Washington 2012 Recruiting

Washington Huskies 2012 ... Head Coach: Steve Sarkisian

Washington Huskies

2011 Record: 7-6

Sep. 3 Eastern Wash. W 30-27
Sep. 10 Hawaii W 40-32
Sep. 17 at Nebraska L 51-38
Sep. 24 California W 31-23
Oct. 1 at Utah W 31-14
Oct. 8 OPEN DATE
Oct. 15 Colorado W 52-24
Oct. 22 at Stanford L 65-21
Oct. 29 Arizona W 42-31
Nov. 5 Oregon L 34-17
Nov. 12 at USC L 40-17
Nov. 19 at Oregon State L 38-21
Nov. 26 Washington St W 38-21
Alamo Bowl
Dec. 29 Baylor L 67-56

2010 CFN Prediction: 4-8
2010 Record: 6-6

Sept. 4 at BYU L 23-17
Sept. 11 Syracuse W 41-20
Sept. 18 Nebraska L 56-21
Sept. 25 OPEN DATE
Oct. 2 at USC W 32-31
Oct. 9 Arizona State L 24-14
Oct. 16 Oregon St W 35-34 2 OT
Oct. 23 at Arizona L 44-14
Oct. 30 Stanford L 41-0
Nov. 6 at Oregon L 53-16
Nov. 13 UCLA W 24-7
Nov. 20 OPEN DATE
Nov. 27 at California W 16-13
Dec. 4 at Wash St W 35-28
HOLIDAY BOWL
Dec. 30 Nebraska W 19-7
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Washington Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. S Shaquille Thompson
6-2, 210, Scout.com 1st ranked, five-star safety. Thompson is an elite athlete that stars on his team at defensive back, running back and receiver. He has the ability to play any of those on the college level, but his size and skill set may relegate him to safety. He has exceptional balance, instincts and closing speed. He is a sure tackler that seems to be more comfortable closing on a ball carrier than jamming a man at the line. Could play all 4 spots in the defensive secondary.

2. QB Jeff Lindquist
6-3, 225, Scout.com 8th ranked, four-star quarterback. Does a good job of keeping his head up in traffic, always scanning downfield keeping the play alive. Has a quick release with nice touch on his short passes. Good over the top motion minimizes chances of having his ball knocked down. Release remains tight and compact even when he's putting a little extra on the throw. Pushes the ball at times but still generates decent velocity. Shows good toughness running the ball.

3. QB Cyler Miles
6-4, 220, Scout.com 13th ranked, four-star quarterback. Seemingly one of the few quarterbacks who takes snaps from under center, Miles is incredibly light on his feet and his athleticism disguises the fact that he's so big. Despite an unorthodox release, Miles gets rid of the ball incredibly quickly. Despite his size and strength, he doesn't have a huge arm and struggles on the deep outs. A scrambler more than a runner, Miles keeps his eyes downfield at all times looking to pass -

4. WR Jaydon Mickens
5-9, 175, Scout.com 45th ranked, four-star receiver. Mickens lacks size for the outside receiver position, but he is ideal for the slot and return game. He has excellent field vision and good quickness. He has above average hands and knows how to find the open spots in a defensive zone. He has a good sense for setting up his blocks in the return game, and despite blazing top end speed, is still capable of making the big play.

5. LB Ryan McDaniel
6-1, 220, Scout.com 23rd ranked, three-star middle linebacker. Earned First Team All-League honors as a running back in 2010 as Torrance (Calif.) North.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Quarterbacks. Everything is fine for the moment with Keith Price firmly entrenched as the main man, and with a good pecking order behind him, but the coaching staff is looking ahead to 2014 while upgrading the depth. Jeff Lindquist and Cyler Miles are big passers who fit what Steve Sarkisian wants to do with his offense, and the receivers will be in place with a good haul last year and a few good prospects coming in this season.

