The Huskies Road Back To A Bowl

Why Jake Locker Wins The Heisman

Jake, I began to think about you and the Heisman trophy. I remember when you first came to Washington, you had so many choices, so many places that offered you so much. You wouldn't have any of it, You made your decision to be Husky, and you stuck with it. Jake, for being a man of integrity, you win The Heisman.

When an opportunity to visit and befriend a sick child arose, you didn't just do what was expected. You made young child dying of cancer a friend and an inspiration not only to yourself, but for everybody who got to know him through you. After he passed away, you continually honored his memory,and promoted childhood cancer awareness through The Run of Hope. Jake, for being a man of character and going the extra mile, for that Jake you win The Heisman.

When times were tough for the Huskies, and people were constantly looking for somebody to point the blame at, you never once hinted that your teammates weren't up to par, you never disparaged your coaches, and you always took the burden of responsibility upon yourself. Jake that is what true leaders always do. For being a leader in the truest sense of the word, Jake you win the Heisman.

Jake, when you ended your junior year on such a high note, and every NFL scout and draft analyst was arguing about whether you or Sam Bradford would be the first QB taken, I was convinced you were gone. I apologize for underestimating the strength of your commitment to our beloved Huskies. When you eschewed 45-50 million dollars to carry through on your pledge to lead the Huskies to a bowl game, I was blown away. I shouldn't have been, because you made a promise. It is a rare thing in this day and age for people to make promises, and then do all that they can to fulfill those promises. For that Jake, you win the Heisman.

Finally Jake, when this season began to spiral out of control, and you were injured, you imposed your will to win on your teammates and against your opponents. Anybody watching could tell you were in pain, but you never let it stop you, and you never blamed it for your performances. Watching you lead our Huskies to 3 straight must-win games to go to a bowl for the first time in 8 years was an example of true grit and sheer determination. Thank you for letting us be a part of this magical season with you. For that Jake, you win The Heisman.

Latest Weather Report For Apple Cup

Go Dawgs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Damon Huard sharing favorite Apple Cup Memories

2009 Apple Cup Highlights

Just a little something to get you ready for The Apple Cup this Saturday!

Go Dawgs!!!!

Down Goes Cal!

So as the season is winding down, what started out as 3 straight that the Jake Locker and Huskies needed to win in order to go "Bowling" Now it is down to one! It could hardly be called a "pretty" game to watch as Washington had many blown opportunities. Jake throws an interception in the Husky End Zone. Play calling that was in my opinion way to conservative before halftime that allows Cal to kick a field goal that ends up to be pretty crucial when it is all said and done. A fumble by Locker as he is sacked that gets returned for 6 points. And a few other not so memorable moments that kept Cal in a game that they had no business even being in.

But in the end. Even after his ribs were clearly injured again. Jake Locker put the team on his shoulders and marched down the field, down by 3.

It got started with a beautiful pass and a great catch by Kearse on a 46 yard diving reception.
That catch was followed up with time running out with two gutsy runs. On the first run, Locker ran for 8 yards to the Cal 7 yard line. On the next play, Jake runs again on a designed play up the middle for 6 yards to the Cal 1 yard line, with time winding down. After a missed opportunity on a Jake Locker sneak call. Sark makes a "crazy" but gutsy call that pays off and instead of kicking a chip shot field goal to tie and put the game into overtime, he goes for the win with 3 seconds left of the clock on 4th down. The Cal defense keyed on Locker while Chris Polk streaked through for the winning touchdown.

Although the game was not pretty, the final drive was one of the best you will ever see. Two down and one to go. Apple Cup for a Holiday Bowl berth? Sounds good to me.
Go Dawgs! Bow Down!

Nate Fellner's Sick Interception

If any of you just can't get enough of the highlights from Thursdays game, here is another video of Nate Fellner's one-handed interception

Locker comes up big in game Huskies needed to save season

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/stevekelley/2013182795_kelley17.html

Washington Beats Oregon St. in Double Overtime

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskies/2013182799_uwfb17.html

Husky Football | Jermaine Kearse sets record for UW | Seattle Times Newspaper

Husky Football | Jermaine Kearse sets record for UW | Seattle Times Newspaper

Locker & Co Put The Hurt On USC Once Again

In a game that seemed eerily similar to UW's upset of USC last year, Jake Locker took the Huskies offense on his shoulders, and showed us once again what makes him such a special player.

In talking about the circumstances surrounding UW's conversion of a 4th and 10 on the game-winning drive, Locker said: "... when we got in the huddle I said 'I love you guys. We've got one more down to continue this drive and give ourselves a chance to win this game.' And there wasn't one guy in the huddle that thought we couldn't do it. I looked at each guy in the eye and saw confidence and that's why I think we were able to convert.''



While the defense wasn't spectacular, it did enough to keep us in the game, especially in the 4th quarter holding USC to only a field goal.

