SEATTLE — The under-a-microscope careers of University of Washington freshman football players Kasen Williams and Austin Seferian-Jenkins have been tied together since the state’s top two recruits signed with the Huskies last February.
As of late, they appear to be headed in different directions.
While Williams has finally emerged as a viable weapon in the UW offense, Seferian-Jenkins has quietly faded from the forefront.
Williams had the finest game of his career last Saturday night, when he had personal bests of six receptions and 79 yards while scoring his third touchdown of the season in a 34-17 loss to Oregon.
Seferian-Jenkins, a 6-foot-6 tight end from Gig Harbor, had very little stature in UW’s offense when his lone reception two minutes into the game went for a six-yard loss. Since catching five passes for 77 yards in a loss to Stanford three weeks ago, Seferian-Jenkins has just two receptions for eight yards in a two-game span.
After Seferian-Jenkins played the final 58 minutes of Saturday’s game without a catch, Sarkisian expressed frustration in the offense’s inability to keep the freshman tight end involved in the offense.
“For him to come out and catch one ball for minus-6 yards is kind of odd to me,” Sarkisian said late Saturday night.
Seferian-Jenkins caught 20 passes, four of them for touchdowns, in the first seven games of the season. While Sarkisian asserts that he has maintained a big part of the offensive game plan, Seferian-Jenkins has been unable to make much of an impact in two consecutive games.
“It could be coverage, it could be pressure on the quarterback, it could be he didn’t run a great route,” Sarkisian said after Wednesday’s practice, after which both Seferian-Jenkins and Williams were not made available to the media. “So I think a lot of things could add up to where the ball goes.
“Obviously, Austin’s a very talented kid, and he’s still working to find the consistency of playing at a high level, down after down after down. But without a doubt, we’re trying to get him the ball.”
UW’s other star freshman, meanwhile, has started to live up to the billing. After getting left behind by nagging injuries and a deep corps of veteran receivers, Williams has started to become a bigger part of the offense in recent weeks. He’s caught 10 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown in the past three games to match his reception total (10) and nearly double his yardage total (79) from the previous six games.
“I think he’s just playing faster now,” Sarkisian said. “There’s so much less hesitation to his game. His ability to line up, know the call and play fast and play physical obviously was evident (Saturday) night.”
It’s pretty rare that a true freshman bursts out of the gates at the wide receiver position, but it’s not unheard of. Former Texas Tech wideout Michael Crabtree was a Heisman Trophy candidate as a freshman, while there have been a sprinkling of other immediate-impact frosh over the years.
One of the most recent ones will be on the same field as Williams this Saturday, when USC and sophomore wideout Robert Woods host the Huskies. Woods caught a team-high 65 passes for 792 yards and six touchdowns last year, immediately establishing himself as one of the best receivers in the Pacific-10 Conference. The 19-year-old wideout has already dwarfed those stats with 90 receptions for 1,121 yards and 11 touchdowns this year.
“Robert came in with the mindset of wanting to be the best,” USC quarterback Matt Barkley said in a phone conversation Wednesday. “I tried to really help him that way. He’s worked really hard at learning the game and learning the tendencies of defenders. He’s become a really, really smart player.”
UW’s Williams has many of the same traits, although it took him a little longer to start making an impact.
“He’s a very humble young man, extremely hard-working,” Sarkisian said. “He came from an excellent program at Skyline (High School in Sammamish), where he was well-coached. He was raised by two good parents. So he understands what it takes to work, and the work ethic needed to get better at this thing.
“Not for a second have I felt him complain about it. There’s been frustration. There’s been days of frustration, where I think he wishes he could be doing more and doing better. But now he’s gotten to the point where he’s earned it. He’s earned his playing time, and he’s playing well.”
Notable
Sarkisian said that he expects senior running back Johri Fogerson, who is out for the season with a hip injury, to get a medical redshirt and return next season. … The Huskies could also seek a medical redshirt for safety James Sample, a true freshman who played in two games this season but has been sidelined by a shoulder injury. … Sarkisian said there is a chance junior wide receiver James Johnson will be available Saturday, even though the Los Angeles native sat out the Oregon game and Wednesday’s practice with a sprained ankle.
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