Team Concerns For 2012: Sarkisian has a good-looking team returning, but the offense needs some skill help with receivers Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar gone and workhorse back Chris Polk leaving early. Finding a few big bodies for the lines with 301-pound left tackle Senio Kelemete and 333-pound defensive tackle Alameda Ta’amu off to the NFL.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: The coaching staff is undergoing a bit of an overhaul after the ugly second half of the season – allowing 31 points or more in five of the last six games and giving up 65 to Stanford and 67 to Baylor – but the offense should be solid. RB Chris Polk took off early to the NFL, but QB Keith Price outplayed Robert Griffin in the Alamo Bowl and proved he’s ready to be a national star. He loses top targets Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar, but Kevin Smith and Kasen Williams are promising. The line only loses two regulars, while the D has to replace four starters including leading tackler Cort Dennison and corner Quinton Richardson. Top pass rusher Josh Shirley should shine with an expanded role.

The 2011 Class Was Heavy On … Receivers. Jake Locker would’ve loved to have had this group to throw to. Austin Seferian-Jenkins is a tall, talented tight end who might could be special very, very soon. Kasen Williams isn’t a blazer, but he’s a big, physical receiver who’ll the team’s No. 1 target when he’s ready. Josh Perkins and Jamaal Jones aren’t going to break any stopwatches, but they’ll fight for the ball. Bishop Shankey could be an interesting back to work into the mix right away. Defensively, the strength is on the defensive front with Taniela Tupou leading a big group.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 10. That Class Was Heavy On ... Linebackers. Steve Sarkisian, with a full year to work, came up with a phenomenal class with the type of infusion of talent to make Washington a player in the Pac 10 race for the next few years. The key piece to the puzzle is Sean Parker, an NFL-caliber safety who was given the full court press by USC, Cal, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Tennessee, but will be the sheriff of the Dawg secondary. Nick Montana, Joe's son, will get a year to groom behind Jake Locker, and Deontae Cooper is the running back the program has been missing. Underappreciated was the pickup of two future All-Pac 10 guards, Eric Kohler and Colin Porter, and DT Sione Potoae, a sure-thing NFL run plugger. Seven linebackers were signed including Chris Young, a big-hitting outside defender, and Victor Burnett, a pure inside linebacker who should become the leader in the middle.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 66. That Class Was Heavy On ... defense. Steve Sarkisian spent almost all of his recruiting muscle trying to rebuild a defense that allowed more than 38 points a game a year ago. Every level of the defense received attention, with special concentration going to the defensive tackles and cornerbacks. Linebackers Tim Tucker and Andru Pulu, in particular, might be good enough to dodge a redshirt year and contribute on special teams and defense right away.

Valero Alamo Bowl
Baylor 67 … Washington 56
- CFN Thoughts on the Alamo

Baylor: The Bears came up with 777 yards and 482 rushing yards. … Robert Griffin III completed 24-of-33 passes for 295 yards and a score, and ran 18 times for 55 yards and a score. … Terrance Ganaway ran 21 times for 200 yards and five scores. …. Jerred Salubi ran five times for 101 yards and two scores. … Tevin Reese ran twice for 101 yards and caught five passes for 66 yards …. Kendall Wright caught seven passes for 91 yards and a score. … Baylor LB Elliot Coffey made 15 tackles.

Washington: The Huskies gained 620 yards … Keith Price completed 23-of-37 passes for 438 yards and four scores, and ran five times for 39 yards and three scores. … Chris Polk ran 30 times for 147 yards and a score. … Jermaine Kearse caught five passes for 198 yards and a score, and Devin Aguilar caught five passes for 90 yards and two scores. … Sean Parker made 15 tackles. … Josh Shirley made five tackles and three sacks.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III wasn't dazzling - and didn't need to be - as No. 15 Baylor pulled out a thrilling Alamo Bowl victory in the highest-scoring bowl game in history, beating Washington 67-56 in a record-smashing shootout Thursday night.

