Washington has been building experience and depth at these positions through two consecutive football coaches. When Tyrone Willingham arrived the cupboard was bare and he really didn't accomplish what needed to be done in recruiting which compounded the problem.
Sr Nate Williams and So Nate Fellner look to be the starters going into the spring. Williams has played quite a bit in his three years at Washington and the coaches think he is a gamer. The problem with Nate though is he wears down after the second half of the season. Washington received an instant elevation when Jason Wells returned to the lineup last season but won't get that type of experienced gift this season.
Nate Fellner was targeted as a greyshirt candidate when he was recruited but room opened up for him to join the roster last August. When So Justin Glenn went down with an injury he came in and played well the second half of the season. Nate is a smart player and hard hitter. Some of the hits he layed on the opposition last season were of the highlight variety.
So Justin Glenn is coming off a broken leg with ligament damage. He should be in red this spring and ready to go in the fall. Justin moved over from CB to fill the void at safety when it became apparent that Jason Wells was not going to come back as quickly as expected. If Glenn is healthy he will start somewhere. He could easily slide back to CB if the need is there.
Sr Vic Aiyewa is a physical specimen who can lay the lumber but he really hasn't caught on enough at safety to handle full time duty. Many have always thought that he could moved to OLB but since he is a senior it is likely they keep him where he is. He will be out this spring recovering from surgery and will be 100% by fall camp.
So Greg Walker was a starter coming out of camp last season but coverage lapses pushed him down in the depth chart. He needs to bounce back this spring and show the coaches that he has improved enough to be counted on.
RS Will Shaumburger sat out his first season recovering from a knee injury. This spring will be the first time the coaches will be able to see what he is capable. Most recruiting experts thought he was a steal when Sarkisian recruiting. Obviously he was available late in the process because of the injury.
The Huskies bring in four new safeties in the 2010 recruiting class. Sean Parker is an all world recruit who is expected to compete for a starting job or at least be a big piece of the rotation. Taz Stevenson from Hawaii looks very promising along with Jamall Kearse. All three of these kids are capable of playing right away if needed.
John Timu will enroll next January. He is recovering from knee surgery. timu is a good get. He is a really smart kid with plenty of ability.
I think the outlook at safety looks pretty good. We have a nice blend of experience plus we have a group of incoming athletes who are step above the kids we have potential wise. All they need is seasoning.
As for 2010 I look for the Huskies to bring in at least two more to keep building a solid line of depth.