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WASHINGTON2003 Outlook 2003 Outlooklinebacker. Seery moved into the position lastyear after playing quarterback and safety earlierin his career.Wide ReceiverWhile the ranks are lacking the large numberof returning veteran players from a year ago,the Husky wide receivers could be one of the topgroups in the country thanks to returning firstteamAll-American Reggie Williams and rapidlydevelopingjunior Charles Frederick.Washington lost four receivers who totaled121 receptions last year. Add departed tight endKevin Ware and that total grows to 163 catches.Williams and Frederick combined for 139 receptions.Williams, who in two years has establishedhimself as the top wideout in Washington history,will be a leading candidate for the 2003 BiletnikoffAward, presented to the nation’s top receiver. Hecaught 94 passes for 1,454 yards as a sophomoreand enters his junior season with 149career catches good for 2,427 yards. His twoyearyardage total is the best ever among Pac-10receivers.By comparison, USC standoutKeyshawn Johnson totaled 148 catches and 2,358yards in the 1994 and 1995 seasons, his juniorand senior seasons.In 2002, Williams ranked eighth nationallywith an average of 7.23 receptions per game andwas ninth in reception yards per game at 111.85.His highlights included a school-record 89-yardtouchdown catch against San Jose State, a lastminute80-yard game-winning TD receptionagainst Arizona and a 14-catch, 198-yard, threetouchdownperformance on the road at Oregon.Offensive tackle Todd BachertCenter Dan DicksWilliams was at his best down the stretch,helping the Huskies play themselves back intothe bowl picture. Dubbed “Mr. November,” Williamscaught 35 passes during Washington’s finalthree regular season games. That included a 12-reception, 169-yard performance at WashingtonState while being defended by Cougar All-Americacornerback Marcus Trufant.A strong, physical player, Williams has drawnraves by the Husky coaches for his often overlookedblocking skills. He joined the ranks of theHusky track team during the winter quarter towork on his speed and anchored the team’s4x400-meter relay squad this spring.While Williams was grabbing most of theheadlines last season, the development ofFrederick as another reliable receiver was equallyimportant to the Huskies’ offensive plans. Whilehe only started twice, Frederick caught 45 passesfor 651 yards, and also acted as UW’s top puntand kickoff returner last year.Frederick’s speed and elusiveness makeshim a dangerous player in the open field. He hadat least two catches in every game after spendinghis freshman year concentrating on special teamsduties.That maturation began during the Huskies’off-season workout program when Frederickelected not to return to the UW basketball teamand instead concentrate on football conditioning.Justin Robbins, who caught 22 catches as afreshman in 2000, will rejoin the team this fall aftermissing most of the last two years due to injury.Also fitting into the position lineup is redshirt32freshman Jordan Slye, who moved from defensiveback during the spring, and walkon MattGriffith. Several incoming freshmen are also expectedto compete for playing time at the position.Tight EndWashington has developed a reputation asthe best school in the country for tight ends sincethe early ’90s, though who will be the next playerto step into that spotlight is unclear. While sophomoreJoe Toledo received a generous amount ofplaying time in 2002, it was primarily in two tightend sets. Toledo sat out the spring due to shouldersurgery.Washington took the step of recruiting JonLyon, a top junior-college tight end, to stabilizethe position. Lyon enrolled at the University inJanuary and participated in spring practices.Redshirt freshman Ben Bandel also impressedthe coaches during the spring and Dash Crutchleymoved from the defensive line to the position toprovide more depth. Sophomore Andy Heateralso returns after playing in three games in 2002.Offensive LineThe Huskies return 10 lettermen and threestarters on the offensive line.The list of starters includes tackle KhalifBarnes, center Todd Bachert and tackle NickNewton, all be third-year starters.Last year, the group provided security whilePickett was attempting a record 612 pass attempts.The Huskies surrendered just 37 sacksduring the season, one for every 17.5 times theteam tried to throw the ball. Run-blocking, however,was more problematic. The Huskies aver-Defensive tackle Terry Johnson