If this was RG3's final showcase before jumping to the NFL, it was a gripping goodbye to watch. One of the nation's most electrifying players was upstaged by an even more exciting game that shattering the previous record for points in regulation set in the 2001 GMAC Bowl.

Griffin had an unremarkable night, throwing just one touchdown pass and running for another. But Terrance Ganaway starred ably in his place, rushing for 200 yards and five touchdowns.

His last was a 43-yard run with 2:28 left to seal Baylor's first 10-win season since 1980.

Griffin wasn't the star, but a crowd overwhelmingly in favor of Baylor that was left breathless by five lead changes and three touchdown plays of 50 yards or longer still treated him like one.

"One more year! One more year!" fans chanted as Griffin darted around the field in celebration.

Asked when he'll make his decision on whether to forgo his senior year, the AP Player of the Year said, "Pretty soon here, probably."

The previous bowl record for a regulation game was 102 total points set in the 2001 GMAC Bowl between Marshall and East Carolina. That game went to double overtime and ended with a combined 125 points - which still stands as the overall bowl record.

Baylor and Washington (7-6) also set a bowl record for total offense in a game with 1,377 yards.

Washington quarterback Keith Price outplayed his Heisman counterpart, going 23 for 27 with 438 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for another three scores.

Griffin was 24 of 33 for 295 yards - and his only touchdown throw came on the game's opening drive.

Blown out in four other games against ranked opponents this season, the Huskies finally made one interesting. Not that it started that way after Baylor ran up 245 yards of offense alone in the first quarter - awful even by the standards of Washington's defense, which is among the nation's worst.

Then the most award-winning QB in the country suddenly stopped looking like even the best one in the Alamodome.

Price, a sophomore who threw a school-record 29 touchdowns in his first year as the starter, began cutting into a 21-7 deficit with a 12-yard scoring strike to James Johnson. Seven minutes later he tied the game when Devin Aguilar somersaulted over the goal line after catching a 1-yard lob.

The overwhelming crowd of Baylor fans - decked in green-and-gold Heisman shirts and armed with signs such as "Superman wears RG3 socks" - stood in stunned silenced. That gave way to disbelieving gasps on the next series, when the typically sure-handed Griffin fumbled after getting popped by Andrew Hudson.

After that, it was practically a free-for-all of big plays.

A 56-yard touchdown dash by Polk. An 80-yard touchdown catch by Washington's Jermaine Kearse two plays into the second half. An 89-yard scoring rumble by Baylor's Terrance Ganaway. Kearse again, catching and darting for 60 yards before getting dragged down, setting up Price's fourth touchdown toss the next play.

Back and forth, back and forth. One after another. In all, five plays covered 50 or more yards, three of them for scores.

For an Alamo Bowl short on drama and light on matchups in recent years, it was a thrilling scoring spree that overshadowed the mere novelty of featuring the Heisman winner. And that in itself was a rarity for a bowl of this stature: Not since Ty Detmer took BYU to the Holiday Bowl in 1990 had a Heisman winner played in a bowl before New Year's Day.

Plenty came to see this one.

Anticipating a surge of Heisman gawkers, Alamo Bowl officials added 800 temporary seats and opened up others with obstructed views that required ticket-buyers to sign a form acknowledging the poor sightlines. Those seats sold, anyway, and the announced attendance of 65,256 was the fifth-largest in the bowl's history.

Others had better seats.

That includes Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, who kicked for Baylor in the late 1980s but was here on business scouting Griffin in case the fourth-year junior enters the draft. Griffin's parents, two sisters and fiancee watched the nail-biter with front-row seats.

Griffin acknowledged this week his parents are looking at his draft prospects but denies having any substantial talks with them.

Win or lose, it was an impressive finale for Washington after stumbling into the postseason losing four of its last six. Particularly against a ranked team after then-Top 25 opponents Nebraska, Stanford, Oregon and USC all crushed the Huskies by an average of 24 points.