Let's not forget to give credit where it is due: Eric Folk. Hitting the game winning field goal last year:


And again this year:


Congrats Huskies, way to make all of us proud!

Jermaine Kearse, Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week

Congrats to Jermaine Kearse for garnering Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week. Kearse set personal bests in receptions(9), yards(179), and TD's(3).

Husky Nation is proud of you Jermaine, now let's keep the ball rolling and pound Nebraska!

Go Purple, Be Gold!!!

Bellotti and ESPN Crew Heaping Praise On Locker

Strongest Arm: Check
Best Under Pressure: Check
Best Dual Threat: Check
Best Leader: Check
Locker would have gone to Oregon if they had a better baseball program: Keep dreaming Bellotti

Just A Little Teaser To Get All You Rabid Dawg Fans Pumped Up For The Opener

Jake Locker VS Andrew Luck

After listening to David Norrie come on to ESPN 710 go on and on about how he believes Andrew Luck is the best QB in the nation, I've come to only one conclusion. He doesn't know his head from his rear end. Here are some of the doozies he laid out there for Husky fans

"Five or six games into the season last year I thought that Andrew Luck was hands down the best NFL Prospect at QB in the country."

Really? Let's review his first five games last year:
VS Washington State (1-11) 11/23 passing for 193 yards 1 TD
VS Wake Forest (5-7) 23/34 Passing for 276 yards 2 TD 1 INT
VS San Jose State (2-10) 9/12 passing for 170 yards 1 TD 1 INT
VS Washington (5-7) 7/14 passing for 103 Yards 0 TD
VS UCLA (7-6) 14/20 passing for 198 yards 0 TD

So against the first five opponents who Andrew Luck competed against (who combined for a whopping 20 wins for the season between them) Andrew Luck threw for an average of 13/21 for 188 yds per game, while throwing 4 TD's and 2 INT's.

I almost didn't need to listen anymore because it was obvious that this guy was a complete moron. Unfortunately for him, he didn't just stop there:

"I thought he was the hands down the best NFL prospect at quarterback in the country...I think Andrew Luck is one of those once in every 6 or 7 year quarterbacks."

He went on to say that Andrew Luck is a Peyton Manning type talent, and that in a side-by-side comparison with Jake Locker in arm strength, release, accuracy, movement, intangibles, and who he would want leading his team out onto the field next year, the only category in which he gave Jake Locker the advantage was movement. David Norrie must love him some Stanford Koolaid, because he is drinking it up.

Poll: What Will The Huskies Record Be Next Year?

Updated Football Schedule

2010 FB Schedule

Which Freshman Will Have The Largest Impact This Year?

Phil Steele's Preseason All Pac-10 and All-American Team

Huskies Path To Victory #1 Just Got A Little Easier

Does this picture bring back any memories? This is BYU's all-time leading rusher Harvey Unga who torched a hapless Husky defense in 2008 for 136 yards on 23 carries, as well as 40 yards recieving.

After breaking the schools honor code (Which prohibits drinking alcohol and sex outside of marriage) this spring, Unga withdrew himself from school and began the reapplication process hoping to be able to re-enroll in time for fall semester so he could play football this season.

Alas, the stars did not align for Unga, and the school came back and told him he would not be accepted until January, well after the football season ended. Good for BYU for sticking to their guns, because they've just made things a little easier for the Huskies.

Here is an article from The Salt Lake Tribune detailing everything that went down.

Husky Stadium Renovation

It was announced this week that the University of Washington would go ahead with their plans to renovate Husky Stadium. Though school officials have tried three times in recent history to have the state help fund the renovation, they have decided to move forward with the project, which will now be funded entirely by private donations and friends of the University.

Though there is no official estimate, the project would cost somewhere just under $200 million, and would include removing the track that surrounds the field and installing more seating so fans can get a little closer to the action. This is great news for all Husky fans, who have seen their beloved Husky stadium fall into disrepair over the years.

The one downside to all of this of course is the possibility that the school would sell the naming rights to the stadium in order to help fund the renovation. That would be an absolute travesty. Hopefully the University is able to come up with the money and does not have to resort to that.

UW has just sent in their request for proposals, so here are some artist sketches of what Husky Stadium may look like once the renovation is complete.





Here are a few fun facts about Husky Stadium:
1.)Husky Stadium was built in 1920 with a capacity of only 30,000.
2.)President Warren Harding gave his final address at Husky Stadium in 1936.
3.)Husky Stadium was the first major college venue with Astro turf, in 1968.
4.)In a halloween game against Stanford in 1981, "The Wave" was invented.
5.)Husky Stadium is the loudest stadium in college football history, reaching 135 decibels in a 1992 game against Nebraska.

