Published: Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Is Price right fit for Huskies' backup QB?
Redshirt freshman appears to have edge in battle with Montana to be No. 2 behind Locker
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Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald
UW quarterbacks Jake Locker (center), Nick Montana (right) and Keith Price greet each other after the coin toss before the start of the spring game last April. Price seems to have the edge on Montana in the battle to be Locker's No. 1 backup.
SEATTLE -- The University of Washington football team wouldn't mind seeing redshirt freshman Keith Price in the first action of his college career this season ...
... As long as it's during the fourth quarter of a blowout win in Pacific-10 Conference play.
If all goes according to the Huskies' plan, Price will spend his second season at UW holding a clipboard and waiting his turn. But in the unwelcome event that star senior Jake Locker gets hurt, the Huskies need to have a backup quarterback ready to step in.
And Price appears to be the leading candidate for the job.
While head coach Steve Sarkisian hasn't officially named a No. 2 quarterback, Price has shown more consistency than true freshman teammate Nick Montana and appears to be the more likely pick.
Sarkisian, who said last week that the identity of the Huskies' No. 2 quarterback might not be known to the public until the chosen one actually plays in a game, has been impressed with how comfortable Price seems to be in the UW offense this camp.
"Before, he was so uptight because he was trying to understand and learn; he didn't relax and have fun playing," Sarkisian said this week. "Now I'm seeing a guy who's having fun playing football. To me, that gives me a lot of confidence that he knows what he's doing."
The biggest indicator that Price is likely to serve as the No. 2 quarterback came Tuesday night, when he took every snap with the starters while Locker took a routine day off to rest.
"I think he's had a really good camp," offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier said Wednesday afternoon. "He's done a nice job; he's continued to improve. We've put him in some live drills with the (first team), and he's really progressed a long way."
But still, the UW coaches claim that they have yet to make up their mind in regards to whom will be Locker's main backup.
"We'll make a decision here, for sure, as a staff, by Saturday," Sarkisian said on Wednesday afternoon. "Whether or not we release that (to the public) remains to be seen."
Price, who is laid-back and has a disarming smile, doesn't seem to mind the indecision. He admitted that he's a lot more relaxed -- on the practice field and as a college student -- now that he has one year under his belt.
"I was stressed" last year, the native of Compton, Calif., said. "I called my mom every night. I was almost always in my (dorm) room. I didn't have anybody out here. Now, it's great. I'm having fun."
Tuesday night was the most fun, especially after running the No. 1 offense while Locker took time off.
"That's all I kept telling my teammates: 'I'm having fun with you guys,'" he said of his Tuesday night practice. "I never really had a full practice with the (first team). The intensity level is crazy."
Price came to UW with nowhere near the pedigree of either Locker or Montana. He was a three-star recruit at St. Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif., and became one of the final commitments of the Tyrone Willingham era. After Willingham was fired, Price reconsidered, made visits to Arizona State, Utah and Oregon, then eventually re-committed after a single phone conversation with Sarkisian in the winter of 2009.
"He told me: 'We're going to get this thing started, and it's not going to take long. We've got to start from the ground up,'" Price said. "I just wanted to be a part of that."
Price redshirted last year while Locker and sophomore Ronnie Fouch got all the work with the top two units, then fell into a spring battle with Montana after Fouch transferred to Indiana State.
After two camps, Price appears to have moved in front of Montana in the battle for No. 2. But nothing is set in stone.
Among the candidates to be Locker's backup, Price is the most similar to UW's senior star. He's not as big (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) as Locker (6-3, 230) but does have the ability to tuck the ball and run. Price also has some of the same areas that need work as Locker did early in his career -- namely, accuracy and being patient in the pocket.
"He's come a long way," Nussmeier said of Price's accuracy as a passer. "He's really done a nice job working with his feet."
If all goes according to plan, Price won't have to see any meaningful action until next fall. He said he'll be ready if called upon, but his main goal is to become the Huskies' future starter.
And who knows? Maybe Price will eventually be known as the guy who replaced a legend at UW.
"I'm not worried about that," he said with his trademark grin. "I'm just worried about being me."
Of note
Starting middle linebacker Cort Dennison returned to practice but appeared to aggravate his knee injury. Freshman Garret Gilliland took over for Dennison during 11-on-11 drills. After the session, Sarkisian said Dennison's limited day was by design. "I just want to make sure, come Monday, we'll have a healthy football team," said Sarkisian, whose team will face BYU a week from Saturday. … Linebacker Brandon Huppert, a senior from Edmonds-Woodway High School, sat out another practice Wednesday as he continues to battle soreness in his surgically-repaired knee. … The Huskies will hold their final open practice today at 8:45 a.m. The afternoon practice will be closed to the public, and there is no practice on Friday.
