What happened to the Washington linebacker?
by John Berkowitz on Sep 23, 2008 1:59 PM PDT
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PrintRemember some of the great LB's at Washington?
Rick Redman, George Juggam, Dan Lloyd, Michael Jackson, Bruce Harrell, Joe Kelly, Mark Stewart, Dave Hoffman, Jason Chorak, Tim Meamber, Antowaine Richardson, Chico Fraley, Fred Small, Donald Jones, and Ink Aleaga just to name a few?
What exactly has happened to the linebacking position at Washington?
Why isn't there another Andy Mason, Jaime Fields, James Clifford, or Hilary Butler on the roster waiting to get another QB sack?
The decline started in the Neuheisel years when he started recruiting athletes over football players and missing on evaluations. In 2002, and 2003 he recruited six LB's and only two of them ever ended up being major contributors at the position. to make matters worse it seems they were a step down in quality from previous classes.
During Willingham's tenure they haven't really gone head to head with UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Cal for the best talent in California at linebacker. UW has had some success under the radar but overall the LB corp looks a day late and an EJ Savannah short in 2008.
A big part of the decline has simply been that the state hasn't been producing a lot of great LB's to recruit. The 2005 class that featured EJ Savannah (UW), Anthony Felder(CAL), and Joe Leonard (UH), was probably the last solid LB class. All three of those players went on to be starters and big contributors at their respective schools. When you have to go out of state to recruit with your 4-9 record it compounds the problem.
If you look at the last seven recruiting classes you will notice that Washington hasn't been landing much big time linebacking talent, and there hasn't been a lot of great talent in state which means they have had to fight it out in California.
2002 Recruiting Class (Neuheisel)
White was a big time recruit that started most of the time he was here. White was a big time recruit with a big time mouth. He talked a better game than he played. Baisey never qualified, and Crutchley was a bust and the wasn't given a 5th year by Ty Willingham. What was your favorite Dash Crutchley moment?
- Scott White (Blue Chip)
- Fred Baisey
- Dash Crutchley
2003 Recruiting Class (Neuheisel)
Bomar was overrated. Hemphill moved to safety then into Willingham's dog house. Trew was a bust at LB and many think he was more suited to fullback.
- Tahj Bomar (Blue Chip)
- Kyle Trew
- Chris Hemphill
2004 Recruiting Class (Gilbertson)
Howell was a sleeper that played immediately and started for two years. Howell should have redshirted a year. Winter was moved to DE than to TE. Tuiasosopo was nearly killed in bicycle accident but has come back to become a part time starter the past two years in the middle.
- Trenton Tuiasosopo
- Walt Winter
- Dan Howell
2005 Recruiting Class (Willingham)
Willingham started late but ended up with three players who have started games while at UW. He missed on O'Dea's Anthony Felder, and Zach Follett who now start at Cal. Stevens and Jones were a couple of sleeper recruits during a very tough recruiting year. Both played immediately but Jones redshirted the next season and moved to DE where he is currently a first year starter. EJ was one of the jewels of the class but is no longer on the team. Injuries and behavior kept him from reaching his all Pac Ten potential.
- Chris Stevens
- Darion Jones
- E.J. Savannah (Blue Chip)
The Huskies went with two sleepers. Butler played immediately and has started when healthy. Houston could be earning his first starting assignment this week against Stanford. Travis Goethel who now starts at ASU pulled out of the class late so UW took Houston as a plan B. Atkins was a bust and then an academic casualty.
2006 Recruiting Class
- Matt Houston
- Donald Butler
- Anthony Atkins (JC)
Foster was another true sleepr but this one looks like it is going to pay off in spades. The 19 year old true sophomore has been starting games the past two years. I would say Foster is your defensive MVP in 2008. Sylvester was moved to FB and special teams. Dennison is playing mostly on special teams. Andy Mattingly was the best in state recruit but he wasn't heavily recruited by UW.
2007 Recruiting Class
- Mason Foster
- Cort Dennison
- Austin Sylvester
In 2008 UW had higher rated kids on the list but ended up with a couple of kids who weren't highly recruited at the upper levels. Mangum has good size for the middle but needs to work on his speed. Roussel on the other hand has everything you want but size. Both are redshirting this year.
2008 Recruiting Class
- Kurt Mangum
- Bradly Roussel
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Why Is Josh Gage Listed As A Co-Starter?
