2009 UW Preview: Wide Receivers
by John Berkowitz on Jul 24, 2009 7:00 AM PDT
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PrintTalent abounds in a young receiving corp at Washington. With "thanks" to Tyrone WIllingham for throwing a group of freshman into the fire last season, the Huskies are deep and game tested...if not shell shocked. Lacking in maturity, conditioning, and coaching, Steve Sarkisian's staff is providing the final two in spades; maturity arrives from competing with opponents three-to-five years older in 2008.
The unmistakable leader of the receivers is junior D'Andre Goodwin; "Flea" was one of Washington's few bright spots in 2008, hauling in 60 catches for 692 yds, but only one touchdown. The lack of end zone production was the result of missing QB Jake Locker and an under-achieving offensive line who couldn't take the pressure off backup QB Ronnie Fouch. Goodwin needs to get reaquainted with the end zone in 2009 if Washington is going to go anywhere.
Goodwin will be flanked by sophomores Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar. In time, Kearse will be a very good player; with 20 receptions for 301 yards and two TD's in 2008, he was likely the most prepared freshman on offense. An outstanding athlete who also excels on the basketball court, Aguilar will only improve in the new system. Both of these fine young receivers should benefit greatly by the return of Jake Locker, a year of experience, a better coaching staff, and a more stable offense plan in 2009.
Redshirt freshman Anthony Boyles will see his first action this fall after falling behind in the playbook early last season. By the end of the season he may well have been the best receiver on the squad. In hindsight, his RS year should prove to be very valuable to to his growth as a player. Needing that break--but not getting it--was sophomore Cody Bruns, who had his redshirt season foolishly wasted by Coach Willingham at mid-season. Bruns was soon banged up and played only sparingly. Cody is a very smooth receiver in the mold of Husky great Paul Skansi, running very precise routes and possesing great hands.
Sophomore Jordan Polk is an exciting player who just makes things happen. Expect to see him helping out on the return teams, in addition to making incredible circus catches. Redshirt freshmen Vince Taylor and Luther Leonard fortunately sat out last season. Taylor arrived late to campus, guaranteeing him an extra year, though he failed to move up the depth chart during the 2009 spring season. Recruited as a quarterback, the coaching staff believes Leonard has a bright future at receiver. He impressed the coaches by making a smooth transition this spring, and will see much time on special teams in 2009.
The new receiver for 2009 is talented freshman James Johnson. The San Diego-native was quite possibly the UW's top recruit in the 2009. Johnson has been on campus for all summer and is now working out with the team, with very encouraging early reviews. Most recruiting experts believe he will immediately move up the depth charts and earn his way into the regular receiving rotation and kick return team.
On the 2010 recruiting front, Coach Sarkisian is going after physically larger receivers, in the mold of the highly successful USC model. The Huskies have three WR commits, possibly looking for one more candidate. Jamal Kearse from Lakes HS is the best WR in the state of Washington and is going to follow his older brother to Washington. Keanon Lowe from Jesuit HS in Portland could play on either side of the ball, as well as seeing the field as a return specialist. DiAndre Campbell from Oakland Tech verbaled last week to apparently take the place to Tevin Carter, who changed his mind and is going to Cal. Reports from Bay Area high school coaches on Campbell's game and work ethic are very encouraging.
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Oregon Recruits
Keanon Lowe from Jesuit HS in Portland is a kid that could play on either side of the ball. Another bonus with Lowe is that he is also a return threat. His film looks great and it is also a good thing to start stealing kids from Oregon again
Don’t forget Oregon is recruiting nationally now, they probably didn’t even offer Lowe…;O)
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
They did...
Before UW if I recall. Scout ran with it as if he were a big UO lean. I thought for sure we wouldn’t land him. There loss.
by B Money on Jul 24, 2009 9:32 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Pretty sure Oregon was recruiting him at corner, though.
Most teams were. Sarkisian said the Dawgs wanted him at receiver, which was why he came here.
I still wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up at corner.
YOU WANT TO PLAY? WE'LL MAKE ROOM!
If a new head coach is smart, like Steve Sarkisian is, he can put together great recruiting classes for a program that is in transition. Some (not all) would beleive recruiting would be rather difficult for a place like Washington due to the 0-12 thing. I don’t buy it, because we can offer top recruits something that many other programs won’t.
