Pre Spring Position Reports - RB
by John Berkowitz on Feb 13, 2009 6:00 AM PST
Email
PrintAfter Louis Rankin averaged over 100 yards a game in 2007 and Jake Locker nearly had a 1000 yard season also on the ground most of us thought the days of the running back had returned to Washington.
It was a reasonable assumption because even though Rankin graduated the Huskies were still returning a veteran offensive line and had an experienced Jake Locker leading the team at QB.
The wheels came off early last season and Washington was never really able to get anything going on the ground with the exception of a hundred yard performance in one game by true frosh Terrance Dailey. The offensive line which was so highly touted didn't open up many holes. When there was a hole the young RB's sometimes missed it by over running the play.
Dailey was one of many players who got playing time at RB last year because of injuries and lack of performance. The injuries can be directly attributed to the fact that none of the players on the roster at RB were physically ready to endure the rigors of Pac Ten football.
Turning the page to 2009 the Huskies return Terrance Dailey, Brandon Johnson, Chris Polk, David Freeman, Willie Griffin, and Brandon Yakaboski. The Huskies didn't recruit a RB in the 2009 class but Demetrius Bronson will be on the squad for spring practice after sitting out the fall getting his grades together.
The key to getting better production out of these guys is simply getting them in better condition to take the pounding. There is a lot of talent at this position and with the right coaching they should be able to show a lot of improvement in 2009. The play of the offensive line will also be factor but we will address that in a later article.
Joel Thomas who comes via Purdue/Louisville/Idaho is the new RB coach and he is very highly regarded. He reportedly recenty received an offer to coach in the NFL but turned it down to remain with the new staff.
Brandon Johnson returns for his junior season as probably the most complete running back on the roster. He has decent size and is able to maneuver ok in the middle of the line at times. He doesn't exactly have breakaway speed and his conditioning was suspect last summer. He was coming off knee surgery and some said that he didn't put enough time into rehabbing it.
It was obvious when the season began that he wasn't up to full speed and he was never able to regain his true form as the season progressed. Johnson also walked off the squad a couple of times last season. It seems he really wasn't happy at Washington. The coaching change will either make him or break him. One thing about Willingham is that once you enter his doghouse there really was no way out. Perhaps the coaching regime will work better for Johnson.
Curtis Shaw took last season off for personal reasons but has returned to school this winter. When Shaw left he was the fastest player on the team and he was slated to be a slotback receiver. He returns with twenty more pounds of muscle and wants to be moved back to TB.
Shaw was impressive his freshman season. He almost took over a game against Oregon State. He has great speed and vision and he is my favorite to earn the starting job at RB this spring. Durability is always a big issue with the guys who carry the ball and a stronger Curtis Shaw will mean serious business.
Chris Polk won the starting job coming out of camp last fall. Polk was fast and impressive during the spring and summer. He was originally slated to play the slot like James Rodgers of Oregon State but was moved to TB after it was apparent Brandon Johnson would not be at full speed to start the season.
To say the least the highly touted Polk was not impressive in limited action until a shoulder injury earned him a RS year. Nobody can argue about his athletic ability but he simply wasn't strong enough yet to be an every down back. He also was extremly tentative while running the ball which hampered his production. Chances are he would have adjusted if he hadn't been injured but I think WR may just be a better spot for him.
Wherever this kid does line up expect him to be on the field because he is one of the best athletes on the team.
David Freeman came on the scene after Polk was injured and he opened up a lot of eyes till he too was injured. Freeman showed good speed and a knack for finding the hole. He has a nice wiggle and will be a quality running back as time goes on. Like all of last years frosh he wasn't physically ready to take the pounding of Pac 10 football. He went down with two high ankle sprains after his second game and really never played much again after that. Two high ankle sprains at one time must be some type of record.
Terrance Dailey led the team in rushing last season and even had a 100 yard day. He started the season slowly and was slated to redshirt because he was having early trouble absorbing the offense. When injuries opened up a spot for him he showed a lot of talent. Like Freeman he has a bit of a wiggle that can make people miss. Physically he was stronger than the other guys at RB and even though he was injured on and off during the season he was able to finish.
Dailey's future could be at FB where he could end up being a Richard Thomas type of back. FB has a much more prominent part in the offense that Steve Sarkisian will be running.
Shoulder surgery this winter will force him to miss spring practice and he could be a candidate to RS this coming season.
