Lake Reveals Surprise UW Starters at Tailback, Safety and Punter; Still Mum on QB
Seven-thirty four.
Pacific time.
That's when California, the Washington fan base and any other interested party will find out who the starting Husky quarterback is on Saturday night in Berkeley, according to coach Jimmy Lake.
He's going to be stubborn about that.
Yet while he was close-lipped about his offensive-unit leader, Lake released his depth chart for the opener and it came with a bunch of surprises.
Senior Kamari Pleasant will start at tailback.
Junior Alex Cook won one of the starting safety jobs.
And senior Race Porter is the No. 1 punter.
"I'm an equal-opportunity employer," Lake said. "If you show that you know our techniques and schemes in all three phases, you're going to move up the depth chart. There are guys who have moved up the depth chart."
Lake made this information available shortly after holding his virtual news conference, so he wasn't around to explain any of the moves.
When asked if his team knew who the top quarterback was, the Husky coach dodged that question by saying, "We're never going to release information that hurts us. We'll all know soon enough."
A Pleasant surprise is the best way to describe the running-back situation going into the Cal opener.
The little-used Pleasant has appeared in 26 games, but not started as a UW running back before nor even been the back-up for any extended period of time. He's rushed 63 times for just 268 yards and 2 touchdowns in his career.
The 6-foot, 230-pound back from Rialto, California, will open ahead of sophomore Richard Newton and senior Sean McGrew, though all of them should get snaps this weekend.
Newton, who scored 11 times last season, was thought to be the leading running-back candidate and even possess Pac-12 star potential. But he'll have to wait a little longer for more of a headliner role.
Cook, a 6-1, 200-pound junior from Sacramento, beat out more heralded sophomore Julius Irvin, the son of former NFL great LeRoy Irvin. Cook is a converted wide receiver who made the switch to defense last season and appeared in all 13 games as a reserve. He' has 3 career tackles. He has one previous UW start — at wide receiver against Ohio State in the 2019 Rose Bowl.
Porter, who recently was elevated from walk-on to scholarship player, edged out junior-college transfer Triston Brown. He started two games in 2018 when normal starter Joel Whitford was injured. Porter, who's also a holder, has a strong enough leg, punting 22 times for a 42.4-yard average.
Just two true freshmen made the two-deep list for the opener. Outside linebacker Sav'ell Smalls is the backup behind sophomore Laiatu Latu and wide receiver Jalen McMillan is listed behind senior Ty Jones.
Freshman tight end Mark Redman, however, was listed third at that position behind junior Cade Otton and sophomore Jack Westover.
And Ethan Garbers, of course, is among the four quarterback candidates — where exactly no one knows — joining Sacramento State transfer Kevin Thomson, sophomore Jacob Sirmon and redshirt freshman Dylan Morris.
Offense
LT — Jaxson Kirkland; Troy Fautanu
LG — Ulumoo Ale; Nate Kalepo
C — Luke Wattenberg; Matteo Mele
RG — Henry Bainivalu; Julius Buelow
RT — Victor Curne; Cory Luciano
TE — Cade Otton; Jack Westover; Mark Redman
QB — Kevin Thomson or Jacob Sirmon or Dylan Morris or Ethan Garbers
TB — Kamari Pleasant; Sean McGrew or Richard Newton
WR — Puka Nacua; Jordan Chin
WR — Terrell Bynum; Austin Osborne
WR — Ty Jones; Jalen McMillan
Defense
OLB — Ryan Bowman; Zion Tupuola-Fetui
DT — Tuli Letuligasenoa; Sam Taimani
DT — Josiah Bronson; Faatui Tuitele
OLB — Laiatu Latu; Sav'ell Smalls
ILB — Jackson Sirmon; Alphonzo Tuputala
ILB — Edefuan Ulofoshio; MJ Tafisi
S — Alex Cook; Julius Irvin
S — Asa Turner; Cam Williams
CB — Keith Taylor; Dominique Hampton
CB — Trent McDuffie; Kyler Gordon
NB — Elijah Molden; Kamren Fabiculanen
Special Teams
PK — Peyton Henry; Tim Horn
P — Race Porter
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