The bottom line is we need Pac 10 caliber athletes and football players. We need to restock our cupboards. Currently our shelves are empty or almost empty and we need to go to the store and shop. This is what Sark and Holt are doing- they are getting the groceries and restocking our shelves. If Keanon Lowe wants to play receiver, that’s good we’ve got room. We’ve got room for him at receiver, corner, and as a return specialist. Lowe will be on the football field more at Washington then at any other school. Offensively he’ll be a great extra reciever, corner, and return specialist- the guy will be everywhere!
We can offer Deitrick Riley the same thing. He’d be a great addition to our backfield, not to mention but the guy would be great at safety as well. Lowe and Riley will see the field more then if they went anywhere else. And the beautty of it all, by the time they are ready to be regulars (2 to 3 years) Sark and Holt will have this thing running on all cylinders.
We can offer what the “tweeners” want in terms of position. USC is going to tell you that you are being recruited for a particular position. What if the kid wants to pursue a different position? That is where we have the advantage right now. Our slogan right now in terms of recruiting should be…
“YOU WANT TO PLAY? WE’LL MAKE ROOM”
Go Huskies! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
Kohler
It’s still looking positive for Kohler. He just visited Notre Dame, and while he liked it enough to bump them up past Cal and UCLA, he still has UW as his leader. He’s going to try to visit next month and bring Montana with him. If he makes his visit, I’d be pretty surprised if he doesn’t commit during his trip here or soon after. If he does visit and doesn’t commit right away, that’s a bad sign…
James Johnson
This kid looks like the real deal. He could play both sides of the ball well. I’m really looking to see what Boyles brings to the table. He appears to have speed and great size so hopefully now that playing time is an option he’s going to be pushing Kearse for playing time.
I really like Keanon Lowe. He just looks like a winner to me and Jamaal Kearse is a physical beast. Frankly I don’t miss Tevin Carter at all.
DiAndre Campbell is an enigma here. He admitted his team didn’t throw the ball well last season so his touches were really low. That should change this year and we’ll get to see what type of routes he runs and how good his hands are.
WR is a bright spot and by the time we’re chasing Kasen it’ll be well known what type of offense we have for WR
James Johnson is dang good. For those that haven’t seen his vid, check it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD5iu27t0es&feature=related I could see him getting VERY early playing time this year. My guess is he and J Polk doing kick/punt returns this season.
Agree about Keanon, can’t wait to see this guy suited up in our colors. Reminds me of DeSean Jackson with his electrifying athleticism. Dude will be a great Husky, I already know.
As far as my favorite Dawg currently, Flea takes it. I was at the BYU game last year and watched him tip the ball to himself on the sideline over a defender to make the catch, as well as another catch where he juked a BYU corner out of his freakin shoes!! I was standing around BYU fans and I stood up and turned around telling them how embarrassing that was for their guy, hahaha. I expect big things outta Flea this year.
Another Dawg I expect to get real good this year is Jermaine Kearse. Everybody I’ve ever talked to that either played against him in high school, know him or whatever talk about how good he is and how they expect him to break out this year. I believe it too. Again, at the BYU game, I remember Jermaine making an absolutely beautiful basket catch in the back of the end zone for a 48 yd TD. The dude will be sick this year, bank on it
by ChazzReinhold on Jul 27, 2009 10:00 AM PDT up reply actions
We are still recruiting Carter very hard...
from what I’ve read it’s another “Montgomery” situation. Tevin wants to go to UW but his mom wants him to stay close to home. Sark is trying to get Tevin & his mom up for a visit.
Ahhh potential "parent" issues
Well hopefully Tevin can visit and see what we offer up here. I don’t ever really blame a kid for wanting to stay close to home. Homesickness is a real thing with these young men who many have never been away from their family for a significant amount of time. Luckily as a youngster I was a bit more prepared because I went through basic training and AT school my junior and senior year summer which got me a bit more acclimated to living somewhere else.
Tevin needs to follow his heart
I don’t want to pretend that Tevin’s mother knows much about major college football or higher education. But if the issue is being closer to home then it’s time to cut the chord! We are talking about getting a chance of a lifetime and that is nothing to quibble about. A major academic institution is offering a full ride football scholarship, it is Tevin’s future we are talking about, his path thru life. Pro football or no pro football this probably his biggest decision thus far in his young adult life. And the way I see it, he (Tevin, not his mom) needs to get this decision right.
