A look at the Washington Huskies’ 2016 depth chart

The Washington Huskies’ 2016 depth chart.

*Starters are in bold

OFFENSE

No. Player/Pos., Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown/High school

WIDE RECEIVERS

1 John Ross/WR, 5-11, 190, RJr., Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Jordan

21 Quinten Pounds/WR, 5-11, 174, RFr., Cypress, Calif./Cypress

6 Chico McClatcher/WR, 5-7, 179, So., Federal Way, Wash./Federal Way

83 Connor Griffin/WR, 6-3, 223, RJr., Lake Oswego, Ore./Lake Oswego

OR 12 Aaron Fuller/WR, 5-10, 198, McKinney, Texas/Lovejoy

8 Dante Pettis/WR, 6-1, 188, Jr., San Clemente, Calif./Junipero Serra

19 Andre Baccellia/WR, 5-10, 171, RFr., Thousand Oaks, Calif./Westlake

The skinny: This is maybe the Huskies’ most unproven position, though their starters have all played before. Ross missed all of last season due to an ACL tear but is fully healthy and should be a nice weapon this season. McClatcher, another speed option in the slot, gained some valuable experience playing as a freshman last year, and Pettis is UW’s top returning receiver.

The backups: Pounds played three games last season as a true freshman before injuring his knee, but impressed throughout fall camp and should be a factor. So should Baccellia, who had a solid spring and fall and earned praise from coaches. Griffin is a legitimate athlete with nice size, and Fuller, another steady-eddy type, will be UW’s only true freshman to play at receiver this season. Oklahoma transfer K.J. Young could eventually be a factor, too. Junior Brayden Lenius is suspended for the first three games.

OFFENSIVE LINE

72 Trey Adams/LT, 6-8, 309, So., Wenatchee, Wash./Wenatchee

73 Andrew Kirkland/LT, 6-4, 311, R-Jr., Portland, Ore./Jesuit

52 Jake Eldrenkamp/LG, 6-5, 297, R-Sr., Medina, Wash./Bellevue

75 Jesse Sosebee/LG, 6-5, 311, R-So., Garden Grove, Calif./Edison

79 Coleman Shelton/C, 6-4, 293, R-Jr., Pasadena, Calif./Loyola

67 Michael Kneip/C, 6-5, 284, R-Sr., Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue

60 Shane Brostek/RG, 6-4, 289, R-Sr., Kamuela, Hawaii/Hawaii Prep

56 Nick Harris/RG, 6-1, 270, Inglewood, Calif./JSerra Catholic

58 Kaleb McGary/RT, 6-7, 308, R-So., Fife, Wash./Fife

71 Matt James/RT, 6-5, 293, R-So., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho/Coeur d’Alene

The skinny: A lot more experience here than last season, as every listed starter has started a game before – and Adams, Eldrenkamp, and Shelton were regular starters a year ago. Coaches say McGary has improved quite a bit since last season, and Brostek has been the most consistent lineman to try his hand at right guard during camp. Adams, considering his size and athletic ability, could develop into a dominant left tackle.

The backups: Harris, a true freshman, is the only player listed on this year’s O-line depth chart who didn’t see the field at some point last season. Kirkland has starting experience at right and left tackle, James has starting experience at right tackle, Sosebee has starting experience at guard, and Kneip played some last year, too. Kirkland’s versatility makes him a nice option at both tackle and guard.

TIGHT ENDS

15 Darrell Daniels/TE, 6-4, 241, Sr., Pittsburg, Calif./Freedom

OR 88 Drew Sample/TE, 6-4, 245, R-So., Bellevue, Wash./Newport

OR 98 Will Dissly/TE, 6-4, 272, Jr. Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman

OR 85 David Ajamu/TE, 6-5, 249, R-Jr., Shelton, Wash./Shelton

The skinny: Note that all four players are listed together with the “or” tag, meaning the Huskies apparently view each of them as potential starters – though Daniels, a speedy senior, is the leader of the group. Sample showed some promise last year, and Ajamu missed most of the season due to injury. Dissly is a converted defensive lineman who played tight end in high school and is the biggest dude in the group.