Jake Locker 20(10)

For those who haven't seen it yet, this is the video the UW Athletic department released as the beginning of their Heisman campaign for Jake Locker. If this doesn't get you pumped up for the season, you may not have a pulse.

2011 Verbal Commit Brendon Bigelow, RB

If there is one truth that remains constant in football, it is that speed kills. That is exactly why the UW coaches went after 5'10" 180 lb Central High star Brendon Bigelow. Bigelow holds the Central Section freshman 100m record with time of 10.62, and since has been clocked as fast as 10.57. He's also been timed at a 4.41 forty-yard dash, 4.00 20-yard shuttle, 6.69 3-cone drill, and a 33" vertical leap. That's enough to grab just about anybodys attention.

As a junior in 2009, Brendon Bigelow ran for 974 yards and 18 TD's on just 76 carries(12.8 avg). Also very adept at catchting the football out of the backfield, Bigelow had 23 catches for 325 yards and 2 TD's. He was named 1st Team All-TRAC and 2nd Team All Valley.

Here are his junior year highlights:


He was also named the Passing Down Skills Camp MVP, here is some footage from that as well:


Bigelow has the elite speed to be able to turn the corner at the next level, as well the ability to make defenders miss between the tackles. The offense he plays in is more of a spread offense attack which utilized his speed both running the ball and catching passes out of the backfield. We can't wait to see you in Purple and Gold!

Go Dawgs!

Couldn't Help But Laugh At This

2011 Commit Evan Zeger, S

Evan Zeger is 6'2" 205 lbs and runs a 4.52 40 yd dash. He was a 4A first-team all-state safety and amassed 55 tackles, 4 Int's, 4 blocked punts, and 1 fumble recovery while playing for the 3x defending state champion Skyline Spartans. He played for Bishop Gorman(Las Vegas, Nev.) as a sophomore before playing at Skyline as a junior, and it appears that he is going back to Bishop Gorman for his senior year.

Here are the highlights from his sophomore year at Bishop Gorman:


Here are the highlights from his Junior year at Skyline:


As you can see he made some definite strides between his sophomore and junior year, and should only continue to improve throughout his senior year. Zeger's father and grandfather both played for UW as well, way to keep it in the family Evan!

2011 Commit Elijhaa Penny, FB/DL

There's not a lot of information out there right now on Elijhaa Penny, I was able to find out that he rushed for 22 TD's and 1569 yds last year on 135 carries, which in turn gives an unbelievable 11.62 ypc. Defensively, Elijhaa had 56 tackles and 8 sacks over their 13 game season. Elijhaa's highlight video says that he runs a 4.69 40 yd dash, benches 310, squats 425, and cleans 250.

That being said, Elijhaa is not sure in what way the Huskies are going to use him, but I'll venture to guess that he'll be making a move to the D-line, where he'll be able to use his athletic ability to cause havoc in opposing backfields, instead of being a lead blocker for Chris Polk, Deontae Cooper, and Jesse Callier for the next four years.

2011 LB/S Commit Matthew Lyons

The Huskies coaching staff's decision to offer scholarships early appears to be paying dividends. 2011 LB/S commit Matthew Lyons accepted the Huskies offer before he had even received any other offer, though, no doubt other schools will try to make a push to get him right before signing day.

As a junior he racked up 135 tackles, six fumble recoveries, three sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a touchdown. That's an impressive stat line. More recently, while competing in the prestigious 2010 Badger Sport Elite 7-on-7 Passing Tournament for team B2G, he was singled out as a defensive star for the team that won the tournament.

Here are his junior season highlights:

Some Highlights From The Spring Game

Spring Game Stats Purple Team

Offense (2's)

Passing
Nick Montana
21-34 , 156 yds, 2 TD, 1 Int, 1 Sack

Rushing
D. Bronson 11 att, 72 yds, 6.5 avg, 0 TD
Cole Sager 6 att, 11 yds, 1.8 avg, 0 TD
Nick Montana 2 att, -4 yds, -2 avg, 0 TD

Receiving
Jordan Polk 7 rec, 46 yds, 6.6 avg, 0 TD
W. Chandler 5 rec, 32 yds, 6.4 avg, 0 TD
Marek Domanski 1 rec, 31 yds, 31 avg, 1 TD
Luther Leonard 4 rec, 27 yds, 6.8 avg, 1 TD
Marlion Barnett 2 rec, 12 yds, 6 avg, 0 TD
D. Bronson 1 rec, 10 yds, 10 avg, 0 TD
Cole Sager 1 rec, -2 yds, -2 avg, 0 TD

Defensive Standouts (1's)
Cort Dennison 7 tackles (5 solo, 2 assisted), 1 sack
Talia Crichton 2 tackles (2 solo), 1 sack
Vonzell McDowell 2 tackles (1 solo, 1 assisted), 1 Int

