To Be An Elite Football Team, the UW Must Improve This Position
A month and a half from spring practice, photos and videos on social media show University of Washington football players willingly and gleefully sweating bullets in Ron McKeefery's boot camp, among them Edefuan Ulofoshio.
He wears no knee brace, appears to have no restrictions whatsoever, seems like the old Eddie hopping up and down.
Which is all very promising because the Huskies, with plenty of ingredients available to improve on coach Kalen DeBoer's debut 11-2 season, still need a number of things to fall in place.
Yes, they must replace three starting offensive linemen who've moved on, but the replacements have been carefully groomed to step in — just as three new starters were systematically introduced last spring.
Of course, the Huskies need a cornerback upgrade, but the arrival of former Oklahoma State starter Jabbar Mohammad, the signing of multiple touted high school and JC recruits and the maturation of the corner holdovers who were victimized in 2022 should turn turn that position area into a team strength from a decided weakness.
Less than seven months from the season opener against Boise State at Husky Stadium, what DeBoer's second team needs most to move up to an elite level is a playmaking inside linebacker.
They must have a fully recovered Ulofoshio return to form if not play better than he ever has, or someone else reach up and claim that responsibility, certainly anybody who can fill the bill as a turnover machine.
A year ago, the Huskies were solid across the second row, but not great, with since-departed Pittsburgh transfer Cam Bright and a new starter in Alphonzo Tuputala providing stopgap performances.
To be a championship team, the UW defense will require someone to do so much more than that.
In 2022, the UW's inside linebacker contingent collectively finished with just one interception (Bright) and a fumble recovery (Tuputala), both coming without return yardage.
There was nothing resembling Ulofoshio looking like a running back as he sprinted 39 yards with a fumble recovery against Stanford in 2020 or Carson Bruener racing 50 yards upfield with an interception against Oregon a year later.
Edefuan Ulofoshio looked like a running back as he raced up the field stiff-armed others on a 39-yard fumble return against Stanford in 2020.
Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports
Entering the 2021 season, Pro Football Focus pegged a healthy and determined Ulofoshio as the nation's top returning inside linebacker, giving him the highest grade for his previous mistake-free yet heat-seeking style of play. His tackle numbers, topped by 18 against Stanford and 14 against Utah, were off the charts.
Two injury-filled seasons later, outside analysts either have forgotten about Ulofoshio or are waiting to see if he can reclaim or exceed who he once was.
That goes for every other UW linebacker candidate, too.
USC transfer Ralen Goforth changed schools and turned to the Huskies for his final college season after Lincoln Riley's coaching staff made him come off the bench following two years of starting. This grad transfer has no problem hitting people.
Bruener likewise lost playing time following the UW coaching change to DeBoer's staff, going from a five-game starter in 2021 to a season-long reserve last fall. The coaches didn't say it, but it's possible they simply wanted someone faster in a lead role back there. It will be interesting to see what he does with his offseason workouts.
With welcome size and plenty of mobility, the 6-foot-2, 238-pound Tuputala rightfully earned a starting job as a sophomore for 13 games, but he needs to go beyond simply meeting his responsibilities and now needs to step up and make people cough up the ball.
The Huskies can be a good team again, but if they want to be elite as suggested or projected, one or both of their starting inside linebackers this coming season will have to be exceptional.
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