Projecting Washington football’s spring defensive stars

Washington football has a lot of promising prospects on the defensive side of the ball. Who has the best chance of shooting up the depth chart this spring?

Jimmy Lake has a lot of talent to play with along all three levels of Washington football’s defense, which is returning seven starters, but it’s also replacing a three-year starter and all Pac 12 player in the defensive backfield, two inside linebackers, and a standout defensive lineman. There will definitely be an open competition for these spots, and the Huskies have a lot of talented guys that are going to get a shot during spring ball, so let’s take a look at one player at each position that’s primed to shine.

Defensive Line- Sama Paama

It’s hard to believe the 6’4, 347 pound 17-year-old Sama Paama isn’t the biggest person on the team. His incredible size and athleticism would remind any Husky fan of Vita Vea. The Huskies like to have a deep rotation along the defensive line, so it’ll be a tough road for Paama to see the field behind Levi Onwuzurike, Tuli Letuligasenoa, Taki Taimani, Faatui Tuitele, and Jacob Bandes. The staff has already shown that they love Paama, playing him in one game in 2019, to give him some experience while still preserving his redshirt. With a little more refinement in his technique, don’t be surprised to see Paama heavily in the rotation in 2020.