COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Huskies see secondary as strength

E-Mail

Text Size:

tool goes here

The five seniors in the Washington Huskies secondary have experienced a lot, but this season brings something new.

This is the first time any of them have reported to fall camp with their unit considered among the strengths of the defense.

�We�ve got some good players,� secondary coach J.D. Williams said. �We�ve got some experience, and that plays a major factor. Even when you talk about athletic ability, some of the guys, they�ve been out there before, they know how to get into position and how to do things. That experience is going to help us. Plus, they�re a year bigger, a year stronger and a year faster.�

The seniors are corners Mesphin Forrester, Byron Davenport and Desmond Davis, and safeties Darin Harris and Jason Wells.

Much of what they have learned, they have learned the hard way - including last season when the UW defense finished last in the Pacific-10 Conference in total defense, rushing defense and passing defense, and ninth in scoring defense.

Those numbers reflect on all defensive units: line, linebackers and secondary. However, more is expected of the secondary this season because it returns both experience and increased depth.

Meanwhile, the defensive line lost three of its four starters, and the linebackers begin camp minus two of three top starters from 2007 due to the graduation of Dan Howell and the current ineligibility of leading tackler E.J. Savannah.

While the secondary lost Roy Lewis to the NFL, it returns not only the seniors, but also younger players with experience such as Nate Williams, Quinton Richardson, Victor Aiyewa, Matt Mosley, and Vonzell McDowell Jr. There�s also Tripper Johnson, back on campus after eight seasons of minor league baseball.

�We have some great players coming in, and we have some great players who are returning,� said Wells, who is nearing 100 percent after missing the last eight games last season with a knee injury. �We lost Roy, but he�s doing his thing up in the next level. I think we�re ready to go.�

There also is a crop of redshirt freshmen and true freshmen: Marquis Persley, Anthony Gobern, Adam Long and Justin Glenn � who will enjoy the luxury of playing when they are ready, rather than being rushed along due to desperation.

�Last year, I had to grow those kids up fast,� Williams said. �I took my lumps, and unfortunately at this position the whole world sees it ... they see those touchdowns going on the board. This year, hopefully I don�t have to grow the freshmen up. They can sit back and get to understand the system. Hopefully, we�ll have that luxury.�

The newcomers also have the advantage of learning from all those seniors.

�A lot of times on the field I have to line a freshman up and then do my job,� Forrester said. �But ... that�s the role we play as older guys. We have to mentor these kids and help them play.�

Extra points

Vince Taylor, a freshman from Issaquah, arrived in camp after clearing up the academic issues that delayed his arrival. Originally listed as a safety, Taylor worked out with the receivers. ... Lakes High School coach Dave Miller was a visitor at practice Thursday. ... Today, the Huskies will practice in full pads for the first time.