Brandon Yakaboski has spent a lot of time in the training room since he arrived from Mt. Si HS in North Bend. His claim to fame last season was catching a TD pass in the end zone. This kid has athletic talent but an assortment of injuries haven't allowed him to play or practice much. When he does play the coaches have a lot of nice things to say about him. He is a hitter who runs strong and has a set of nice hands. The goal for Yak in 2009 is to stay out of the training room.
Willie Griffin earned some playing time last season and while he wasn't spectacular he was steady. Griffin has a little more beef than the rest of the guys and even thoguh he was banged up from time to time he showed that he has the potential to contribute on a weekly basis. He had the best performance of any RB in last years spring game.
Demetrius Bronson joins the squad this winter after a lot of rumors stating that he wouldn't make it in after not qualifying last fall. It is unknown at this point if Bronson will play RB at Washington or be moved to another position such as LB. Sitting out half a year is never a great thing. Bronson wasn't highly recruited. In fact Washington was the only Pac 10 program to offer him a scholarship. He has good blood lines. His older brother was a LB at Penn State.
38 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Brandon Johnson is not a factor
He has never shown anything, his suppossed best game against Cal in 06 when Rankin put up big numbers showed that even against a demoralized team that had thrown in the towel, he still couldn’t find the holes. Then last year anytime he was brought in the running game started going backwards. He just does not have the talent to compete with the others. Of all the backs listed I would put him at number 5-6 in the rotation. I think that will prompt him to take off and that will open up space on the roster to get them down to 85. He left last year because of playing time and it is going to be worse this year with Bronson and Shaw in there to compete against as well.
Brandon Johnson is not a factor when he's injured
That’s all he proved last year.
If he comes in healthy, he’d be in the “most talented” sweepstakes with Chris Polk and Curtis Shaw, and although he wouldn’t win the 40-yard dash, he probably has the most true RB skills of that group.
Johnson
If Johnson is healthy and has the right attitiude he is a factor.
by John Berkowitz on Feb 13, 2009 2:35 PM PST up reply actions
Not to change the subject, but...
I think the single most important thing we’ve got to do is to keep our coaching staff in tact. I know that is a daunting task right now cosidering where this program has been. But if we have to pay up to keep our assistants on board then we need to do it.
The coaching staff is the single most important unit in the program. It’s their program and they recruit the program. With that said they win or lose in regards to how hard they work and function as a group.
Great college football programs are great for one reason, they don’t have a lot of coaching vacancies or at least not very often. And as a rebuilding program we’ve got to ensure that we are hiring devoted assistant coaches that will stay loyal to their head coach. This is what I didn’t like about Mazihrik (sp?). Good ridence coach! A college football program is only as good as it’s coaching staff and if coach M didn’t want to be here then I say “don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out”.
I only brought this up because I heard Joel Thomas was being persuaded by an NFL club to join them- let me guess Tom freakin’ Cable again? Note to coaches looking at Oakland for employment: Your boss/owner is a loose cannon and you could be fired for just about anything or everything. The worst owned and operated NFL team in the last decade. Tom Cable has no problems stepping on your feet or your impecable resume to move up the coaching ladder. Both Davis and Cable are dysfunctional morons.
All I saw was purple
I Don't Like (for now)
When assistant coaches jump around often what does that imply? It tells me that they are not loyal to one particular staff. What is the ramifications of jumping around as an assistant? I for one would argue that it would imply that you are a “career assistant coach”. You are a hot comodity because you are have a special talent in one particular area. To get right to the point, I think coaches that work in a system and build some sort of high level success are the coaches that usually jump up to head coaches faster. But to jump from one lateral job to the next tells me that you are a specialized assistant who specializes in one area of the game.
Steve Sarkisian and Nick Holt are good examples. Both have stayed the course, especially later on in their careers. Sark went from QB coach to offensive coordinator while at SC- yes he had a brief stint in Oakland, but returned as QB coach for SC before he made the jump to cooridnator. Holt has always coached defense. He’s been a Dline guy and a LB guy. SC promoted him to D coordinator and now has been hired as D coordinator/Assisant Head Coach at Washington.
But if you look at Joel Thomas the guy has bounced around everywhere. I think it is in his best interest to stay put (Washington) and get promoted within. Same with Cozetto if he is going to be the guy. I’d like to see Cozetto work his way up to be Sark’s offensive coordinator or co-offensive coordinator with Doug Nussmeir. But jumping from job to job will keep you in your current coaching capacity. To move up you’ve got to be promoted within- doing that will promote you to future head coaching material. To become a head coach you’ve first have to display that you can build something. Thomas and Cozetto haven’t built anything yet. Sure they’ve coached some good RB and TE units, what is missing is the availabilty to be promoted from within.
