Between the Lines: UW at the PAC 12 Media Day

Ok - I'm trying this on my iPhone. Somebody will have to clean it up later. Still, there was some real football news yesterday. We learned things that we didn't previously know (even if we suspected) and commentary is required. Below are the big newsy items and my readings between the lines.

1) Drew Schafer will be tried at LT

When I heard this, alarm bells went off. This news really has nothing to do with Colin Tanigawa or Colin Porter and their injuries. The fact that we are even considering this means that whatever plan Cozetto and co were hoping would come together to replace Senio Kelemete has not panned out. Is it because Kohler has been slow to rebound? Is it because Micah Hatchie is still too raw? Who knows? But the thought of Drew out there against some of the elite PAC 12 pass rushers ...plus that Mingo kid from LSU ... is frightening. Not to mention the weakening of our C position.

2) Desmond Trufant is going to be unleashed

Sark alluded to the fact that Des was going to be used differently this season and Des backed it up with some specific comments of his own. The plan is to play him wide and bring him down into the nickel position where he can both play man to man as well as become a blitzer. Des has been a lightning rod the last couple of years. Nevertheless, he is a big corner and one of the fastest players on the team. He is a capable man-up defender (he was top 10 in the nation in passes defenced) and to think what he could do as a wild card blitzer is exciting.

3) Hau'oli Jamora is ready to go...and Deontae Cooper is not

Sark did not really attempt to hide the statuses of the various ACL patients in the UW rehab unit. He was definitive in that Jam looked "great" and "beautiful" and was ready to go. He also noted the impact of losing him last season by calling him out "best defensive player" from last season. He was also cautiously optimistic on Tanigawa being ready by fall. Reading between the lines, I think we could say that he was less excited about Kevin Smith and Deontae Cooper. On Smith, the news is that he is coming along well, but unsure of when he'll be ready. When the topic of Cooper came up, Sark was less specific but clearly not enthusiastic. He used phrases (paraphrasing here) such as "getting the mental part right" and "he's worked so hard" and "we are all rooting for him". These are all danger phrases for football players and signals to fans that hopes and expectations need to be lowered.

4) Keith Price looks ready to go

Sometimes you just have to trust your eyes and mine told me that the shape of his body combined with the language of his body suggested that Keith is ready to build on last season and to meet the challenge that comes with the face of the franchise. He mentioned that he is now a hair shy of 200 lbs. He talked about his offseason experiences at the Manning camp and with his teammates. He emphasized the importance of leadership and, when he was brought to on-the-field subjects, he talked about the challenge of playing his own D in the spring and about how he can take the next step by reading defenses better and making better calls at the line. I have to admit, I never really thought KP would become this kind of QB...but he is a true face of the franchise cut out of the mold of Sonny Sixkiller, Warren Moon, Marques Tuiasosopo and Jake Locker. This is truly his team now. The team knows it. Sark knows it. You know it. He knows it.

There are more things to comment on, but typing this on a phone is torture. Thus, I'll turn the stage over to you all. Use the comments thread to raise any other news you picked up on and let's start talking football!