Spring Game Stats White Team

White Team

Offense (1's)
Passing
Jake Locker 3-7, 15 yds, 0 TD, 0 Int, 1 Sack
Keith Price 4-9, 38 yds, 0 TD, 1 Int, 1 Sack

Rushing
Johri Fogerson 8 att, 50 yds, 6.3 avg, 0 TD
Deontae Cooper 13 att, 27 yds, 2.1 avg, 1 TD
Keith Price 5 att, 12 yds, 2.4 avg, 0 TD
Jake Locker 3 att, 0 yds, 0 avg, 0 TD

Receiving
James Johnson 4 rec, 31 yds, 7.8 avg, 0 TD
Devin Aguilar 2 rec, 16 yds, 8 avg, 0 TD
Kavario Middleton 1 rec, 6 yds, 6 avg, 0 TD

Defensive Standouts (2's)

Victor Burnett 8 tackles (3 solo, 5 assisted), 1 FF

Anthony Boyles 6 tackles (2 solo, 4 assisted), 1 fumble recovery 25 yds, 1 Int 26 yds

2011 DE Recruit Connor Cree Commits To UW

Connor Cree called the coaches at UW and BSU today, to give the good news to the Huskies and the bad news to the Broncos. UW is still working to address their lack of depth on the defensive line, and the addition of Connor Cree should help with that.

Cree is still developing, and while right now he stands 6'5" tall and weighs 225 lbs, it is in no way unreasonable to fathom that he could grow another inch or two, while adding 20-30 lbs before next year when he enrolls at UW. We may have Ed "Too Tall" Jones reincarnate with this one.

Cree has demonstrated a great amount of athletic ability while playing for the Skyline Spartans, playing both as a DE and a TE for the reigning 3x state champs.

He definitely has a lot of work to do on his technique, while he does well chasing down the ball carrier and tackling in the open field, he'll need to develop a much better repertoire of pass rush moves, as well as do a better job of using his long arms to keep separation from oncoming blockers and bat down passes. The great news is, these are all easy things to fix, and like they say, you can't teach 6'5". Great get Sark!

Spring Game Tonight!

The festivities begin tonight at 6:30 in scenic Husky Stadium. The format for tonights spring game will be four 15 minute quarters with a running clock.

The teams have been set, with the #1 offense and #2 defense going against the #2 offense and the #1 defense. So we are going to be seeing 1's vs 1's, and 2's vs 2's.

The first team offense will be lead by Jake Locker until Coach Sark feels he's gotten enough reps, at which point Keith Price will then take over. The second team offense will be lead by Nick Montana.

Besides the actual spring game there will be other events such as a tug-o-war with the UW Strength staff, a hot dog eating contest, and there has been a rumored passing competition with former Husky great Marques Tuiasosopo.

So head on down to Husky Stadium tonight to get a preview of Montlake Jake and the rest of our Husky football team.

We'd love to see your photos and videos from the event, and hear about your experience. Email us at gopurplebegold@gmail.com.

Thanks For The Memories!

Good luck to Donald Butler and Daniel Te'o-Nesheim

Daniel Te'o-Nesheim Drafted 86th Overall By The Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles picked up the UW career sacks leader Daniel Te'o-Nesheim in the 3rd round. Though many draft pundits have repeatedly knocked his overall athleticism, the eagles saw what us Husky fans have been seeing for years. NFL tackles, hope you're ready for our blue-collar DE.

Congrats Daniel, you've made Husky Nation a proud one!

Donald Butler Drafted 79th Overall By The Chargers

Donald Butler was taken in the 3rd Round(79th overall) by the San Diego Chargers. it was a great pick up for them, as Butler will work nicely in the 3-4 Scheme they run down there. His ability to quickly fill gaps against the running game and cover space quickly in pass coverage makes him a valuable asset.

Thanks for everything you've done for the Huskies Donald, good luck in the NFL!

UW Spring Practice #13

UW Spring Practice #12

Coach Sark's Daily Top 5:
1. Player of the Day: James Johnson
2. Play of the Day: Long pass from Locker to Johnson.
3. Coach of the Day: Johnny Nansen "It's not for everybody!"
4. Team Competition Winner: Defense
5. Thought of the Day: Best of luck to Mark Emmert, he will do great things for the NCAA.

UW Spring Practice #11

UW Spring Practice #10

UW Spring Practice #9

Coach Sark's Daily Top 5:
1. Player of the Day: Cort Dennison
2. Play of the Day: Q. Richardson's pick-six.
3. Coach of the Day: Nick Holt "Awesome!"
4. Team Competition Winner: Defense
5. Thought of the Day: Gotta see what you hit, gotta hit what you see.