Everytime I see him in the game he looks overmatched. I would like to see Matt Houston play or give Cort Dennison a shot, someone with eligibility that can help us in future years. I don’t think that Gage is an asset to the defense.
what happened to a lot of positions
Johnb, we could ask the same ? on TE, although Middleton is a good one, Izbicki worries me why he hasn’t seen the field. Or you could do one on PKs, a long lineage there too with Jaeger, Nelson, Anderson. Or OL, where are the Malamalas, Kreutz, Olson, Kennedy’s etc. Or DLs, Emtman, Rogers, Jones, Triplet, etc. Safety: no Pahukoa, Smith, Mincey, Hall, Milloy, Akbar etc. Heck, the only place we haven’t drastically fallen is QB, but we no longer have the great depth there anymore. How in the heck and when did this start to crumble and wither away. Leaving in 2 days to SEA for the second half of season, but to me TY needs to go 4-0 before USC crushing. I have not quit on this team yet. But it gets harder and harder to justify my support. GO DAWGS, lets crush the Furd.
Kickers
We had a good one in Perkins until his knee was blown up in a spring game. I watched Perkins in a game vs Centralia at Centralia. He kicked a 52 yard FG and his KOs were all touchbacks.
It ‘s very unfortunate that his knee was blown up. I think it’s a testimony to his desire and heart that he is still out there trying.
Who knows what’s really up with Folk? I don’t trust Ty to give us a straight answer, on anything BTW
Prrbrr
I can take a position or two a week and break it down. On defense I see good potential on the line and in the backfield but the talent at LB is pretty average with the exception of Foster.
Interesting...
…what you mentioned about lack of in-state talent and needing to go compete in California to get some guys… this last year’s class went even further, grabbing a guy from Arizona and a guy from Louisiana. I find it interesting that the recruiting coordinator is also the linebackers coach; I don’t think that means anything, but it does feel like that’s been the weakest-recruited position over the last few years.
How does this year’s in-state group look? As far as names go, I only really know of Tony Heard and Marcel Seely. But it seems like there are quite a few California LBs on Washington’s “prospects” list on scout.com. Hopefully a couple of those guys jump on board.
Oh, and I liked your linebacker list at the top… being a little younger, when I think UW linebacker I think Lester Towns. I have no idea if he was really that good, but (before that injury, anyway) he was always one of my favorite players.
LB's
Lester was a good one, too bad he broke his foot. He was one of the last of the very good ones. Lambo knew what he was looking for in a linebacker.
The local kids who are on the board this year all have asterisks. Seely hasn’t been offered yet. They are waiting to see how his knee is doing. He suffered a nasty injury.
I am not sure if Heard still has a solid offer with all the Cal kids still on the board. I liked O’Dea’s Mooney better who is going to Boise State.
Spot on
I read your blog and also Bob’s at the Seattle Times. You were “spot on” with your analysis here. Andy Mattingly looked like a great prosepct in HS and we didn’t even offer him, if I remember correctly. I remember watching him playing for the dirty cougs last year against us, at Husky stadium, thinking he was one who got away. I like how we can pick up some sleepers from time to time (Butler, Foster), but it seems we really miss some times too.
sleepers...
Sleepers are kids who could maybe play D-1 so you take a wavier on them in hopes that they pan out…you do this as long as you have a solid backing at the position already. if you are relying heavily on Sleepers to pan out that says a lot about your program.
Go UW and i hope kiffin loses this week!
The most under achieving position on our team.
Mason Foster looks to be good but everyone else looks fairly lost and, unfortuanatly, badly coached. I know it isn’t popular to call out Tormey but seriously this position has consistantly under performed. Plus considering the position coach is also the recruiting cordinator you’d figure the one place you’d have an abundance of talent would LB. The thing I CONSISTANTLY see from this group is that they don’t keep their arms extended in front of them. They let blockers get into their body which is a HUGE no no. Once a blocker gets into their numbers they are effectivly removed from the play. LB’s must keep thier arms extended, not let blockers get to their body and flow down the line of scrimage. Gage and Butler consistantly get taken out of plays which is how you end up with Foster (the good LB) and Forgerson (our safety) as our leading tacklers. Our run D is going to struggle untill this is fixed.
Tormey
Tormey isn’t getting it done, that has been evident the last few years.
by John Berkowitz on Sep 25, 2008 12:16 PM PDT reply actions
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