Again I don’t know the situation at home. Now if their is illness at home that is different and being closer to home might be desired. I don’t want to come off as a inconsiderate jackass or anything. But if illness to the family is not an issue- allow the lad a chance to make a good decision one way or the other. If the lad was raised well, then why would mom worry?
When major academic institutions offer you a full scholarship, the last thing that should be considered is the bus ride home. What if Tevin was an aspiring law student and Yale offered him an academic scholarship? Does it seem logical that Fresno State would be mentioned as a possible choice? Now I know that scenario is playing off the extremes, but you see my point.
The point is this is Tevin Carter’s future we are talking about. Carter should be making his decision for himself, but with mom’s imput strongly considered. Dwayne Jarret prepped in New Jersey of all places and found himself catching touchdown passes from Matt Linehart at USC. This is Tevin’s future and his education. I think Tevin needs to consider mom’s advice, but make his own decision.
Follow your heart Tevin! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
Can I reply with out being considered a stocker?
I agree it’s a big decision, and that it’s Tevin’s decision to make. But don’t forget, there is a pretty good academic institution in California that is also offering him a full ride, so that part of your argument is pointless.
I always get a bit worried when a commitment is made, and then changed because “mom” wants the kid close to home. I can see both sides of the story, there are a lot of kids who at 18 aren’t ready to move 800 miles away from home, it’s setting them up for failure. Then you have the parents who’s whole reason for living is there kids, if their kids don’t need them they seem themselves as useless and without a purpose. Needless to say, none of us have a clue as to what the real story is, or what the real home situation is like. Does Tevin need to near mom, or does mom need to be near Tevin?
Besides, how often does a 17 year old know what best for them? Or at least know better than their parents? This is a desicion that should be made jointly between parents and students.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
I was having a bad day
Maybe I threw out a lot of stuff, sometimes I do do that so please forgive me.
As far as Tevin is concerned, I believe it should be his choice to make. At 17 or 18 years old a kid should be well-informed and educated enough to make a good decision about his future. Especially if the kid has the aptitude for college academia and juggling major college football around the clock.
But if their is another reason as to why mom wants him closer to home then rest assured, I would have to consider mom’s imput. No problems at home? I say let the boy make the decision. It’s his experience- not mom’s. It’s his education- not mom’s. It’s his player development- not mom’s. It’s his relationship with the coaching staff- not mom’s. And it’s his future we are talking about- and not mom’s.
Yes their are plenty of first rate universities in California that offer a great experience in college football. I’ve heard Tevin likes UDub, but his mom likes Cal. But I stand firm. At 17 &18 years old, it should be the kid’s decision. If mom were paying his way, then surely mom and pop would have the ultimate say. But UDub or Cal are flipping the bill here and Tevin has earned these athletic scholarships.
Likewise if a kid wanted to enlist into the military. Still think it is his decision. We are talking about a young man’s future. At some point you have to let go and just hope you brought him up right. Washington is a fine academic institution- Tevin can’t go wrong in accepting the offer. He will have the opportunity of achieving a degree from the University of Washington and he will have the opportunity of elavating his football playing development. And I will personally add that he will have the opportunity of playing in a Rose Bowl. Keep in mind the only Pac 10 schools that have the resources to dethrown USC are Washington, Ucla, and Arizona State.
And I’ll wager that the next Pac 10 school other then USC in the Rose Bowl will be either Washington, Ucla, or Arizona State. Cal, Oregon, and Oregon State have maxed out on potential. They can’t compete on USC’s scale. Only Washington, Ucla, and Arizona State have the means to dethrown the mighty Trojans. I’m out…
All I saw was purple
Montgomery-Carter comparison...
Lets not forget that Montgomery switched to CAL, and one year later he is now the starting RB at WSU. I think that if Willingham had stayed in touch with Montgomery, there is a chance he would have been at UW. I am glad that our staff is still apparently recruiting Carter very hard. Who knows, maybe he will be a Husky, in a roundabout sort of way!