UW Spring Practice #8

UW Spring Practice #7

Coach Sark's Daily Top 5:
1. Player of the Day: Mason Foster
2. Play of the Day: Locker to Aguilar for a big gain.
3. Coach of the Day: Demetrice Martin (Say who...)
4. Team Competition Winner: Defense (This one went to the booth and the call on the field was confirmed.)
5. Thought of the Day: Chew on this, what is the difference between an investment and a sacrifice?

Ted Miller Interviews

This is a bit late, but Ted Miller spent some time at the Huskies spring practices and put some interviews and stories up on the Pac-10 Blog. Here they are:

Washington linebacker Mason Foster talks discusses the Huskies’ strengths and their expectations for 2010

Huskies' Foster ready for his close-up

Washington senior QB Jake Locker talks about his Heisman buzz and his focus to get the Huskies back to a bowl game

Washington coach Steve Sarkisian talks about the Huskies who are stepping up this spring

Quick notes from Washington practice

Pac-10 big enough for Sarkisian and Kiffin?

Washington doesn't want to be home for the holidays again

UW Spring Practice #6

Coach Sark's Daily Top 5:
1. Player of the Day: Senio Kelemete
2. Play of the Day: Vonzell McDowell Jr. Pick-6.
3. Coach of the Day: Dan Cozzetto "Pound that rock!"
4. Team Competition Winner: Defense (Failed 2pt attempt in OT)
5. Thought of the Day: Pad level and courage are essential on the goal line.

UW Spring Practice #5

>

2011 Commit Aubrey Coleman, WR/TE

Aubrey Coleman
Walnut HS, Walnut, CA
1st Team Offense All-San Antonio League Football Team

UW Spring Practice #4

Coach Sark's Daily Top 5

1. Player of the Day: Jake Locker
2. Play of the Day: Jordan Wallace Pick-6.
3. Coach of the Day: Doug Nussmeier "Let it rip!"
4. Team Competition Winner: Offense.
5. Thought of the Day: Boom! Explosive plays make for exciting football!

2011 Commit Kameron Jackson, CB

Kameron Jackson
Polytechnic HS, Long Beach, CA

Looks Like We Know Where Coach Sark Stands

If I were a betting man, I'd put down money that he's in favor of a college football playoff.

Spring Practice #3, Full Pads

Coach Sark's Top 5

1. Player of the Day: Devin Aguilar
2. Play of the Day: 60 Yard strike from Locker to Aguilar.
3. Coach of the Day: Mike Anderson "Effort, Effort, Effort!"
4. Team Competition Winner: Offense.
5. Thought of the Day: Take two and call me in the morning (Full-Pads).

Spring Practice #2

Coach Sark's Daily Top 5

1. Player of the Day: Jesse Callier
2. Play of the Day: Roll-out pass from Montana to J. Polk.
3. Coach of the Day: Joel Thomas "Dawg Claw, it's all about the ball!"
4. Team Competition Winner: Offense, No Turnover Wednesday.
5. Thought of the Day: Anybody can do it once.

Spring Practice #1

Coach Sark's Daily Top 5

1. Player of the Day: Anthony Boyles
2. Play of the Day: Locker to Kearse for a big gain.
3. Coach of the Day: Mike Cox "Hit or be hit!"
4. Team Competition Winner: Defense
5. Thought of the Day: What a difference a year makes.






Former Husky QB Brock Huard was on hand to witness the first spring practice and had this to say about what he saw.

Spring ball is upon us once again

Since the NFL Combine, things have been relatively quiet in Husky Nation, but now that spring ball has started, there will be a lot more going on. We'll try to keep you up to date on what's happening, who's moving up and down the depth charts, and all things relating to spring ball. This is a great time of year, if anybody makes it out to any of the practices, we'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, as well as post any pictures you may have taken. Contact us at gopurplebegold@gmail.com.

Donald Butler

Today is also the day for linebackers in the combine. Many analysts expect Donald Butler to be one of the players who can dramatically improve their draft stock with a good performance. I have no doubt that Butler will give them the show they're looking for.

Here is what his pre-draft analysis has to say:

"Butler is a two-year starter that had an outstanding senior season. Butler has good size and strength but lacks great speed. He is a solid athlete with decent foot agility, balance and short area quickness to close in the open field. Butler should be more physical on contact but is a solid hitter between the tackles. He is inconsistent to ward off and shed blockers to the pile. He has good instincts but is inconsistent in his pursuit angles and run fits at times. Despite not having great speed, he is solid as a coverage defender. Butler has the size, strength, instincts, toughness and athleticism to contribute on special teams as well adding valuable depth to a club in his rookie season."

Here is his stat line from the combine, which I will also update as the numbers continue trickling in:

Donald Butler
Height:6'1"
Weight:245 lbs.
Arm Length:32 5/8 in.
Hand Size:9 1/2 in.

