clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Steve Sarkisian At Media Day Part 3

Sark touches on breakout players for 2013, Deontae Cooper's status, incoming players Marcus Farria, John Ross, and Damore'ea Stringfellow, recruiting to Seattle, and his areas of focus heading into training camp.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Spor

On potential breakout players for 2013:

"I think Brandon Beaver's a guy I'm really excited to watch. We moved him from corner to safety this spring, and then he's had a really good offseason, a healthy one this summer. He looks great. I'm intrigued to watch him this training camp and then maybe what he can do this fall."

"I think the continued development of Dwayne Washington at running back is another guy I'm going to be intrigued to watch, just because he had such a presence in spring ball running the football."

"We saw Jaydon Mickens last season kind of up and down a bit. I really thought the second half of spring he was tremendous, what he was able to do making plays."

"And I know this sounds odd because he played all year for us last year: I'm excited to see Danny Shelton play. I think he's going to have a real impact on our season. He was a dominant football player the second half of spring practice. If he continues to play the way he did in that second half of spring practice then we'll be much better on defense than we even were last year."

On Deontae Cooper:

"I do know he's gonna put on a uniform and a helmet and cleats the first day of practice that Monday. Where it goes from there, I don't know. Last year we didn't get through individuals. So we'll see. Anything we get out of him, he deserves a chance to play, so I'm hopeful we can make that happen.

On Marcus Farria:

"He sure looks good. It's hard for me, because we obviously didn't have him in spring and I don't get to be on the field with them in the summer time. But, man, when he comes around the offices he sure looks good, he's sure got a good look in his eye, a focused look in his eye. And everything that you hear from [Keith Price and Sean Parker] I hear from these guys, he's extremely competitive, he's got a leadership mentality, he's a tough minded kid. Those are all really good traits to have as a freshman if you want to play as a true freshman."

On John Ross and Damore'ea Stringfellow:

"I thought that when we signed this class it would have a chance to really contribute. It's really positive to hear that two of those names are coming up for you guys, because I really think that John Ross is going to add an element to our offense that we haven't had with the sheer speed that he has. And Damore'ea, I just got his official weight that you guys will get next week, he weighed in at 232 pounds, and as a wide receiver he kind of looks like Anquan Boldin. He's just that strong and physical of a guy. I'm hopeful that both of those guys can have an impact for us."

On getting SoCal recruits interested in Washington:

"There's so much to offer in Seattle, that's what makes the city unique. The picturesque views, Lake Washington on one side, Lake Union on another side, the Puget Sound off to that side, the skyline, the food, the things to do, the economy, the life after football, there's so many great things that go into that stadium. Selling it is not the hard part. The hard part is just getting them there. Once they get there, they see the beauty of the city, they see the beauty of the campus, they recognize the power of the degree, so the hardest part is just getting them there, it's not selling it."

His biggest concerns heading into training camp:

"Things that I'll be watching for: solidifying our secondary, who's going to be those other two guys to replace Desmond [Trufant] and Justin [Glenn]. Really solidifying and getting the continuity of the offensive line so that we're feeling great about ourselves, obviously coming off the heels of last year's training camp where it felt like one day after another we were losing a guy. Those are two big ones to me."

"And making our return game a factor. I don't feel like, last season especially, our return game wasn't a factor. We've been a really good return team two years ago when it was Kevin Smith and Jesse [Callier] were back there returning kicks for us. We didn't have either of those guys really last season. Kevin just never quite got right and we lost Jesse. And then the punt return game we just haven't done much, so it's been a focus of ours. I want that to be a better part of our football team, a better aspect of our football team, so I want to get that right this training camp."

More from UW Dawg Pound: