came courtesy of Jacob Eason, the prodigal son, returning home from Georgia to battle for the right to replace Browning in 2019.”"
With Eason, Sirmon, and Yankoff, the only true losers are the opponents on the football field come game day.