Dot...Dot...Dawg (7/7)

And that's why you always leave a note. And Dots, don't forget those either.

• Washington's defense is getting some serious preseason respect, as Hau'oli Kikaha, Danny Shelton and Shaq Thompson are all members of the Bednarik Award watch list, given annually to college football's best defensive player.
  
  
• The Austin-American Statesman has the Huskies as the No. 23 team in its preseason poll. The meat of the story appears to be behind a paywall, but the fact that the Dawgs are being featured in preseason rankings bodes well for the program's expectations in 2014.
  
  
• The Arizona Daily Star says that Chris Petersen's success or failure at the major-college level is one of the biggest story lines in the Pac-12 this season.
  
  
• Over at the Husky Haul, Scott Whittum wonders if Danny Shelton will be Washington's defensive MVP in 2014. With The First Pick says that "Shelton could be in for a big [senior] year," but to be honest, I really have no idea what the author is talking about when he says that last year, "his performance was so radically uneven that he ... could singlehandedly blow up one play and then be completely overwhelmed the next." It's true that Shelton's numbers varied wildly from game to game, but anyone who has watched more than five minutes of football knows that it's impossible to accurately judge the impact of a nose tackle by his individual statistics. I'm calling it lazy writing, nothing more.
  
  
• The Husky Haul also takes one more look at how the transfer of Josh Shirley will impact the Dawgs in 2014.
  
  
• Jerry Brewer checks in on Nate Rob, who recently celebrated his 30th birthday.
  
  
• Gregg Bell reflects on C.J. Wilcox's five-year journey that culminated in his selection as a first-round pick.
  
  
• Speaking of C.J., he isn't the only Husky heading to the Clipshow: Spencer Hawes signed a four-year deal worth $23 million with the Clippers last week.
  
  
• West Coast Convo wonders how former Washington forward Desmond Simmons will fit into the scheme of his new program at Saint Mary's College.
  
  
• Paul Myerberg has his preview of the Cougs online, calling the Pride of the Palouse the 61st-best team in America. (Or, if you'd rather, the 68th-worst team in America. Six of one, half-dozen of the other.)
  
  
• Emerald City Swagger details the Cougars' newfound spending habits in their quest to land local talent.
  
  
• Sadly, former Washington soccer player Brett Wiesner appears to have drowned while visiting Oconomowoc Lake, Wisc., with some friends. Wiesner played for the Sounders following his career at Washington, and played for the Milwaukee Wave from 2006 to 2011. Thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family.

Question of the Day

Its says a lot about the respect the national media has for the Washington defense that three players were named to the Bednarik Award watch list. As more watch lists are released in the next two weeks, who are the players that you think need to be included? Who are the players that might be left off watch lists in the preseason, but will make their mark by the end of the year?