40-Yard Dash: DNP
Bench Press:35 reps, The NFL Combine website reports this as being the #1 performance for all linebackers
Vertical Jump: DNP
3-Cone Drill: DNP
20-Yard Shuttle: DNP
60-Yard Shuttle: DNP

Donald Butler is blogging about his Combine experience, so if you want to hear about what he's going through first hand, go check it out.

Daniel Te'o-Nesheim

Today is the day for Defensive lineman at the NFL Combine. He hasn't been shown a lot of love from his pre-draft analysis, this is what they had to say:

"Te'o-Nesheim has been a productive four-year starter for the Huskies defense. Te'o-Nesheim is an undersized defensive end that wins with toughness, effort, instincts and technique. He lacks great quickness, burst and agility as a pass rusher but does a nice job using his hands to counter effectively. Te'o-Nesheim will have a tough time anchoring effectively versus the run and doesn't possess the speed, quickness and agility to project to an outside backer in a 3-4 defensive scheme. His high motor, leadership skills, toughness and instincts gives him a chance but he clearly overachieved in college and is not likely to transition well at the next level."

Here is his line from the combine homepage:

Daniel Te'o-Nesheim
Height:6'3"
Weight:263 lbs.
Arm Length:33 3/4 in.
Hand Size:10 1/2 in.

40-Yard Dash: 4.72
Bench Press: 29 reps
Vertical Jump: 37 inches (Tied for second best for all D-Lineman)
Broad Jump: 10'08", best mark among D-Lineman
3-Cone Drill: 6.91 seconds, 2nd best mark among D-Lineman
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.18, 3rd best mark among D-Lineman
60-Yard Shuttle:


As his results come in I'll continue to update them. Good Luck Daniel, go prove them wrong!

NFL Combine Schedule

Saturday, Feb. 27
Group 1 (OL, SPECIALISTS)
Group 2 (OL)
Group 3 (TE)
Sunday, Feb. 28
Group 4 (QB, WR)
Group 5 (QB, WR)
Group 6 (RB)
Monday, March 1
Group 7 (DL)
Group 8 (DL)
Group 9 (LB)
Tuesday, March 2
Group 10 (DB)
Group 11 (DB)

Spring football

Ted Miller from ESPN recently broke down the key story lines for each of the Pac-10 teams spring game this year. Here's what he had for our Huskies:

Washington
Spring practice starts: March 30
Spring game: April 30

What to watch:

Unleashing Locker: The return of quarterback Jake Locker was the best news any Pac-10 team received this offseason. Locker's passing improved dramatically in just one year under coach Steve Sarkisian, so it's not unreasonable to expect him to be even better in 2010, particularly with nine starters back on offense and just about every skill player on the depth chart.

Replacing Te'o-Nesheim: Daniel Te'o-Nesheim was a four-year starter who blossomed into an All-Pac-10 performer despite almost no supporting cast. He led the Huskies with 11 sacks in 2009, which was 8.5 more than any other player. Also, opposite end Darrion Jones is gone, and the cast at the position is extremely young. Who's the next pass-rushing threat?

The Butler did it: Linebacker Donald Butler blossomed last year, earning second-team All-Pac-10 honors and leading the Huskies in tackles and tackles for loss (15.5). Toss in E.J. Savannah's failure to earn a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA, and the Huskies have some questions at linebacker. Mason Foster is a sure thing at one outside position, and Cort Dennison likely will fill a second gap, but there's an opportunity for a young player to fill void No. 3.

Final list of 2010 recruiting class

Now it all makes sense

I try not to dwell on the past too often, but as I was thinking about the unfortunate circumstances surrounding EJ Savannah, I began to think about the Tyrone Willingham years.

I have constantly struggled to understand how somebody could be so terribly inept at their profession. I then came across this:



Now it makes a lot more sense.

EJ Savannah doesn't recieve extra year of eligibility

As has been reported, EJ Savannah has just received word that he has not qualified for an extra year of eligibility due to medical hardship. They were hoping for some leniency from the NCAA, especially with the unusual circumstances regarding his suspension from the team by Tyrone Willingham, in which he was suspended for academics while being academically eligible to play.

Another unfortunate casualty of the Tyrone Willingham era.

We feel for you EJ, good luck in your preparation, we hope to see you playing on sundays.

Follow all the signing day coverage live

The University of Washington official athletic website is doing live minute by minute coverage of signing day. As each commitment is faxed in and verified, it will then be immediately posted here:

http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/10-signing-day.html

Along with each commitment, there will be a short bio and a video of the signee posted as well.

Hope you enjoy today!

Happy National Letter of Intent Day!

With a class that is ranked 8th in the nation currently, UW stands to have one of its best, if not the best recruiting class ever. We've been trying to highlight some of the big name recruits leading up to signing day, and will continue to do so up until spring ball.

We're proud of the direction that the Huskies are heading, and expect a lot of high profile recruiting classes in the future. We'll post the updated list tomorrow evening, and give our insights on the class, unexpected signings/losses, and give an overall grade.