All I saw was purple
There is no guarntee in the Coaching world...
It is going to happen. Coaches come and go. Thomas is our coach so until he gives me a reason to worry I will stay optimistic that he is here to stay.
The Steelers get it
I know Pittsburgh is not a fan fav up in the Pacific NW, but look at the history of the coaching fraternity there. Without a doubt the best run professional sports organization EVER! How many head coaching vacancies have they had since Vietnam? You can count them on one hand (Noll, Cowher, and Tomlin). Heck I didn’t even say anthing about their 6 Lombardis.
Coaching at Pittsburgh is all about a brotherhood. Something that the ownership has created w/ stability. Washington could create the same type of brotherhood with it’s college program. But in order to create that- starts w/ running a clean program, starts with resources available, starts with a great home stadium, and starts w/ winning. To create it, Husky football needs to be a high priority with all involved. We haven’t seen days like that since the retirement of the Dawgfather. But it has to start somewhere and Sark, Woodward, and Emmert have got to be those guys.
The Steelers approach to success has always been to build from the inside-out and it has been proven to be most successful. We’ve got to get back to an all-world offensive line and a big fast motor defensive line. Those two areas will allow us to dominate the L.O.S.- those two areas are a good starting point. I see Sark and Holt going after a lot of O linemen and D linemen in the next few years. But to build towards the Steeler pattern requries little changeover for extended time frames. This is one reason I am glad coach M is gone. The entire program is all about the coaching staff. Not only do we need to put a fence around the state of Washington, but we also have to convince our assistant coaches that this is the best place to be in the coaching business. Sure some assistants will leave for promotions, but we simply cannot let a good coach take a lateral position out of here. Promotion good … lateral not good.
All I saw was purple
Even in a perfect world...
…it’s still going to happen. If a guy gets the right opportunity he’s going to take it. I think what you need to absolutely make sure doesn’t happen is for your coaches to NOT make lateral moves. You are not going to stop an assistant from moving from a position coach to a coordinator. At least not within the BCS conference schools. On the other hand if you lose an offensive line coach to become an offensive line coach at another BCS schools then I think you have a problem. That would most likely have to do with salaries and I don’t think the Huskies need to worry about that at this point.
That’s a very idealized view crazi. Put yourself in their shoes for a second – as an assistant coach, you usually have contracts that run year to year. In a few cases, that is starting to change to 2-year deals and in rare cases 3-year deals, but for most guys it’s year to year. At any point they could find themselves looking for a new job if the guy they work for gets canned, and in most cases they have no guaranteed money coming.
They get paid pretty good money, usually 6 figures if they’re at a major school, but they also move around a lot and incur a lot of risk if they attempt to buy a house at their current job.
When you consider that they rarely have guaranteed deals, they move around a lot and have no pension plan, is it any wonder that they chase promotions and raises? Is it any wonder that most of them leap at the opportunity to coach in the NFL? Get a foot in the door in the NFL and you not only make more money, you start working your way towards an actual pension – get 10 years in and you have some guaranteed retirement money for you and your family.
So yeah, while loyalty is nice and has it’s place, at some point money and moving yourself up the coaching ladder take precedence.
See this is what I am afraid of!
The so-called best coaching staff in America is going to get poached away before we even set foot on the practice field. I’m sick to my stomach…
All I saw was purple
Relax
What happened to “all hail Coach Sark, master of the universe?”
Assistant coaches come and go, all that matters is the head coach. A good head coach will draw good assistants, good assistants move on to move up, welcome to life. Don James lost plenty of good assistants, but it was his system and way of doing things that made the program what it was.
I am all for program stability, but there is this unfounded belief that stability equals success. Stability aids success, but you don’t have to have one to get the other. Look at Urban Meyer, two years in Bowling Green, two years in Utah, and then on to Florida. All that moving around, and he was immediately successful, make that extremely successful, everywhere he went.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
Good Point
I also put a lot of weight on the coordinators, they can really make or break a coach. An average coach with a great coordinator can cover up a lot of short comings.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
Being Paranoid
Okay Lear you just made the best arguement I’ve ever heard from you. Maybe I am getting a little to paranoid. The big hires were Sark and Holt and I agree with you great or successful coaches will find the best assistants.
I guess what has me so paranoid is that we haven’t even set foot on the practice field and our assistant coaches are coming in and going out. But Sark and Holt is the cog that will make Husky Stadium roar once again.
Go Huskies! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
Crazi
That’s the best time to make a change. Think about it, if your going to lose a coach or two lose it now before spring football.
