Washington football enters the 2017 season fresh off a playoff appearance, but what does the two-deep depth chart look like?
When Chris Petersen took over in Seattle just three years ago, no one could have predicted that Washington football would experience this much success early on in his tenure. Sure, he had a proven track record at Boise State, but he had yet to coach in a major conference.
The Pac-12 has since been on notice as the Huskies are the reigning conference champions and Petersen is fresh off his first appearance in the College Football Playoff. This program is surely on the rise, but can the Huskies hold off the hype train that is USC in 2017?
Despite returning plenty of key pieces from a playoff team last year, the Huskies are being overlooked by just about everyone, and that’s thanks to the Trojans and Sam Darnold. Flying under the radar isn’t the worst thing in the world, and this team could use it as motivation.
Let’s take a look at the projected two-deep depth chart for 2017.
Offensive Line
Starting tackles: Trey Adams (LT), Kaleb McGary (RT)
Backups: Jared Silbers (LT), Devin Burleson (RT)
Returning to his starting spot at left tackle is Trey Adams who might just be the top starter at the position in the conference. There’s a good chance he makes one of the All-Pac-12 teams this season. Heck, he might be a frontrunner to land on the first-team. On the other side is returning starter, and fellow junior Kaleb McGary. Both are strong competitors and they should lead the unit. They will be backed up by sophomores Jared Silbers and Devin Burleson.
Starting guards: Nick Harris (LG), Andrew Kirkland (RG)
Backups: Henry Roberts (LG), Jesse Sosebee (RG)
On the other hand, both starting guards for 2017 are new. Sophomore Nick Harris will enter his first year as the starter, looking to solidify a spot for the next 2-3 seasons. Senior Andrew Kirkland has waited patiently for his turn and is the projected right guard. Henry Roberts could even push for that starting right spot, but the sophomore is the backup left guard. Jesse Sosebee is backing up Kirkland.
Starting center: Coleman Shelton
Backup: Matt James
Coleman Shelton is the third returning starter on the offensive line and potentially the best center in the entire Pac-12. Besides being an all-conference candidate, he’s a senior leader who led the way for the eighth-best scoring attack and 28th-best rushing offense in the country last year. Junior Matt James is his understudy.
Defensive Line
Starting tackles: Vita Vea (NT), Greg Gaines
Backups: Ricky McCoy, Shane Bowman
Although he isn’t considered a “returning starter”, junior nose tackle Vita Vea has the potential to be a star on the defensive line. He’s back after putting up solid numbers as a rotational lineman in 2016, racking up 39 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. He will be a guy to watch for in 2017 as he grows into a leader in the trenches.
Greg Gaines also had a huge sophomore season for the Huskies at defensive tackle and is returning as a starter. He put up 35 tackles, eight for loss and 3.5 sacks a year ago. That combo of Gaines and Vea in the middle is one of the scariest in the Pac-12. Ricky McCoy, a sophomore, and Shane Bowman, a junior, saw limited action, but can be solid backups.
Starting end: Jaylen Johnson
Backup: Levi Onwuzurike
At the lone defensive end spot, junior Jaylen Johnson looks to take over. He’s another down lineman who didn’t see much of the field last season as a sophomore, but the coaches believe he has a lot to bring to the table in his third year. He finished with 13 total tackles and a sack in 2016, but could he break out?
Former four-star defensive end Levi Onwuzurike, a redshirt freshman, is going to be looked at to grow up quickly. He hasn’t played a single down of college ball yet, but his 6-foot-3, 260-pound frame at the end spot is intriguing. There’s a good chance he will have a breakout season behind Johnson.
Linebackers
Starting inside linebackers: Azeem Victor, Keishawn Bierria
Backups: DJ Beavers, Ben Burr-Kirven
The Huskies are set at inside linebacker in their 3-4 look. Both starters from last year return and were a big reason as to why Washington had the best defense in the Pac-12 and a top-20 unit nationally. Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierria are both All-Pac-12 candidates in 2017 and it’s not too difficult to tell why.
The presumed starters finished in the top three on the team in tackles last season — tied for second — and both are back as senior leaders. They combined for 136 total tackles, eight for loss and two sacks, but will have even more impressive senior campaigns. Sophomore DJ Beavers had a strong first year and junior Ben Burr-Kirven also surpassed the 40-tackle mark. This unit is strong.
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Starting outside linebackers: Connor O’Brien, Amandre Williams
Backups: Camilo Eifler, Tevis Bartlett
On the outside, senior Connor O’Brien is the only returning starter. He did finish just 13th on the team in total tackles last season and may not have the track record as some of the guys on the inside, but having a returning presence will be extremely beneficial. He will be joined by stud freshman Amandre Williams. The redshirt freshman has been impressing this offseason.
Another freshman, Camilo Eifler could be in that playing rotation as well as he looks to be in the two-deep at outside backer. Junior Tevis Bartlett is a strong blitzing linebacker, finishing with nine tackles for loss and four sacks last season.