Once again, we're glad to have you following us here at Go Purple, Be Gold. If you have any feedback, positive or negative, please let us know by writing us at gopurplebegold@gmail.com.

Nick Montana

Nick Montana, son of Hall-of-Fame QB Joe Montana, is the commitment we're going to spotlight this morning. Besides his obvious bloodlines, young Montana has a lot that he can offer Husky nation in the near future.

One thing that sticks out when watching him is his pocket presence. He quickly recognizes pressure and either steps up in the pocket, or is able to move laterally to avoid pressure and give himself more time to find an open receiver. His footwork is better than expected from most HS QB's, but still has the tendency to throw off of his back foot when there is pressure in his face. He is very accurate on his short to mid-range throws, but lacks the elite arm-strength needed to make deep throws. He is also fast enough to make plays with his feet, but has a great feel for throwing on the run which makes him very dangerous.

It was speculated that he would compete for the starting position when it was thought Jake Locker was heading to the NFL, but he will now most likely redshirt this upcoming season. That year will tell us alot about him, and if he is the ultimate answer for the Dawgs at QB. It will give him the time to mature physically, learn to read and react to the speed of the game at the college level, and to set himself apart as a leader. If he fails to do any one of these three things, he'll struggle to win the QB competition next year after Locker leaves. It'll definitely make for an interesting spring and summer ball next year.

Here's a highlight video of him at Oaks Christian:

Alejandro Maldonado breaks commit

Alejandro Maldonado has decommitted from UW, and has verbally committed to the University of Oregon. Husky fans wish you the best in your future endeavors. Honestly, we don't hold any ill will towards you.

Kevin Smith, WR

Kevin Smith is a four star WR prospect who has verbaled to UW. He has some great physical tools, but is still pretty raw. As you can see in the highlight video, he has pretty good speed, great balance, does a great job going up to get jump balls on fade routes into the endzone, and has good body awareness.

Once again, he looks like somebody who might be able to contribute on special teams, as well as maybe some time at a slot WR. He was offered scholarships to UCLA, Arizona, and Colorado, but Chose UW after watching them destroy WSU 30-0.

Here are his highlights from his senior season.

Kona Schwenke still deciding

It appears that he is being patient, and will most likely wait until LOI day to make his commitment known. Here's a highlight video from ESPN. We'd love to have you in purple and gold Kona!

UPDATE:

It now appears that Kona Schwenke did not take his scheduled trip to UW after visiting Notre Dame. This is understandable seeing that making two cross country trips in two days if pretty difficult.I'm still holding out hope though that Haouli Jamora has convinced him to come to UW. I guess we'll just have to wait till signing day to see what's going to happen.

Kona Schwenke coming to UW?

In a surprise move that has surprised a lot of people, BYU has pulled their scholarship offer to 4-star verbal commit Kona Schwenke. This comes after BYU laid down an the ultimatum that he would lose his scholarship offer if he chose to pursue trips to both ND and UW.

Total Blue Sports reporter Brandon Gurney, has written an article detailing how all of this went down.

Cougar fans, are already in full meltdown mode.

If Schwenke indeed chooses UW, it will be quite the recruiting coup for Coach Sark, who has detailed the teams need to be deeper on both the offensive and defensive lines.

I'll keep tabs on this story, and may be posting more about Kona Schwenke if it appears that he is going to sign with UW.

Deontae Cooper

Washington RB commit Deontae Cooper has already enrolled at UW, after graduating early from Citrus Hill. He could very well be the gem of this years class. His bio on his scout page says that he owns the California state record for carries in a game when he had 59 carries for 412 yards and four touchdowns against Great Oak in September of 2009. As a junior, Deontae Cooper stood atop the state leaderboard in rushing yards with 2,953 yards and finished second in touchdowns with 47. Ran for 1,212 yards and 18 touchdowns during his 2007 sophomore season, helping lead Perris (Calif.) Citrus Hill to the CIF-SS title.

My thoughts:

Upon looking at the film available on Deontae Cooper, you can see that he has good field awareness. He is patient enough to let plays develop and follows his blockers very well, waiting for either a cutback lane or a gap to explode through. He knows how to make tacklers miss without having to expend a lot of energy and he has a nice burst which gets him into the secondary quickly.

While the transition from high school to college is a very large adjustment, the fact that he has enrolled early will help him tremendously. As you can see in his Go Huskies exclusive, he is pretty slender. Having the opportunity to participate with the strength and conditioning program at UW will help him bulk up over the next nine months. He is listed at 195 lbs, but looks more like 180. I would expect to see him at about 195 by the time the season starts though, which is a good weight for him at this point.

