A Starting UW Defense for Kalen DeBoer to Consider
Every University of Washington defensive coach was replaced. Two starters up front hit the transfer portal. The leading tackler at linebacker moved on. One secondary standout has declared early for the NFL draft and two others are expected to follow.
Basically, it's a Husky defense refresh.
So how different will Kalen DeBoer's first Husky stop unit look in comparison to Jimmy Lake's last offering?
At first glance, the new UW defense and the old one will resemble each other in alignment — nearly everyone in college football lives and dies by a basic 4-2-5 defensive set these days, Fresno State and the UW included.
Where new co-defensive coordinators William Inge and Chuck Morrell will change things up, based on what they did last season in the Mountain West, is how often they send people to take the quarterback's head off.
Boom or bust, these Huskies will blitz.
Last season, Fresno State piled up 90 tackles for loss and 31 sacks in putting together its 10-3 record compared to the Huskies' 62 and 21, respectively, while stumbling along at 4-8.
Guys like Edefuan Ulofoshio and Carson Bruener should be overly enthused about their coming assignments, which should provide them with a much greater opportunity to create turnovers.
Previously asked to sit back and react, and let an NFL-style secondary force the action, these Husky linebackers should be much more active as they fly around.
Ulofoshio had no sacks this past fall over half a season, Bruener just 1. That could change in a hurry.
Also, expect a hybrid linebacker/safety position, actually labeled the Husky at Fresno State by DeBoer, to come into play, something not used a lot at the UW since Jim Lambright utilized it in his stop units. Returning strong safety Dominque Hampton, who prefers to play a physical rather than a finesse game, could be an ideal fit for this role.
Finding a pair of highly reliable cornerbacks will be a priority for the new staff, but getting a push up front from a veteran but beaten-down defensive line will be just as important.
As the new Husky coaches study the video from last season and familiarize themselves with their defensive personnel, we have selected a starting lineup from the remnants for DeBoer to closely examine after watching Lake's spring practice, fall camp and last season's schedule play out. The intent is to put the very best players on the field.
Remember more portal transfer additions and subtractions could be on the way and make some of this moot. Or there could be some creative in-house position switches. Either way, there is a lot of work to do to fix things. Feel free to disagree with any of it as you see fit.
Jackson Sirmon returns at inside linebacker.
Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports
Outside linebackers
Starters: Zion Tupuola-Fetui and Sav'ell Smalls
This will require ZTF not hitting the transfer portal, which he seemed to leave open as a possibility when he headed home to Hawaii for Christmas. ZTF is undeniably a great player when healthy, but he's built his reputation on a three-game sample in 2020, where he came up with 7 sacks, including 3 strip sacks. He previously was an ordinary player because he was young and later an ordinary player when in recovery from an Achilles tear. It's time to see what he can do over a full season. It's time for a coaching staff to turn Sav'ell Smalls into the big-time player he's supposed to be, maybe into another ZTF. Smalls might have got too heavy and lost some quickness. Slim him down. He might need more of an attacking defense to really show off his skills. Rev him up and cut him loose on the quarterback. Waiting in the wings are Bralen Trice, Jordan Lolohea and Jeremiah Martin.
Defensive tackles
Starters: Tuli Letuligasenoa and Kuao Peihopa
Unless the Huskies have some sort of transfer-portal monster come in and shake things up, and they're looking everywhere for him, we'll go with Letuligasenoa and Peihopa, two temperamental guys who will be asked to restore respect to a UW position of great tradition that's been abused for consecutive seasons. After all, this is the place that produced Vita Vea, Greg Gaines and Danny Shelton. Letuligasenoa actually was named All-Pac-12 honorable mention this past season, but much more is expected from this guy. Maybe the new strength coach can give him the physical edge he lacked at times last season. Or else Letuligasenoa will play a support role to Peihopa, who is one of the strongest players on the team but couldn't stay healthy as a true freshman and establish himself. Voi Tunuufi, another true freshman who played significant snaps, showed he could battle right away and he finished tied for the team lead in sacks with 3 though nagged by injuries. Faatui Tuitele, Jacob Bandes and Noa Ngalu are in reserve.
Inside linebackers
Starters: Edefuan Ulofoshio and Carson Bruener
With leading tackler Jackson Sirmon (92) exiting through the portal, the Huskies will lean on their second- and third-leading guys, Bruener (70) and Ulofoshio (51), with their numbers accumulated over a half season each. A second-team All-Pac-12 pick in 2020, Ulofoshio was considered one of the nation's top returning linebackers entering this past season until he hurt his arm and had season-ending surgery. Bruener made the biggest breakthrough of anyone on the roster, taking over and playing well once Ulofoshio went out. Add to that Alphonzo Tuputala, who was on the verge of playing a lot until he suffered an Achilles injury in spring, and Daniel Heimuli, who started two games and got a taste of the action, but the Huskies are dangerously low on linebacker numbers here.
Cornerbacks
Starters: Jacobe Covington and Jordan Perryman
The Huskies' most talented position turns into the team's biggest question mark entering next season. Covington is one of those secondary recruits who was brought to Montlake with a huge reputation and now it's time for him to show it. Perryman, the transfer from UC Davis, three-year starter and All-Big Sky selection, brings corner experience that no one else on the roster possesses. Still, if the jump to the Pac-12 proves too much for him at the outset, Mishael Powell, a walk-on player yet a three-game starter last season, will slide into the starting role. The Huskies also have promising young players such as Elijah Jackson and Zakhari Spears prepared to bid for game time.
Alex Cook will be in the safety competition.
Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports
Safeties
Starters: Cam Williams and Alex Cook
The Huskies had seven different players start at the two safety spots last season as injuries and poor play kept the carousel spinning. Williams worked hard to reclaim the first-team job he held as a true freshman and he made the hit of the year in overtime on the goal line against Cal, only to go down with nagging injuries. Cook similarly is a veteran guy who has shown himself to be a physical and fairly dependable player, but his season was interrupted when he left the field on a stretcher at Arizona and went into concussion protocol for a few weeks. If those two can't stay healthy, Asa Turner and Julius Irvin have started and played a lot and won't be starstruck.
Hybrid safety (Husky)
Starter: Dominique Hampton
Hampton, with his 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame and hitter's mentality, has the size to play this role, which is that of a bit of a freelancer. Turner likewise has the size at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, but not necessarily the physical demeanor required to be successful here. Add to the mix junior-college transfer Demario King, who brings a 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame and plenty of speed, and Kamren Fabiculanan, another long and lean player who wasn't quite ready for a starting role last season but could be now.
Final summary: DeBoer and his staff probably thought they were coming in initially to fix the offense, but the defense needs a lot more work. This will require finding some ready-to-play portal transfers, bringing out the best in someone such as Smalls and hoping ZTF still wants to be a Husky. This is why coaching changes almost never result in huge success right away.
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