Defensive Backs
Starting cornerbacks: Jordan Miller, Byron Murphy
Backups: Brandon Lewis, Austin Joyner
Replacing a couple of departing starters at cornerback won’t be an easy task, but junior Jordan Miller and freshman Byron Murphy seem up for it. Kevin King and Sidney Jones were sure-fire NFL talents and they’ve gone on to bigger and better things but Miller showed promise in limited time last season, finishing with seven tackles, an interception and a pass deflection.
On the other hand, Murphy is a former blue-chip recruit who chose the Huskies, looking for the potential to play right away. Now a redshirt freshman, Murphy has the potential to be the next star in the secondary. He’s been turning heads thus far. Junior Brandon Lewis played sparingly in 2016 and sophomore Austin Joyner had 10 tackles and a pick.
Starting safeties: JoJo McIntosh, Taylor Rapp
Backups: Ezekiel Turner, Trevor Walker
On the opposite note of the cornerbacks, both safeties who started last season return to anchor the secondary this year. Junior JoJo McIntosh and sophomore Taylor Rapp team up to form one of the more formidable, young safety duos in the Pac-12, if not the country. McIntosh finished fourth on the team in tackles last season with 67, to go along with two pass deflections.
Rapp, on the other hand, has a chance to be one of the best safeties in the country. As a freshman, he finished fifth on the team with 51 total takedowns and added four interceptions, a touchdown and two pass deflections. The starters are strong in this group, backed up by seniors Ezekiel Turner and Trevor Walker.
Starting receivers: Dante Pettis, Chico McClatcher, Ty Jones
Backups: Quinten Pounds, Andre Baccellia, Aaron Fuller
Washington has a three-receiver look on offense, led by returning starter Dante Pettis. It’s tough to star at receiver on an offense that fielded John Ross, but Pettis did a solid job last season as the team’s No. 2 target. While Ross is gone, Pettis will grow into that go-to roll as a 6-foot-1 target for Jake Browning. He caught 53 passes for 822 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.
If he’s No. 1 heading into the season, who is expected to be the second-best target. Right now, the favorite has to be junior Chico McClatcher who finished the 2016 season third on the team with 31 receptions for 574 yards and five scores. He had deep-threat ability with his team-leading 18.5 yards per catch average — OK, it was second on the team, but the No. 1 guy had just three receptions.
Freshman Ty Jones is being hyped up to take over that No. 3 receiver spot, but don’t sleep on the three rotational pieces. Quinten Pounds had six catches for 86 yards and a touchdowns as a freshman, Andre Baccellia had seven receptions for 98 yards and a score in his first year and Aaron Fuller caught 16 passes for 184 yards and two TDs.
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Starting tight end: Drew Sample
Backup: Will Dissly
Junior Drew Sample returns at tight end, catching nine passes for 106 yards in 2016. He doesn’t have the most experience on the team, but he has starting experience. Senior Will Dissly is a decent backup, although he had just four catches for 47 yards and a score as a junior.
Running Back
Starting running back: Myles Gaskin
Backup: Lavon Coleman
Not many teams around the college football landscape return a starting running back the caliber of junior Myles Gaskin. He had a breakout season for the Huskies in 2016, rushing for 1,373 yards and 10 touchdowns on 5.8 yards per touch.
OK, maybe it wasn’t technically a “breakout” season because he had rushed for 1,300 yards the year before, along with 14 scores, but he became more of a reliable figure in an elite offense. He looks every bit the part of a starting running back on a playoff team and you can bet 90-plus percent of the country would kill to have him as a starter.
Gaskin is the lead returning member of the Huskies’ backfield, but he has a more-than-capable backup waiting to prove himself at the first opportunity. Lavon Coleman is back for his senior season and he rushed for 852 yards and seven touchdowns in 2016, averaging an impressive 7.5 yards per touch.
The one-two punch in the backfield is probably better than any in the conference and in a league where passing takes center stage, the Huskies have a balanced attack and elite players at every position.
Quarterback
Starting quarterback: Jake Browning
Backup: K.J. Carta-Samuels
Just like the running back situation, the Huskies have one of the best quarterbacks in the entire country in junior Jake Browning. When you play in a conference that preaches passing, it’s hard to stick out, but Browning has done just that.
In fact, there are some that believe he’s the best quarterback in the conference, and yes, that includes Sam Darnold. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound third-year starter had a breakout campaign in 2016, slinging for 3,430 yards and 43 touchdowns with just nine picks. He also had a 62 percent completion rate and was as reliable as any QB in the nation.
Despite the tough end to the year, he has proven that he can be an elite quarterback in college football and he has pro potential. If he can at least match his numbers from his sophomore year, the Huskies will be in good shape. Improving his accuracy slightly will be key.
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Backing up one of the best quarterbacks in the nation isn’t easy, especially when you’re the same class as him, but junior K.J. Carta-Samuels isn’t a pushover. He completed 9-of-13 passes for 104 yards and three scores last season. A touchdown pass per every three completions? Not bad for a backup.