While he is an impact player, unless he can break into the special teams unit as a returner, I would guess that the best course of action for him would be to redshirt his freshman year, seeing as we already have Chris Polk entrenched in the starting role at RB. That being said, Deontae Cooper has a very high upside, and could eventually surpass all of Polk's accomplishments as a RB.

Have a look at the next great UW RB in his highlight video.





Go Huskies exclusive

Donald Butler is movin on up (the draft boards)

According to Ed Thompson, the Scout.com senior NFL analyst, one of the surprises of the senior bowl has been our very own Donald Butler.

"There was no doubt that Butler was a capable and reliable college linebacker, but compared to the rest of the list, he was considered by some to be "just a guy" who would be a late-rounder or undrafted. But after watching him in action this week, our eyes were opened by his focus, intensity, tackling technique and good instincts. He's easily in the top half of this year's group of Senior Bowl linebackers."

Here's to hoping he finishes out the week on a high note with a great performance in the Senior Bowl, and the moves on to a successful NFL career.

This will bring a smile to your face

Let the Heisman hype begin!

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Te'o-Nesheim to play in East-West Shrine game today

If you want to catch the Huskies all-time sacks leader one last time before he heads off to the NFL draft, tune in to ESPN2 at 12:00.

Word on the street is that he's had a good week of practice and has likely upped his draft status. Thanks for everything Daniel, you'll be missed!

Mason Foster's late interception against Arizona makes Yahoo's top ten plays of the year

10. Mason Foster's Immaculate Interception. Trailing Arizona 33-21 with three minutes to play, Washington's Jake Locker hit Kavario Middleton on a touchdown pass to pull the Huskies within five, setting up a chance for a two-minute drill to win if the Washington defense could get 'Zona off the field for the first time in the second half. Thanks to Delashaun Dean's big toe, they did a little better than that:

Hauoli Jamora

A couple years down the road, and we could very well be talking about the possiblity of Daniel Te'o Nesheim's career sack record being broken. By who? Hauoli Jamora. I've done some digging around on this recruit to find some information for the fans out there, hopefully this will satisfy you!

From an observer at the All-Poly Camp:
"Jamora is going to make fans happy at either DE or DT, no fat on the kid now and he's approaching 240 lbs at about 6-0 or 6-1 (he's not 6-2). He has a high motor and plays mean, definitely has that "poly switch". He also dominated in the one-on-ones we saw"

ESPN also wrote an article detailing three standout defensive lineman from the annual Game Plan Football Academy, which is a four-day event where high school prospects can come and receive instruction from college coaches during a padded camp.

This is what they said:
"It didn't take long to see there was a lot of defensive line talent at the Game Plan Football Academy. Three defensive linemen stood out against the offensive line in the one-on-one competition, and in both the base blocking and pass-protection drills it was these three who dominated the opposition and refused to be blocked:
Hauoli Jamora, DE, (Kahuku, HI)

Jamora was extremely impressive in his overall performance. He was consistently quick out of his stance and immediately struck a jarring blow with his hands into the frame of the blocker. He played with great leverage and was able to press every opposing lineman into the backfield on run blocks, extending his arms and churning his legs while maintaining inside pad control.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder was equally successful during pass-rush competition. He did a good job of mixing up his techniques and counters by using the short swim and power rip moves, among others, to make penetration and defeat the man across from him. It's not surprising that this guy is coming on strong on the recruiting front and already has been offered by BYU and Wyoming.

Jamora can develop into a very solid player once he adds some bulk. We look forward to further evaluating him, but based off his performance at the camp he is certainly a serious sleeper at the end position in the 2010 class."

Jamora had committed early to BYU (How many players are they going to lose to us?) following the lead of his teammate Kona Schwenke, but this was before any camps and before he had started to garner the attention he is now receiving. He wisely chose to reopen his commitment and Sark and his crew did a great job landing him.

Here's a Highlight video, sorry about the quality, but it's the only one I could get my hands on:


Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

Shiloah Te'o to transfer to UW

News is coming out that former BYU Safety Shiloah Te'o is going to enroll at the University of Washington in March. This is a really good get for the Huskies. He was on the 2-deep roster for BYU as a true freshman and sophomore, lettering both years. He will redshirt next season, and then have two years of eligibility.

Before heading to BYU, he was A 2007 Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser First-Team All-State selection as both a junior and senior. He was also named the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red East Division Defensive Player of the Year and ranked as the 4th best prospect in the state of Hawaii by Rivals.com.

Here is a highlight video



He was kicked off of the BYU football team after being arrested for a DUI.

A lot of BYU fans and insiders were dismayed at his loss, because he was seen to be a great athlete who had the ability to cover a lot of ground in the secondary, and who played with a real mean streak.

Before his sophomore season he took the time to head to a specialty training center to prepare him to be a better athlete, here are the results:



All in all, we should be pretty happy with this get. Our defensive backfield has been the subject of a lot of criticism, hopefully this is a step in the right direction.