UW Football 2015 positional battles

The 2014 season was met with mix success on the field; however, this upcoming draft we can expect an exodus of many of the Huskies to the NFL. Key amongst them are: linebacker Shaq Thompson, nose tackle Danny Shelton, and cornerback Marcus Peters. Starting position will be up for grabs and the next generation of players will replace these incumbents.

Key losses

Name	Position
DiAndre Campbell	Wide Receiver
Kasen Williams	Wide Receiver
Mike Criste	Center
Colin Tanigawa	Guard
James Atoe	Tackle
Micah Hatchie	Tackle
Deontae Cooper	Running Back
Jesse Callier	Running Back
Danny Shelton	Nose Tackle
Hau’oli Kikaha	Defensive End
Evan Hudson	Defensive End
Andrew Hudson	Defensive End
John Timu	Linebacker
Shaq Thompson	Linebacker
Marcus Peters	Cornerback

 

15 starters and key contributors from this last season’s team will move on leaving a vacuum that needs to be filled by next year. Who are some of these names that and what can we expect to see?

Currently, there are players who will slip by default into these positions.

Players to keep your eye on in 2015 include:

Name	Position
Dante Pettis	Wide Receiver	Freshman and leading punt returner on the team, Pettis, was pressed into service as a receiver catching 15 passes for 233 yards.
Dwyane Washington and Lavante Colman	Running Back	In 2014, Washington’s 675 and Coleman’s 589 rushing yards lead the team. It should be expected that they will continue to carry the load in 2015.
Jake EldrenkampSiosifa Tufunga Ross Dolbec Coleman Shelton	Offensive Line	Current backup linemen with on field experience should compete for vacant positions.
Joe MathisTaniela Tupou Elija Qualls Jarrent Finau	Defensive Line	Current backup linemen with on field experience should compete for vacant positions.
Scott LawyerBierria Keishawn Cory Littleton Azeem Victor	Linebacker	Lawyer and Bierra have the most experience both playing in spot duty through much of the season.
John RossKevin King	Cornerback	Although John Ross is a starter at WR,   there has been experiments in 2014 to have the fastest of the Huskies play both ways in 2015

 

Players redshirted in 2014 to keep an eye on:

Name	Position
Kyle Carta-Samuels	Quarterback	With the down season by starting Qb Cyler Miles, and with the lack of progression by Jeff Lindquist and Troy Wiliams, expect Carta-Samuels to compete this spring for the starting position.   The freshman 4-star recruit out of San Jose is expected to make waves as the future of the Chris Peterson era.
Bishard Baker	Defensive Back	With the dearth of the quality defensive players, expect Chris Peterson’s top in-state recruit in 2014 to push for major playing time.
Vita VeaGreg Gaines Jaylen Johnson	Defensive line	3 highly recruited freshmen, redshirted last year, will find ample opportunity to push for playing time in 2015