Nov. 26 at Washington 38 … Washington State 21  

Nov. 19 at Oregon State 38 … Washington 21
CFN Analysis: Nick Montana completed 11-of-21 passes for 79 yards and two scores with a pick, but he wasn’t the reason for the loss. Keith Price came in late, completing 5-of-9 passes for 76 yards and a score with a pick, but he couldn’t find the early season magic to spark a comeback. … Just when it seemed like Price might have the momentum turned, the UW defense couldn’t get off the field and the Beavers closed it out with a scoring march. The pass rush couldn’t get the job done. … Chris Polk deserves All-Pac 12 recognition. He has nothing to do with the team’s slide, doing what he can over the last few weeks and coming up with a tough 109 yards on 25 carries. … The Huskies are going bowling, but with four losses in the last five games, they desperately need a win over Washington State. All the positives from the start of the season are forgotten. Any late turnaround has to start with more of a push from the defensive front and better pass protection from the O line. 

Nov. 12 at USC 40 … Washington 17
CFN Analysis: On a two-game losing streak and with losses in three of the last four games, the Huskies have fallen flat at the wrong time. Fortunately, Oregon State and Washington State are up next to right the ship. … Can Nick Montana move the offense? Keith Price was playing well, completing 12-of-16 passes for 125 yards, before getting knocked out with a knee injury. Montana was fine, completing 9-of-15 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown, but he was under pressure all game long. … The game got out of hand too quickly for Chris Polk to be a factor, finishing with 36 yards and a score on nine carries. … The beleaguered pass defense came up with one of its better games, but the run defense was soft. The secondary will have to gear it up against over the fnal two games against the Beavers and Cougars. 

Nov. 5 Oregon 34 … at Washington 17
CFN Analysis: Washington needed to be nearly perfect, and it wasn’t. The offensive line couldn’t keep the Duck defensive line from getting to Chris Polk at the point of attack, and while Keith Price completed 24-of-35 passes, the best pass play came from Nick Montana to Kasen Williams from 53 yards away. The three turnovers turned into points, and Washington couldn’t pick up the slack after Oregon took over in the third quarter. The Huskies were beaten by a better team, and now it’s on the road for the next two games at USC and Oregon State. After losing two of the last three, and with the best win this year coming against a mediocre California, it’s time to come up with something big. Winning at USC would be a season-maker.

Oct. 29 at Washington 42 … Arizona 31
CFN Analysis: On the plus side, the Huskies are going bowling again. Considering the concerns coming into the season, getting to six wins at this point, with losses to Stanford and Nebraska, is impressive. However, the defense continues to be a disaster, getting picked apart by Arizona for 388 yards. Fortunately, Chris Polk was able to make up for the three interceptions – including a bizarre pick six – thrown by Keith Price, by running for 144 yards on 34 carries with four touchdowns, and he took four passes for 100 yards and a score. This might not be a perfect team, and there might be major holes, but this might be the fourth best team in the league – behind Stanford, Oregon, and Arizona State – and it needs to prove it over the next few weeks with Oregon and USC coming up. With six wins, though, it’s all gravy from here on. 

Oct. 22 at Stanford 65 … Washington 21
CFN Analysis: The Huskies came into the game with one of the Pac-12’s best run defenses, but they couldn’t keep Stanford from breaking off big run after big run. The line couldn’t get to Andrew Luck, but the bigger problem was trying to keep the Cardinal backs from taking off for big plays, allowing 446 yards and a whopping 10.1 yards per carry. Outside of an interception, Keith Price was strong, and Chris Polk continued to show why he deserves All-America consideration over the second half of the season, but the team failed the test. This was supposed to be when the program proved it was back to being a major player in the Pac-12, but instead it showed how far there is to go. With a newly-pumped up Arizona up next and with Oregon and at USC to follow, UW has to get its focus back, tighten up on the front seven and not miss so many stops, and quickly get over the fact that Stanford really is special. 