Exactly
And see that is my point- you have to go with your heart on a huge decision like this. You’ve got to feel good about the opportunity in front of you. Tevin likes the UofW, but mom likes Cal. Mom is not going to be sweating in practice trying to land a starting job. Mom is not going to be attending class, reading the required text, continuously studying the material, and cramming for exams. This should be Tevin’s decision thru and thru if no problems exist at home.
His college choice could possibly set him up for life. Make a bad decision and it would be a step backwards. Football is important, but the degree is what counts.
All I saw was purple
There are a few people that think Goodwin won't start in a two receiver set.
He’ll be the third guy, with Kearse and Aguilar starting. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Goodwin was honorable mention all-conference, so if he’s been passed up, it suggests talent is emerging. On the other hand, he doesn’t have the measureables that Sarkisian is looking for.
Boyles made a great catch in the spring game, although it was ruled out of bounds. Fouch hung up a sideline fade, Boyles went high to get it, took a good shot to the ribs, but still held on to the ball. Even though it didn’t count, I don’t think anybody else on the roster comes as close to making that play as Boyles does. Maybe Kearse.
This is a position with a lot of numbers, but it seems like a lot of these guys are never going to see the field. They just don’t fit the mold.
That would be crazy (good) if Kearse and Aguilar are catching up to Goodwin
But even if Flea is number three, I’d still bet on him to lead the team in receptions and receiving yards. Jake seems to be really comfortable finding him wherever he goes.
Also, I only caught one game live last year (BYU) but there were a handful of times when D’Andre had a full five yards separation downfield but didn’t get a (catchable) ball. Add a couple 50-yard TDs to his season numbers and he looks even better.
Point being, he does enough good things in the short/intermediate passing game to keep DBs honest. So if Jake can hit him in stride (easier said than done) on a few of those deep balls, he could be an even bigger threat. Factor in a better supporting cast, and he could be an even BIGGER threat.
I like the Flea.
I like our WR's!
This is one of the brightest spots for this team. Now only if the O-Line can give Locker a 4 second pocket…
I like him too.
But he just doesn’t fit that 6’2"+, 205 pound body type that Sark is going to want at the position from here on out.
I could definitely see him being that speedster out of the slot that a lot of people think was going to be filled by Jordan Polk.
Goodwin
I think people might be reading too much into this, I’ve always thought Goodwin fit better as a slot receiver. Slot receivers tend to be smaller and faster, I think that is where he’d fit in best with the pro style offense. I’m curious if Sark is just putting the WR’s in the positions that will suit the offense best, so although he might be what we think of as the #3 WR, he can still be the best guy on the field getting the most touches.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
I wholeheartedly agree. I see Kearse and Aguilar as the downfield, TD catching guys that have the height to get over corners and Goodwin and J Polk hitting the slot with their speed.
One thing is for sure, Sark knows his offenses, and he knows exactly what he wants to do with the guys he has right now. I am sooo stoked to see the new and improved Dawgs this year, cuz I guarantee we will be putting up TD’s in the second half (something Try never did) and closing out games. No more of this up 3 TD’s at half then get blanked in the second and lose by a touch (barf)
Sark will get it done
by ChazzReinhold on Jul 27, 2009 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions
How tall was Steve Smith? 5-11? 6-0?
Indeed Sark is going to want the Jerry Rice look-alikes. Any pro guy wants that. But USC did very well with a shorter Steve Smith and received more offensive production from Smith then any other receiver on the roster.
Sark will work with our not-so-tall receivers. Catching the ball is really the only thing right now that needs to be worked on. Because let’s face it, if you don’t catch the ball then surely the play is dead. Catch the ball and we’ve got a play!
Go Dawgs! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
I agree that mostly Sark is gonna want taller receivers because he loves to go over the top when he gets pissed off (see Penn State Rose Bowl) but I guarantee he will continue to recruit guys like Goodwin, the Polks and Lowe to fill the slot position. His offense needs fast players elusive in the open field, so expect to see a guy or two every year that is under 6’ at the WR position getting their hands on the ball
by ChazzReinhold on Jul 27, 2009 10:13 AM PDT up reply actions
The passing game could get us rolling on offense
With the pro system coming in, if Locker and the receivers can get on pace rather quickly, it would set up play action very nicely. Usually a pro style offense concentrates on running the ball to set up the pass, but it can be flip-flopped the other way too.