2003 Outlook 2003 OutlookHUSKIESschools last year. Washington’s secondary, whichhas been riddled by injuries the past two seasons,returns 11 players who have earned atleast one letter.The Husky defense ranked 11th nationallyagainst the run, allowing just 97.7 yards pergame. That was the best total since the 1991National Championship season and the fifth-besttotal since the 1964 season. During the final fivegames of the regular season the Husky secondaryallowed just 210 passing yards per game andtotaled nine interceptions, while allowing only sixtouchdowns.Linebacker Marquis Cooperaged just 74.5 yards per game, ranking ninth inthe Pac-10.With Bachert, a Rimington Trophy candidatein 2003, out of spring drills, the coachingstaff gave junior Dan Dicks the opportunity to playcenter. Dicks was so impressive that Bachert willprobably move back to tackle in 2003, the positionhe played two years ago. Rob Meadow is alikely candidate to move into a starting role atguard, while Brad Vanneman, Robin Kezirianand senior walkon Mike Thompson give the centerposition excellent depth.Behind Meadow at strongside guard will beClay Walker and Jason Simonson. Tusi Sa’au isthe likely backup to Newton at the other guardspot.Ryan Brooks and Francisco Tipoti figure asthe backups at the tackle position. Overall, theHusky offensive line boasts considerable experienceat the starting positions, and reliable backupsat each spot.DefenseWashington will build its defense aroundeight returning starters and 22 returning lettermen.The Huskies will look to replace departed startersJafar Williams at outside linebacker, Kai Ellis atdefensive end and Ben Mahdavi at inside linebacker.Those three ranked among the top-sixtacklers on the 2002 team. Mahdavi, a three-yearstarter, tied for the team lead with 100 tackles.Like the other Pac-10 schools, the Huskiescould benefit by the fact that so many talentedsenior quarterbacks graduated from conferenceSafety Jimmy Newell33Linebacker Greg CarothersDefensive LineThree key starters on the Husky defensiveline return in 2003. That group includes seniordefensive tackle Terry Johnson, junior defensivetackle Josh Miller and junior defensive endManase Hopoi. Senior tackle Jerome Stevens, akey reserve, is also back as well as a cast ofreserve players who have all seen valuable playingtime. Miller was forced to sit out spring balldue to a back injury.Johnson, a first-time starter in 2002, sackedopponent quarterbacks five times, while Hopoiearned seven sacks and 17 tackles-for-loss. Miller,who started every game in 2002, had 33 totaltackles, including seven for lost yards.Juniors Tui Alailefaleula and Junior Coffinboth return as backups at tackle with two years ofplaying experience behind them.Several younger players will join one juniorcollegetransfer in competing for their first playingtime.The Huskies have a litter of young playersseeking their first game action this year. Redshirtfreshmen Dan Milsten, Stanley Daniels, BrandonAla, Donny Mateaki and true freshman JordanReffett will all be in the mix up front, while juniocollegetransfer Mike Mapu teams with sophomoreGraham Lasee to provide depth at tackle.LinebackerTo help compensate for the loss of two keylinebackers, the Huskies integrated a little bit ofnew and old in to the position. The new is NotreDame transfer Cory Jones, who will compete forone the inside positions. The old is senior GregCarothers, who moves into the SAM outsidelinebacker role after starting at safety the past twoyears. The move is not completely new territoryfor Carothers, who played the role during theHuskies’ nickel package in the past.Heading up the returning linebacking corpsis senior Marquis Cooper. He tied Mahdavi lastyear for the team lead in total tackles with 100after moving from an outside to inside position.Two veteran reserves expected to join him at theother inside linebacker position are juniors TimGalloway and Joe Lobendahn. Galloway, whomissed spring drills due to shoulder surgery, had26 tackles while playing in all 13 games last year.Lobendahn started twice last year, played in all13 games and totaled 23 tackles. Redshirt freshmanScott White was impressive during the spring
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