Washington football: Pre Spring practice predictions

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Aaron Fuller #2 of the Washington Huskies makes a catch during the second half in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Aaron Fuller #2 of the Washington Huskies makes a catch during the second half in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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The freshmen are coming

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Eight members of the Huskies’ incredible recruiting class enrolled early, and are eligible to participate in Spring ball. There are three players that have the opportunity to earn a starting role as a true freshman, and they deserve your full attention.

First, Jacob Bandes. The highly touted defensive tackle is going to have a great opportunity to make a name for himself. The d-tackle position might have the stiffest competition of any group, between Sam Taimani, Levi Onwuzurike, and Tuli Letuligasenoa. Bandes has a great opportunity to show out during the game and drills.

Next, Cam Williams. The three-star safety prospect is an exciting player to watch on film and has a chance to impress the coaching staff early. Technically, both safety spots are up for grabs even though most are projecting that Brandon McKinney has one spot locked up. There’s a lot of talent at safety that will be on display this spring. We’ll see Isaiah Gilchrist, Julius Irvin and potentially Kyler Gordon back there during spring camp. Once the summer rolls around, we’ll see more competition when Asa Turner and Kamren Fabiculanan.

Finally, Josh Calvert. The Huskies are running thin at inside linebacker, with only five players on the depth chart including Calvert. The projected starters right now are D.J Beavers and Brandon Wellington, but by the end of the summer, it could be Calvert and Daniel Heimuli. Heimuli won’t arrive until the summer, so Calvert is going to have a great opportunity to compete. The former high school quarterback is intelligent enough to start from day one and will impress the coaching staff with his athleticism very quickly.