Washington Husky Football-1991 National Champions
Cozzetto
I think Coz will be a huge get for the O line. Granted the guy came off a little over the line during his last stint at the UofW. But look at who was in charge back then. Neuheisel wasn’t a disaplinarian and Gilby was too soft on kids. Our kids back then weren’t use to firey coaches that demanded and expected your very best on every down.
Coz will fit in well with Sark and Holt. Both of these men will set the tone and Coz will generate that same firey attitude. Our O line needs to get tough as nails. We thought our O line was going to be dominant last year and what turned out is that they got pushed around all season long. Why? Because they didn’t have that vocal leader pushing them in the weight room, pushing them in agility drills, or pushing them in practice.
Sark and Holt are going to be bringing in 1’s vs. 1’s and Coz will get his offensive linemen prepared for that competition. I like Coz bigtime and he should fit in well with our head coach and our defensive coordinator.
Get tough on the O line and the best way to get physical is to get kids to be mentally tough. The best teaching strategy in football is tough love and Coz will provide that.
All I saw was purple
Holt's Defense vs Cozzetto's O Line
Going to be CLASSIC!!!! God I wish I could see that. Going to be intense and that is what football is all about.
Gilby was too soft, huh?
You need to check your compass, it’s a bit off. Gilby was a hard nosed coach, just like Cozzetto. Things didn’t work for Gilby because Neuheisels players were soft, and Gilby was the hard a** that came after him trying to get back to the Don James way of doing things.
Condotta’s blog has a article that Bob wrote in 2003 about Cozzetto. Coz basically says he is a hard a** because of the head coach that taught him to be that way, which just happens to be Gilby.
Here’s my take, Sark couldn’t bring Gilby back for multiple reasons, but Gilby recommended Cozzetto seen as how the two are so much a like.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
Understandably so
What I meant was a non-discplinarian. I don’t mind screamers if it is effective.
From what I witnessed Gilby was all over the place in regards to his coaching philosphy. Lacked discipline but yelled and screamed. That doesn’t foster learning and coaching football is teaching.
All I saw was purple
Gilby didn't lack discipline
Neuheisel never disciplined anyone, so when Gilby came in the players didn’t respond because they treated Gilby as an interim head coach, they were pissed that their fun loving coach had been canned and they ended up with a hard a**.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
Bingo
Gilby’s problem was that he was an interim coach and everyone, players included, knew it. Neuheisel’s kids knew they didn’t have to tow the line with Gilby because he’d be gone soon. Gilby tried to be a disciplinarian and was roasted for it – remember the outcry over him not playing Chambers enough and continuing to start Paus over Stanback?
I don’t think Gilby was cut out to be a good head coach, but the situation he accepted at the UW was doomed from the start and made him look worse as a head coach than he really was.
Gilby?
Great OL coach….not a great head man.
by John Berkowitz on Feb 15, 2009 6:39 PM PST up reply actions
Gilby
Great OL coach, great coordinator, not a great head coach.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
I think Gilby...
…gets painted with the same brush as Lambright, although I’d give Lambo the nod in that match-up, good assistant but really couldn’t get it done as A number 1.
Washington Husky Football-1991 National Champions
Justice
Players transfer quit and move on but they are usually the guys you didn’t want to see leave the program.
I really have no problem with the above three staying in the program.
by John Berkowitz on Feb 14, 2009 7:48 AM PST up reply actions
Eastern Washington Receivers?
Did you guys catch Condotta’s Blog about the potential of getting one or two of Eastern’s WRs due to their being on probation? One kid is 6’3" and weighs about 215. It would be nice to get his size and experience out there.
Washington Husky Football-1991 National Champions
EWU
Central has more kids at the NFL combine than UW and WSU.
Great and good players are at all levels.
If offered a shot they won’t walk on…..count on that.
by John Berkowitz on Feb 15, 2009 12:09 AM PST reply actions
Salient Point!
“Great and good players are at all levels.”
Excellent point John!
I never see Mississippi Valley State University in college football’s rankings, yet they produced a pretty good receiver in a guy called Jerry Rice.
There’s a number of good “Sunday” players who didn’t get their college experience schools at traditional powerhouses of even D1 schools.
But what I really like about this news is the ‘outside the box’ thinking of Sark & crew. Savvy enough to know about this “exception” to the rules and very aggressive to go after eligible players whom they think can make immediate contributions.
Not to mention the fact...
…that after a few years of development these kids can blossom into completely different athletes.
Washington Husky Football-1991 National Champions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
