SEATTLE — As the countdown continues toward the end of the 2010 University of Washington football season, the questions about senior quarterback Jake Locker’s future are a little bit different than they were last fall.
These days, a rib injury has Locker’s weekly availability up in the air. And as for his long-term future, there won’t be any December announcements about coming back for one more season.
The Huskies’ offensive leader will soon be gone, along with defensive leader Mason Foster. And without UW’s top two playmakers, the program’s future is a bit cloudy.
Washington’s senior class has only two, maybe three, games left. And then?
“With the new program and the new coaches, the energy’s there,” junior wide receiver Devin Aguilar said. “I think the future of the team is starting to progress.”
The post-Locker era is almost upon UW, and there are certainly some question marks moving forward.
Through 22 games, head coach Steve Sarkisian has opened the eyes of opposing coaches and recruiters but is still trying to get the UW program back onto the national map. His latest recruiting class has been ranked among the top 25 in the country, and yet the losses of Locker and Foster could leave his Huskies in rebuilding mode again come next fall.
If Locker’s rib injury came with any kind of silver lining, it’s that the Huskies got a look at the man most likely to be his eventual replacement. Redshirt freshman Keith Price has played in four games, started one, and impressed the coaching staff with his cool exterior under fire.
But Sarkisian said Wednesday that the competition for Locker’s 2011 replacement, which includes Price and current redshirt Nick Montana, is still “wide open.”
Junior receiver Jermaine Kearse has been impressed enough with what he’s seen from Price to expect the UW offense to shine in 2011.
“We’ve got a good group of young guys,” Kearse said. “Keith Price, he played well, to me, in the Oregon game. And we’ve got good, young guys like (freshman receiver) Kevin Smith and a lot of good, young defensive players. I think we’re going to be a good team.”
That’s still to be determined, but at least the Huskies have seen part of their future on the field. A total of 14 freshmen have played this season, including eight who have started at least one game. Freshmen like running back Jesse Callier, defensive end Hau’oli Jamora, safety Sean Parker and offensive linemen Colin Porter and Erik Kohler have already established themselves as future starters — and all but Callier are penciled in to be in the starting lineup as soon as next season.
UW also returns most of its offensive playmakers who aren’t named Locker. Running back Chris Polk and wide receivers Kearse and Aguilar could be joined by incoming freshman tight end Austin Sefarian-Jenkins in a potentially-potent offense.
Sefarian-Jenkins is one of a few incoming freshmen that have Husky Nation excited. The incoming class is ranked No. 22 in the nation, according to recruiting service Rivals.com. The group includes three four-star recruits, but two of them — running back Brendon Bigelow and wide receiver Kasen Williams — come at positions that already have plenty of returning depth.
But recruiting projections are rarely on the mark. Locker’s original class of 2006 was well-regarded in its own time, ranking 36th in the country. UW has won just 19 of 60 games since the former Ferndale star arrived, and the only other high schooler from Locker’s class to generate all-Pac-10 honors is current San Diego Chargers linebacker Donald Butler. Only nine players from the high school Class of 2006 played out their careers at UW.
A big part of that was the coaching change that sent Tyrone Willingham packing and welcomed Sarkisian to town. The athletic department believes the former USC assistant is the program’s face of the present and future, and yet Sarkisian is still trying to establish himself as a consistent winner on the field.
As a recruiter, Sarkisian is already making waves.
“I think that’s the key to longevity and sustaining a program,” said Jeff Tedford, coach of the California team that will host UW on Saturday. “You have to make sure that every year you’re infusing it with talent, and Steve’s done that so far. And with his work ethic, I think that’s only going to continue.”
Next year’s class will be the second full group of Husky recruits that were brought in under Sarkisian’s watch. The Willingham era is being flushed further into the past, but with that comes the loss of stars like Locker, Foster and safety Nate Williams.
After appearing to be on the verge of re-arrival, the UW football program could just as easily be rebuilding again come next fall.
But Price, who appears to be the most likely candidate to step into Locker’s cleats next fall, doesn’t see it that way.
“I think we’re going to have a really good team,” the redshirt freshman quarterback said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys and a lot of returning players.”
Notes
Locker has taken virtually all of the practice snaps with the No. 1 offense this week, and Sarkisian is almost certain that he’ll start Saturday against Cal. “There’s still some things lingering,” Sarkisian said, referring to Locker’s rib injury. “But he feels much better than he has.” An X-ray earlier this week proved that the crack in Locker’s rib bone is still present but that the injury is improving, Sarkisian added. … Defensive tackle Alameda Ta’amu returned to practice Wednesday after sitting out the previous day with an ankle injury. Sarkisian said he expects him to play Saturday. … Starting left guard Ryan Tolar has been out all week with a sprained knee, and Sarkisian said he’ll be a “game-time decision.” Freshman Erik Kohler appears likely to start in place of Tolar against the Bears this weekend.
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