The backups: Jeff Lindquist, the former quarterback, converted to tight end in the spring and provides depth behind the aforementioned four, as does redshirt freshman Michael Neal.

QUARTERBACKS

3 Jake Browning/QB, 6-2, 209, So., Folsom, Calif./Folsom

11 K.J. Carta-Samuels/QB, 6-2, 219, R-So., Saratoga, Calif./Bellarmine Prep (San Jose)

OR 7 Tony Rodriguez/QB, 6-3, 185, RJr., Stockton, Calif./Brookside Christian

The skinny: Browning returns as one of the most promising quarterbacks in the Pac-12, and one of only two returning starters at the position in the North division. He showed solid progress as a true freshman last season, and if he can improve his deep throws and make better decisions under pressure, the Huskies’ offense will be that much better. He’ll also have the chance to change the play at the line this season.

The backups: Coach Chris Petersen says the battle for the backup job is still ongoing, and that’s reflected with the “or” tag between Rodriguez and Carta-Samuels. Carta-Samuels was Browning’s backup last season – he made one start when Browning got hurt – but Rodriguez looked good during spring and fall and could sneak into the No. 2 spot.

TAILBACKS

9 Myles Gaskin/TB, 5-9, 192, Fr., Lynnwood, Wash./O’Dea

10 Jomon Dotson/TB, 5-10, 174, RSo., American Canyon, Calif./American Canyon

The skinny: Gaskin entered last fall camp unsure if he was going to play or redshirt, and wound up having the best seasons ever by a UW freshman running back, finishing with 1,302 yards and 14 touchdowns. He enters this year as one of the Pac-12’s top backs, and one of UW’s most important players, blending vision and patience with quickness and straight-line speed.

The backups: Dotson saw limited action as a redshirt freshman last season, rushing 18 times for a net of 42 yards, but is one of the Huskies’ fastest players and has yet to really showcase that speed. Fourth-year junior Lavon Coleman adds depth and experience to the group. It seems true freshman Sean McGrew is expected to redshirt for the time being, but an injury or two could change that.

DEFENSE

No. Player Pos. Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown, Last school

DEFENSIVE LINE

5 Joe Mathis/DE, 6-2, 255, Sr., Ontario, Calif./Upland

29 Connor O’Brien/DE, 6-3, 232, R-Jr., Trabuco Canyon, Calif./Santa Margarita

99 Greg Gaines/DT, 6-2, 318, RSo., La Habra, Calif./La Habra

66 Damion Turpin/DT, 6-3, 284, R-Sr., Compton, Calif./Dominguez

11 Elijah Qualls/DT, 6-1, 321, RJr., Petaluma, Calif./Casa Grande

96 Shane Bowman/DT, 6-4, 287, RSo., Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue

50 Vita Vea/DE, 6-5, 332, R-So., Milpitas, Calif./Milpitas

92 Jaylen Johnson/DE, 6-3, 280, R-So., Corona, Calif./Centennial

The skinny: With Qualls, Gaines and Vea listed together as starters, the Huskies are about to have a pretty massive defensive front. Mathis is listed as a defensive end on the depth chart but plays the same “buck” position occupied the last two seasons by Travis Feeney and Hau’oli Kikaha, respectively. Qualls has all-conference ability, and Gaines and Vea each excelled in the nose tackle rotation last season. This could be an impressive bunch.

The backups: Johnson worked some with the No. 1 unit at defensive end and should see the field quite a bit, as should the rest of UW’s two-deeps at this position – defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski prefers to rotate quite a bit to keep everyone fresh, and that strategy worked well enough last season. O’Brien, like Mathis, is more of an outside linebacker.

LINEBACKERS

36 Azeem Victor/MLB, 6-3, 230, RJr., Compton, Calif./Pomona

15 DJ Beavers/MLB, 6-0, 215, RFr., Culver City, Calif./Crespi Carmelite

7 Keishawn Bierria/WLB, 6-1, 221, R-Jr., Carson, Calif./Narbonne

25 Ben Burr-Kirven/WLB, 6-0, 214, So., Menlo Park, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep

28 Psalm Wooching/SAM, 6-4, 231, R-Sr., Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i/Kealakehe

17 Tevis Bartlett/SAM, 6-2, 230, So., Cheyenne, Wyo./Cheyenne East

The skinny: Victor and Bierria were each crucial pieces of UW’s defense a year ago, and both seemed primed for another big season in 2016 – Victor, particularly, looks like a solid NFL prospect. Wooching spent last season behind Feeney at the buck spot but switched to strongside linebacker this year and held down the No. 1 spot throughout fall camp.

