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Returning Players: Travell Dixon (Jr), Gregory Ducre (Sr), Marcus Peters (So), Cleveland Wallace (RS-Fr), Tre Watson (Sr)
Losses: Anthony Gobern, Adam Long, Desmond Trufant, Darien Washington
Additions: Patrick Enewally, Jermaine Kelly
The cornerback position was the area of the team hit hardest over this offseason, with the graduations of Anthony Gobern, Adam Long, and Desmond Trufant coupled with Darien Washington's transfer.
The vacancy left by Trufant is arguably the biggest question mark of the team heading into the 2013 season. There are a number of players who are thought to be capable, but it doesn't seem as if one is separating himself from the others. The battle appears to be coming down to Greg Ducre's speed against Travell Dixon's size, with Ducre's speed holding an edge at the moment. But young guns Cleveland Wallace and Jermaine Kelly are not to be counted out.
Opposite that uncertainty is one of the rocks of UW's defense. We called Marcus Peters one of the top Huskies for 2013, and with good reason. He flashed a ton of potential in 2012 in his freshman campaign, and though he wasn't the most consistent, that comes with both the position and being a freshman. He could take a big jump in his sophomore campaign and establish himself as one of the best corners in the conference.
The depth of the position looks to be pretty good. The closeness of the competition at the No. 2 corner position indicates that there shouldn't be much dropoff from No. 2 to No. 3 (and probably to No. 4, either) when the Huskies rotate guys in, or players get injured as the season goes along. It also bodes well for passing downs when Justin Wilcox opts for a nickle corner.
The Verdict: Worse. The Huskies' talent level is increasing, but there are only a handful of programs in the country that can replace a first round draft pick and not skip a beat. Desmond Trufant was about as good as they get in the college game, and his loss will be felt. Anthony Gobern was also quality depth and a contributor on special teams. Marcus Peters has a big ceiling, but there's no chance that he can match Trufant's play as a sophomore, and the other side of the field is still sorting itself out.