Who Should UW Send to Pac 12 Media Day?

The Pac 12 Media Day is set for July 30-31st at the Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, CA.  The Pac 12 issued this schedule for the event:

Thursday, July 30
9 a.m. - Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott
9:30 a.m. - ARIZONA STATE - Head Coach Todd Graham, Mike Bercovici (QB), Jordan Simone (S)
10:10 a.m. - OREGON STATE - Head Coach Gary Andersen, Storm Barrs-Woods (RB), Larry Scott (CB)
10:50 a.m. - UCLA - Head Coach Jim Mora, Jake Brendel (C), Fabian Moreau (DB)
11:30 a.m. - WASHINGTON - Head Coach Chris Petersen, TBD
12:10 p.m. - STANFORD - Head Coach David Shaw, Kyle Murphy (LT), Blake Martinez (LB)
12:50 p.m. - COLORADO - Head Coach Mike MacIntyre, Stephane Nembot (OT), Kenneth Olugbode ILB)
* - Pac-12 Networks will air live coverage throughout the day by providing interviews with the above coaches/players.
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Lunch and additional one-on-one interview opportunities .

Friday, July 31
8:30 a.m. - Football Officiating Session - David Coleman, Pac-12 VP of Officiating
9 a.m. - Pac-12 Networks presentation - Lydia Murphy-Stephans, Pac-12 Networks President
9:30 a.m. - ARIZONA - Head Coach Rich Rodriguez, TBD
10:10 a.m. - CALIFORNIA - Head Coach Sonny Dykes, Jared Goff (QB), Hardy Nickerson (LB)
10:50 a.m. - USC - Head Coach Steve Sarkisian, Cody Kessler (QB), Su'a Cravens (LB-S)
11:30 a.m. - OREGON - Head Coach Mark Helfrich, Royce Freeman (RB), Rodney Hardrick (LB)
12:10 p.m. - WASHINGTON STATE - Head Coach Mike Leach, Joe Dahl (OT), Jeremiah Allison (LB)
12:50 p.m. - UTAH - Head Coach Kyle Whittingham, Devontae Booker (RB), Jared Norris (LB)
* - Pac-12 Networks will air live coverage throughout the day by providing interviews with the above coaches/players.
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Lunch and additional one-on-one interview opportunities

As you can see from the schedule, Washington is one of just two schools that have yet to identify the two players that are customarily invited to attend the Media Day with their head coach.

This raises an obvious question worthy of some blog debate:  Who ought UW send to Media Day with Chris Petersen?

The criteria are pretty straight forward.  There ought to be one player each from offense and defense.  They ought to be (but don't have to be) seniors.  They ought to be seen as team leaders and / or players of particular interest to the media ... for all of the right reasons.

Just to jog your memories a little, UW last year brought along both OT Ben Riva and LB Hau'oli Kikaha.  Interestingly, Petersen was the only coach to bring an offensive lineman with him to last year's Media Day.  This year, no fewer than four are slated to attend.  Go, Coach Pete!  #Trendsetter

Let's take a look at the candidates for UW.

Offense

Jeff Lindquist, QB:  It is common for a coach to bring his QB along with him given that the media tends to fawn over the so-called "most important position on the field".  Lindquist is a good candidate in that he is quickly becoming the face of the UW offense and given the leadership he's already exhibited.  On the flip side, he's not yet a senior and it may be too premature to even call him the starting QB.  I'm not sure Petersen would want to either send the wrong signal or expose Lindquist to questions about the competition

Joshua Perkins, TE:  Perk is an increasingly important player for the Huskies in 2015.  He's the second-leading returning receiver and he's a senior leader.  Perkins, however, hasn't been a rainmaker under either of the two coaches he's played and he probably wouldn't be a subject of much interest to anybody but the local Seattle media.

Dexter Charles, OG:  Widely viewed as the best offensive lineman on the team, Charles fits a few of the checkboxes we are looking for.  He's a productive player who is a senior in a position of interest to the media.  We also know that Petersen does like to give opportunities for recognition to the non-skill guys on a team.

Koree Durkee, P:  He's a senior and he may well be UW's best chance at having a Pac 12 first-teamer.  I wouldn't put it past Coach Pete.

The Pick--> Jaydon Mickens, WR: I'm having a hard time imagining that Petersen would pick anybody other than Jaydon to represent the offense.  From a purely objective standpoint, Jaydon is the most productive player returning to the team on offense at any position.  He's a senior and he may be the most vocal leader on the team.  We've already heard Petersen be effusive in his praise for Jaydon in the past.  It seems like a no-brainer that he'll bring him along to Burbank.

Defense

Elijah Qualls, DT:  Qualls hits a couple of important check boxes in the invitation calculus.  First, he's a vocal leader on the team.  Second, he's replacing the most heralded player from last year's defense.  Finally, he's a heck of an interview who is bound to captivate the attending reporters.  The fact that he's not a senior may work against him.

Budda Baker, S:  He's a leader and he may be the most recognizable name on the entire Huskies roster in 2015.  That said, I just have a hard time seeing Petersen jumping Baker over the juniors and seniors ahead of him in the line.  I also would think it would be more of Coach's style to want to bring attention to some less talked-about guys as he did with Riva a year ago.

Scott Lawyer, LB:  A senior and a player who has paid his dues, I could see Lawyer getting the invite.  But it isn't clear that he's yet secured his role in next year's rotation.  In addition, I'm not sure that he has the kind of interest among the attending media that the team might hope for.

Brian Clay, ST/DB:  Don't snigger at this.  Clay is a humble guy who works hard, plays multiple positions and embodies a lot of the personal traits that Petersen espouses.  He went from walk-on and was rewarded with a scholarship a year ago.  I could see Pete taking Clay with him.

Cory Littleton, LB:  Littleton may be the best player on the defense when it is all said and done.  I don't think it has passed Coach Pete's attention that just about nobody is talking about him.  I could see Petersen wanting to bring him along to increase his exposure and to reward him for the all the work he has put into it in his UW career.

The Pick--> Travis Feeney, LB:  This one is not nearly as clear-cut as Jaydon Mickens is to the offense.  A very good case could be made for either Clay or Littleton here.  However, I think that Feeney has been emerging along with Qualls as one of the more vocal leaders on the team.  He's also made some attention-grabbing plays over the last few seasons that will make him an interview of interest among the media horde.  Balancing all of the variables, it might be the case that Feeney might rank as the highest scoring candidate among his fellow defensive teammates.

Who do you think Chris Petersen ought to take with him to Media Day?  Check in with your picks and explanations in the comments below.

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