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With the Huskies transitioning this week from Fall Camp to preparations for Boise State, now is a good time to take a look at each position group and assess their status - which guys appear to be the starters, who's going to play, and what questions are still unanswered.
Up first, the safeties:
Projected Starters:
FS - Sean Parker, Sr.
SS - Will Shamburger, Sr.
Backups - Tre Watson, Sr.; Brandon Beaver, RS-Fr.; Trevor Walker, Fr.; Taz Stevenson, Sr.
Analysis:
Heading into camp, we knew that one spot was locked up with Sean Parker returning for his final year. The other spot however was up for grabs with the graduation of Justin Glenn. So far, it appears that Sr. Will Shamburger has held off the challengers to claim the other starting spot. Keep an eye on this position though - there are some youngsters on the roster that could challenge his starting spot as the season progresses and they gain more experience.
When Wilcox was installed last year, he moved a number of guys from safety closer to the line of scrimmage - Travis Feeney, Taz Stevenson and Evan Zeger. Shaq Thompson had been projected by every recruiting service as a safety (and one of the best in the country at that), but he too was installed at linebacker. This left some holes in what had been a fairly deep group, so a couple corners have moved over to fill in: Tre Watson, Brandon Beaver and Kevin King. This also fits the attempt by Wilcox & Heyward to bring more coverage skill to this group to help combat the various spread offenses the Huskies face each year.
It also means that playing time is available to the youngsters that are ready to go, and it appears that true frosh Trevor Walker has taken advantage and worked himself into the mix to play. He's made enough impressive plays in both Spring and Fall camps to push Shamburger, and it would be a shock if he doesn't see the field. King has shown flashes, but he appears likely to redshirt - not a bad idea, as he could use a year to bulk up.
If injuries hit, don't be surprised if you see some other corners slide over too, as guys like Travell Dixon, Jermaine Kelly and Patrick Enewally have the kind of size you typically find at the safety position. Since Heyward coaches both groups, this makes it easier to mix and match the positions as needed.
It's interesting to observe that, while Wilcox has shown through his recruiting that he prefers longer players, this is a group that is a bit on the small side with Parker starting and Watson and Walker among the backups. Beaver and King are both on the long side, but still have a lot of room to fill out. And among the recruits for 2014, commit Lavon Washington is under 6', and uber-recruit Budda Baker is 5'9".