Oct. 15 at Washington 52 … Colorado 24
CFN Analysis: Keith Price continues to be terrific, and he’s actually proving to be an upgrade over Jake Locker in terms of consistency and playmaking ability. He’s getting help from Chris Polk, who rolled through the Colorado defense for 117 yards, averaging 6.5 yards per shot, and he’s spreading the ball around well using a variety of targets. The Huskies got up early and never let the Buffs get in it, and now at 5-1, there’s talk that they could be in the mix for the North title. However, remember, the best win so far was against Cal; beating Stanford next week would obviously change the national perception, and the team is playing good enough on the lines to hold up.  

Oct. 1 Washington 31 ... at Utah 14
CFN Analysis: For the Huskies to come up with a dominant win like this on the road was special. Keith Price is playing at a high level, coming up with a 22-of-30, 226-yard, three touchdown effort with a pick, while Chris Polk ran for 189 yards in a tough, workmanlike effort. The defense put the clamps down in the second half, while Price and Polk kept the chains moving and took control of the game. No, there might not be enough overall talent to beat both Stanford and Oregon, but there’s a chance this could be the third best team in the Pac-12 if the pass defense can tighten up a bit. The offense is finding its groove at the right time, there aren’t many mistakes, and the special teams are playing well. With a win over Colorado next week the Huskies could be 3-0 with a trip to Stanford to follow. With two weeks to rest up, the team should enjoy the praise that’ll be heaped on them.  

Sept. 24 at Washington 31 … California 23
CFN Analysis: Washington is 3-1 and now looks far better and far stronger than expected thanks to the play of Keith Price and a strong passing game that’s able to take control of games and able to respond with big drives after the D gives up points. The secondary has been a problem and the running game was mediocre against Cal, but the Huskies have shown they can be good enough and consistent enough to be a player in the North. Chris Polk ran for 60 yards and a score and caught four passes for 85 yards with a 70-yard score, but for now, this is Price’s team and Price’s season. Now he has to come up with a big win on the road, going to Utah next.  

Sept. 17 at Nebraska 51 … Washington 38
CFN Analysis: The first two games against Eastern Washington and Hawaii were going to screw up the stats, but the run defense got exposed this week getting ripped apart by Nebraska for 309 yards. Turnover margin was a big plus over the first two weeks, but three turnovers turned out to be a death blow the Huskies couldn’t overcome. Considering the problems on the Nebraska offensive line, the UW defensive front needed to dominate, and didn’t, but the offense showed enough pep and enough balance to be ready for shootouts against Cal and Utah coming up. If the offense doesn’t blow up, though, the defense isn’t going to bail the team out. 

Sept. 10 at Washington 40 … Hawaii 32
CFN Analysis: The Huskies might have been a little shaky at times to start the season, but 2-0 is 2-0 going into the trip to Nebraska. Keith Price did a fantastic job of getting the passing game going with 315 yards and four scores, but the team had a really, really hard time closing out the Warriors, who rallied furiously to try to come back. Devin Aguilar had a big game as Price’s top target, and Chris Polk ran for 107 yards and a score, but the pass defense has been a disaster so far, and now the run defense will be tested against the Huskers. Getting more plays in the backfield will be a must.
 
Sept. 3 at Washington 30 … Eastern Washington 27
CFN Analysis: There might be life without Jake Locker, but the Washington offense didn’t exactly show it against Eastern Washington. Keith Price came up with a solid 17-of-25, 102-yard day with three scores, but there was absolutely nothing happening down the field. The key was the turnover margin with the D taking it away four times and the offense not making mistakes, and there weren’t any turnovers; that was that only saving grace. Former SMU QB Bo Levi Mitchell lit up the Husky secondary for 473 yards and three touchdowns, but there were just enough stops, led by Desmond Trufant and his 11 tackles with a pick, to get by. Up next is Hawaii and its passing game – uh oh. 

