SEATTLE — The Huskies entered the 2007 football season with an experienced defensive line and plenty of questions surrounding the linebacker position.
This year, things have changed. Having lost five of its top six linemen, including three of four starters, Washington’s defense is an unknown commodity, while the linebackers come in as the experienced group expected to be the strength of the defense.
Washington lost starting linebacker Dan Howell, but brings back the rest of its impact linebackers. E.J. Savannah, the team’s leading tackler in 2007, started 10 games, Donald Butler, who battled a knee injury for much of the season, started four games while healthy, Trenton Tuiasosopo started eight games, and Mason Foster started four as a freshman. With the exception of Butler, who missed five games with injuries, the rest of that group played in all 13 games.
The Huskies are counting on that experience leading to big things from the linebackers in the fall.
“Experience is a wonderful teacher that really allows a guy to play to his full potential,” said Tyrone Willingham. “Donald Butler is a much more experienced player now, even though he did miss time with the injury. When he becomes a player that is able to work on all cylinders with the experience and being healthy, he’s a heck of player. Same thing with Trenton Tuiasosopo, same thing with Mason Foster. The experience that those guys gained just adds to their confidence in their ability to be more instinctive, and when you can be instinctive, then your physical talents can really show.”
Washington’s experience at linebacker and lack thereof on the line has led to speculation that the Huskies could switch from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 under new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, but so far there has been no word on what formation the Huskies will use next season. Whether three or four linebackers are on the field for most of the game, however, the linebackers feel as a group that they need to be a team strength.
“We can be and we need to be,” said Tuiasosopo, a Mariner High School grad who had 39 tackles and one interception last season. “We need to step up and do what we can this spring to get better and carry it over to the fall.”
And with experience under their belts, the linebackers say they’re ready to lead a resurgence on the heels of one of the worst defensive seasons in school history.
“We’ve got to come out and show people that we can be like the old Huskies used to be,” said Foster. “Just swarm, make big plays, make big hits and make things happen out there. They say defense wins championships, and if you don’t let nobody score, you’re going to win most of the time.”
Tailback injured: Willingham announced that Brandon Johnson, the leading candidate this spring to take over the starting tailback job, suffered some sort of left knee and ankle injury during Tuesday’s practice.
“He did a little bit to his ankle, did a little bit to his knee the other day, but I don’t think it’s anything that will be threatening in terms of the season,” Willingham said.
Willingham classified Johnson as day to day, and didn’t know how much, if at all, he will participate in the rest of spring practice, which concludes April 26 with the spring game.
Johnson did not participate in Thursday’s practice, and jogged with a noticeable limp at the start of practice.
Contact Herald Writer John Boyle at jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more on University of Washington sports, check out the Huskies blog at heraldnet.com /huskiesblog
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