... As long as it's during the fourth quarter of a blowout win in Pacific-10 Conference play.
If all goes according to the Huskies' plan, Price will spend his second season at UW holding a clipboard and waiting his turn. But in the unwelcome event that star senior Jake Locker gets hurt, the Huskies need to have a backup quarterback ready to step in.
And Price appears to be the leading candidate for the job.
While head coach Steve Sarkisian hasn't officially named a No. 2 quarterback, Price has shown more consistency than true freshman teammate Nick Montana and appears to be the more likely pick.
Sarkisian, who said last week that the identity of the Huskies' No. 2 quarterback might not be known to the public until the chosen one actually plays in a game, has been impressed with how comfortable Price seems to be in the UW offense this camp.
"Before, he was so uptight because he was trying to understand and learn; he didn't relax and have fun playing," Sarkisian said this week. "Now I'm seeing a guy who's having fun playing football. To me, that gives me a lot of confidence that he knows what he's doing."
The biggest indicator that Price is likely to serve as the No. 2 quarterback came Tuesday night, when he took every snap with the starters while Locker took a routine day off to rest.
"I think he's had a really good camp," offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier said Wednesday afternoon. "He's done a nice job; he's continued to improve. We've put him in some live drills with the (first team), and he's really progressed a long way."
But still, the UW coaches claim that they have yet to make up their mind in regards to whom will be Locker's main backup.
"We'll make a decision here, for sure, as a staff, by Saturday," Sarkisian said on Wednesday afternoon. "Whether or not we release that (to the public) remains to be seen."
Price, who is laid-back and has a disarming smile, doesn't seem to mind the indecision. He admitted that he's a lot more relaxed -- on the practice field and as a college student -- now that he has one year under his belt.
"I was stressed" last year, the native of Compton, Calif., said. "I called my mom every night. I was almost always in my (dorm) room. I didn't have anybody out here. Now, it's great. I'm having fun."
Tuesday night was the most fun, especially after running the No. 1 offense while Locker took time off.
"That's all I kept telling my teammates: 'I'm having fun with you guys,'" he said of his Tuesday night practice. "I never really had a full practice with the (first team). The intensity level is crazy."
Price came to UW with nowhere near the pedigree of either Locker or Montana. He was a three-star recruit at St. Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif., and became one of the final commitments of the Tyrone Willingham era. After Willingham was fired, Price reconsidered, made visits to Arizona State, Utah and Oregon, then eventually re-committed after a single phone conversation with Sarkisian in the winter of 2009.
"He told me: 'We're going to get this thing started, and it's not going to take long. We've got to start from the ground up,'" Price said. "I just wanted to be a part of that."
Price redshirted last year while Locker and sophomore Ronnie Fouch got all the work with the top two units, then fell into a spring battle with Montana after Fouch transferred to Indiana State.
After two camps, Price appears to have moved in front of Montana in the battle for No. 2. But nothing is set in stone.
Among the candidates to be Locker's backup, Price is the most similar to UW's senior star. He's not as big (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) as Locker (6-3, 230) but does have the ability to tuck the ball and run. Price also has some of the same areas that need work as Locker did early in his career -- namely, accuracy and being patient in the pocket.
"He's come a long way," Nussmeier said of Price's accuracy as a passer. "He's really done a nice job working with his feet."
If all goes according to plan, Price won't have to see any meaningful action until next fall. He said he'll be ready if called upon, but his main goal is to become the Huskies' future starter.
And who knows? Maybe Price will eventually be known as the guy who replaced a legend at UW.
"I'm not worried about that," he said with his trademark grin. "I'm just worried about being me."
Of note
Starting middle linebacker Cort Dennison returned to practice but appeared to aggravate his knee injury. Freshman Garret Gilliland took over for Dennison during 11-on-11 drills. After the session, Sarkisian said Dennison's limited day was by design. "I just want to make sure, come Monday, we'll have a healthy football team," said Sarkisian, whose team will face BYU a week from Saturday. … Linebacker Brandon Huppert, a senior from Edmonds-Woodway High School, sat out another practice Wednesday as he continues to battle soreness in his surgically-repaired knee. … The Huskies will hold their final open practice today at 8:45 a.m. The afternoon practice will be closed to the public, and there is no practice on Friday.
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