The 2011 Class Is Heavy On … Receivers. Jake Locker would’ve loved to have had this group to throw to. Austin Seferian-Jenkins is a tall, talented tight end who might could be special very, very soon. Kasen Williams isn’t a blazer, but he’s a big, physical receiver who’ll the team’s No. 1 target when he’s ready. Josh Perkins and Jamaal Jones aren’t going to break any stopwatches, but they’ll fight for the ball. Bishop Shankey could be an interesting back to work into the mix right away. Defensively, the strengths on the defensive front with Taniela Tupou leading a big group.

Five Washington Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. WR Kasen Williams
6-3, 215, Scout.com’s 2nd ranked receiver. A big, strong receiver that has an uncanny ability to adjust to the ball in the air. Runs precise routes and has the ability to muscle defensive backs to get separation or beat a jam at the line. Not a burner, but deceptively fast because of his long strides, Williams is a nightmare in the secondary with the ball in his hands because of his size and strength and ability to break one tackle and go. A punisher at the WR position.

2. TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins
6-6, 250, Scout.com’s 2nd ranked tight end. Is almost always open because of his huge frame. He doesn't have to get separation to go over a defender (or 2) that is staying with him. He has the ability to extend his arms and catch with his hands to make himself an even bigger target, though he lets the ball get into his body at times. Gets decent pad level on his blocks despite being at a disadvantage in the battle to get low. Early contributor in passing game.

3. RB Bishop Sankey
5-11, 190, Scout.com’s 17th ranked running back.

4. DE Taniela Tupou
6-2, 260, Scout.com’s 30th ranked defensive end.

5. S James Sample
6-2, 195, Scout.com’s 22nd ranked safety. A strong safety type, Sample likes to keep plays in front of him and come in and make the big hit. He has good closing speed to break on the ball and his big frame and long arms let him knock away more than his share of passes. He has the ability to add considerable weight on his frame and be a force against the run. Team is so dominating that playing full speed every down hasn't been asked of him.

2011 Entire Recruiting Class
Derrick Brown QB 6-3 239 Vista Murrieta Winchester, Calif.
Dexter Charles OL 6-5 280 Stanwood Camano, Wash.
Connor Cree DE 6-5 225 Skyline Sammamish, Wash.
Travis Feeney LB/S 6-4 201 Pinole Valley Richmond, Calif.
Jarett Finau LB/TE 6-3 235 Juanita Kirkland, Wash.
Marvin Hall WR 5-10 168 Dorsey Los Angeles, Calif.
Jamaal Jones WR 6-2 180 Graham-Kapowsin Spanaway, Wash.
Scott Lawyer LB 6-2 197 Oak Grove San Jose, Calif.
Matthew Lyons LB 6-2 188 Dorsey Los Angeles, Calif.
Joshua Perkins WR 6-2 197 Gahr Cerritos, Calif.
Marcus Peters CB 6-0 179 McClymonds Oakland, Calif.
Dezden Petty TB/FB 6-0 213 Gardena Carson, Calif.
James Sample S 6-2 191 Grant Sacramento, Calif.
Bishop Sankey TB 5-10 194 Gonzaga Prep Spokane, Wash.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins TE 6-6 250 Gig Harbor Fox Island, Wash.
Danny Shelton DT 6-3 300 Auburn Auburn, Wash.
Antavius Sims ATH 6-2 200 Ventura College Americus, Ga.
Siosifa Tufunga OL 6-1 297 Long Beach Jordan Long Beach, Calif.
Taniela Tupou DL 6-2 265 Archbishop Murphy Marysville, Wash.
Thomas Tutogi LB 6-0 251 Southwestern JC Chula Vista, Calif.
Corey Waller LB 6-2 210 Long Beach Poly Long Beach, Calif.
Kasen Williams WR 6-2 210 Skyline Sammamish, Wash.
Evan Zeger S 6-2 200 Bishop Gorman Henderson, Nev.