Some momentum is building up for Washington football in 2018 as they look to avenge a few key losses from the PAC-12 slate last year.
Washington football is bound to put together another strong showing in 2018, led by star rising senior quarterback Jake Browning. A program that just won a PAC-12 Championship in 2016 brings back another loaded roster in 2018, to compete for the same title.
The result from 2017 could be considered a disappointment for Chris Petersen, taking into mind the success he saw in 2016 with the program’s only trip to the College Football Playoff. Moreover, UW was actually only the second PAC-12 program to make it into the Playoff field ever.
Entering the 2018 round of Spring practice, UW does have a few new faces making their way into Seattle. A solid recruiting class for Petersen landed the No. 13 group in the nation, and second best in the PAC-12. The USC Trojans, the reigning PAC-12 Champions, were the only program to finish higher in the conference recruiting rankings than the Huskies.
However, of the 21 commits for the Huskies in this class, only two have enrolled early. The rest have just signed their Letter of Intent. Both of those players are four-star quarterbacks Colson Yankoff and Jacob Sirmon. And, they’re both very highly touted recruits.
The Huskies could possibly have the most defensive depth of any team in the nation this year. Depth on the offensive side of the ball looks solid too. They have leaders on both sides of the ball that’ll keep UW in PAC-12 and national contention.
Here’s a look at five players to watch during Spring practice for the Washington Huskies in 2018.
On two occasions, we really got to see what rising sophomore tight end Hunter Bryant can do given the spotlight on offense. Bryant came into his college career as a versatile talent that could provide value on both sides of the ball.
UW looks to use Bryant at the tight end spot, especially with the senior starter Will Dissly running out of eligibility. Among the Huskies’ three leading tight ends in 2017, Bryant did reel in the most receiving yards, but Dissly led in receiving touchdowns.
Bryant returns with rising senior Drew Sample, to compete for who will get the most targets. But, Sample was the third leading tight end, among the three players, in both yards and touchdowns last year. The job should be Bryant’s for the taking.
The real reason to watch out for Bryant in 2018 is the fact that he is a potential breakout player on the national stage. He actually only finished behind star receiver Dante Pettis in total receiving yards in 2017, and that number will only go up this year as long as he stays healthy.
The departure of Pettis in the receiving corps leaves a void that is going to be hard to fill. But, it also is a huge opportunity for players like rising sophomore wide receiver and former four-star recruit Ty Jones to make an impact now.
Finding playing time, and key looks from rising senior quarterback Jake Browning, will start to be won in Spring practice and the Spring Game. Four-star wide receiver, and the top ranked prospect in the 2018 UW recruiting class Marquis Spiker, will vie for early playing time alongside Jones.
Other receivers to watch that could see a significant increase in production includes Aaron Fuller and Andre Baccellia. Fuller and Baccellia each had at least 187 receiving yards in 2017. It would be a seamless transition for both those receivers to move into bigger roles.
Meanwhile, Jones only had seven catches for 71 yards last year. His potential does not sit with his stats shown during his freshman campaign. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Jones has the size and overall talent to be a star in the PAC-12. It’s just a matter of time before he gets his chance.
UW had the best haul of quarterbacks, depth wise, of any program in the nation. Both Yankoff and Sirmon are strong four-star prospects. Each was a top six prospect at their position in the nation. Yankoff is a dual-threat quarterback and Sirmon is a pro-style passer.
Every UW fan is aware of the departure of eventual four-year starter Browning at the conclusion of the 2018 season. The Huskies offense needs to be prepared for what lies ahead, and the talent is there. Yankoff and Sirmon need some playing time to prove themselves this year.
Seeing what these two quarterback can do during the Spring Game will be an important step in what the path to a starting role could look like. There’s just too many solid options for either one of these quarterbacks to luckily find themselves as the starter.
Furthermore, don’t forget about the Georgia Bulldogs transfer, and former No. 1 overall quarterback recruit, Jacob Eason coming to town. Eason announced his transfer early in the off-season and will certainly have a strong chance to start in 2018.
There’s very few spots to make an impact on the UW defense this year. Barring any major injuries, which took a huge toll on the defense in 2017, it’s going to be tough for some of the lower defensive players on the depth chart to find quality playing time.
However, one player that does have the opportunity to seize a starting role is rising junior inside linebacker Brandon Wellington. The loss of a few linebackers leaves a few spots to fill for Petersen. And, Wellington could fill in for a linebacker that already missed a significant amount of time in 2017 in Keishawn Bierria.
Wellington saw the field pretty frequently last year, and that can help him gain a leg up to win a starting job in 2018. He racked up 15 total tackles and one sack last year. That number should grow reasonably this year.
Outside linebacker Ryan Bowman and inside linebacker D.J. Beavers could also make a large impact in 2018. Wellington is an under the radar option in the linebacking corps. That is the level of the defense that will see the most new faces starting in 2018.
Among all the players on this list, rising sophomore cornerback Byron Murphy might be the most proven and well-known. Murphy is ready to go for a big 2018, if he can stay healthy. That will be a theme for some of the bigger names in the UW secondary.
If Murphy is 100% playing alongside Taylor Rapp, JoJo McIntosh, and Austin Joyner this year, it’s going to be a tough group of defensive backs to compete against. There’s some depth in the secondary too with players like Jordan Miller, Myles Bryant, and Brandon McKinney.
The pieces are in place for UW to have possibly the best secondary in the nation. The PAC-12 North is going to have a tough time dealing with this group, especially considering the lack of explosive passing offenses this time around.
Next: Grading Washington Football's 2018 recruiting class
In just six contests last year, Murphy racked up three interceptions, three tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble. He wasn’t just a difference maker, he played like a potential All-American cornerback. Watch out for him to pick up where he left off in 2017.