The backups: Expect Bartlett to share snaps with Wooching and end up playing quite a bit. The Huskies will be understandably hesitant to take Victor and Bierria off the field, but Burr-Kirven got some experience playing as a true freshman last season, and Beavers looks like a promising young player, too. UW’s depth took a hit with the loss of Sean Constantine to a broken ankle.

SECONDARY

32 Budda Baker/FS, 5-10, 192, Jr., Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue

9 Brandon Beaver/S, 6-0, 191, R-Sr., Compton, Calif./Dominguez

OR 21 Taylor Rapp/S, 6-0, 202, Fr., Bellingham, Wash./Sehome

14 Jojo McIntosh/SS, 6-1, 209, R-So., Canyon Country, Calif./Chaminade Prep

24 Ezekiel Turner/S, 6-2, 210, Jr., Pasadena, Maryland/L.A. Pierce

OR 27 Trevor Walker/S, 5-11, 192, RJr., Arlington, Texas/Mansfield Timberview

26 Sidney Jones/CB, 6-0, 181, Jr., Diamond Bar, Calif./West Covina

23 Jordan Miller/CB, 6-1, 176, So., Oceanside, Calif./Oceanside

4 Austin Joyner/CB, 5-10, 190, RFr., Marysville, Wash./Marysville-Pilchuck

20 Kevin King/CB, 6-3, 192, Sr., Oakland, Calif./Bishop O’Dowd

OR 3 Darren Gardenhire/CB, 5-11, 185, Jo., Long Beach, Calif./Cabrillo

The skinny: Simply put, the Huskies are loaded here. Baker and Jones were first-team All-Pac-12 selections last year and likely NFL draft picks this year. McIntosh is a hard-hitting safety, and King and Gardenhire are essentially co-starters, because the Huskies play so much nickel that they essentially start five DBs.

The backups: Beaver and Walker are each coming off ACL injuries, and each provide a veteran presence behind the No. 1 unit. Turner played some last season and is one of the team’s biggest hitters. Miller could himself be a standout cornerback some day, and led UW in interceptions during spring practices. Joyner is healthy after tearing his ACL last season and should also contribute.

SPECIALISTS

No. Player/Pos Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown/Last school

48 Cameron Van Winkle/PK, 5-10, 186, Sr., Fall City, Wash./Mount Si

43 Tristan Vizcaino/PK, 6-2, 206, Jr., Chino Hills, Calif./Damien

43 Tristan Vizcaino/P, 6-2, 206, Jr., Chino Hills, Calif./Damien

1 John Ross/KR, 5-11, 190, RJr., Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Jordan

4 Austin Joyner/CB, 5-10, 190, RFr., Marysville, Wash./Marysville-Pilchuck

8 Dante Pettis/PR, 6-1, 188, Jr., San Clemente, Calif./Junipero Serra

6 Chico McClatcher/PR, 5-7, 179, So., Federal Way, Wash./Federal Way

51 Luke Hutchison/LS, 6-2, 225, R-Jr., Carnation, Wash./O’Dea

49 A.J. Carty/LS, 6-2, 230, RFr., Santa Ana, Calif./Servite

5 Jeff Lindquist/HLD, 6-3, 246, R-Sr., Mercer Island, Wash./Mercer Island

The skinny: Van Winkle has been one of the Pac-12’s most consistent kickers the past two seasons. Vizcaino served as UW’s primary kickoff specialist last season and also punted four times, so full-time punting will be new for him. The Huskies are set in the return game: Ross is one of the most dangerous kick returners in the country with three career touchdowns, and Pettis has three punt-return touchdowns in his career and set a UW record by averaging 16.9 yards per return last season.