That is the beautty of the pro, if something isn’t working (running game) then you can go to the other (passing game) or vice versa. Get one going … then go with play action … then that opens back up the other [in theory of course].
But it all starts with offseason reps, running routes, hitting receivers- doing it all summer long until the QB and the receivers can read what the other is thinking just by body language. Reps, reps, reps, and more reps. Do so many dam reps that you are litterally sick to your stomach of doing reps. It’s like practicing free throws, after awhile it becomes a-u-t-o-m-a-t-i-c.
Go Dawgs! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
Locker...
…looked like a different QB in the spring game. I think he’ll look even better when the season starts. One interesting facet of this will be how he incorporates Locker’s running ability into the offense.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Draw Play
That works well for faking pass and then you run. I was just wondering how much the screen pass will factor into the offense?
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Love the screens
But we haven’t been very good at it for a long time. The last time I remember us running good screen plays was the “Whammy in Miami” game. We ran screens vs. the Canes all dam day and it was a good call.
We’ve tried screen w/ Locker under center and the opposing defenses have been able to blow them up more often then not. Maybe screens weren’t being taught correctly, maybe they weren’t diguised very well. What ever the case I do like the deception of screens and if we can perfect them it would bode well for a young offense trying to find its groove.
Not too worried about the offense- Sark will have us moving the chains.
All I saw was purple
Spread Option
Not saying it isn’t a fine and effective offense but for us it didn’t work out very well. We still have to defend it though and Nick Holt has got a pretty good track record for stopping it. I guess you could give all the credit to Carroll if you were so inclined and I can see the reasoning there. It’s obvious he set the table down there but I think the nuts and bolts of it have been engineered by Holt as of late.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Yeah I thought Boyles...
…had a fantastic spring game. Especially since, if I remember correctly, he played with the twos and had to make plays against the first team defense.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Deepest Position on the Team
Getting open hasn’t been the problem for any of UW’s recent teams. If Jake can get time in the pocket and can deliver the ball more accurately than in the past, it will really help keep teams honest defending the run and could really help establish a ground game that just wasn’t good without Locker’s production last year. If you throw in a Kevario Middleton as a slot receiver or if he can get his blocking down and be an every down TE, the Huskies could have the most threatening passing game in the conference.
They gotta keep the ball in their mitts though. Way too many drops last year.
Our leather lungs together...
Middleton
I thought he had a lot of work to do to get his body up to Pac-10 standards. Hopefully he had a great offseason in the weightroom.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Middleton
I agree he looked too small to be an every down blocking TE, but get that kid into the open field and there just aren’t that many guys who can keep him from catching the ball (and he didn’t drop many last season if memory serves). I hope he got bigger too, but even if he didn’t he could be a weapon in the passing game.
Our leather lungs together...
I was thinking...
…and looks are deceiving, but anyway, he looked soft and like he needed to get leaner/bigger/stronger….well pretty much a complete body transformation. That being said I remember the TE the Vikings had, can’t remember his name but he look kind of pudgy to be a NFL TE (Wiggins?). The guy was a playmaker though, he caught pretty much everything you threw at him.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Goodwin and the mold
Goodwin and more than a few of our receivers aren’t exactly cut in the mold that the new staff would prefer. I do think Goodwin will lead the team in receptions, yardage, and TD catches this season. He is a Jr and by the time the new kids Sark is recruiting are ready to play he will have graduated.
In summary I think they have more than enough tools to work with at WR.
by John Berkowitz on Jul 24, 2009 10:04 AM PDT reply actions
Was Aguilar injured at the end of last season?
He seemed to put up decent numbers at the beginning of the year, and actually looked pretty decent, but the last half of the season, I can hardly remember him even being on the field. He might have had the dropsies, but who didn’t last year? Was it an injury situation? Did he get into Willingham’s doghouse?
Boyles
I am very happy to hear some praise for this kid. A good friend of mine taught at Serra High School and I know the principle of Serra as well. They both speak highly of his character against some difficult odds… not sure if it’s well known, but his brother stepped out of the house one day and was shot by a rival gang member on his door step. The circumstances in which this kid grew up are very sad, and it makes me want him to succeed all the more.
Good for him....
…I wish him well and all the best for his future. That is a sad story and all too common anymore.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
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