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Basically ... The defense wasn't horrible last year, but it wasn't consistent. Don't expect much of a change with a very young front seven needing time to jell and looking for depth to develop. However, the movement of safety Evan Benjamin to linebacker should be a great change. The secondary will be strong led by CB Derrick Johnson and FS Jimmy Newell.
Star of the defense: Senior CB Derrick Johnson
Player that has to step up and become a star: Redshirt freshman DT Casey Tyler
Unsung star on the rise: Junior LB Evan Benjamin
Best pro prospect: Johnson
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Johnson, 2) FS Jimmy Newell, 3) Benjamin
Strength of the defense: Defensive back
Weakness of the defense: Defensive tackle
Defensive Line
Projected Starters
- Defensive end Ty Eriks, Jr. - The former fullback grew into a strong end starting three games making 12 tackles. With a year of experience on the defensive side, he should quickly become an
athletic pass rusher.
- Defensive tackle Casey Tyler, RFr. - At 290 pounds he provides some much needed bulk on the inside. He got plenty of reps this spring with Dan Milsten getting knocked out with a knee
injury.
- Defensive tackle Donny Mateaki, Soph. - Mateki came on over the second half of the year finishing with 12 tackles and two sacks as a freshman. He's a Pac 10 All-Academic performer who'll grow
into a strong player against the run with more time. He already has the quickness to get into the backfield.
- Defensive end Manase Hopoi, Jr. - While not a speedy athletic pass rusher, Hopoi is a reliable all-around end good at getting into the backfield on a regular basis with 17.5 tackles for
loss, and strong enough to get 11 sacks over the last two seasons. He'll be the leader of the young line.
Top Backups
- DT Dan Milsten, Soph. - Milsten saw a little bit of time as a freshman before hurting his ankle. He was all set to become a starter in the middle before injuring his knee this spring. Now
he'll push for time behind Casey Taylor.
- DE Brandon Ala, Soph. - Ala saw plenty of action as a freshman even getting a start finishing with 11 tackles and 2.5 tackle for loss. He had the athleticism, but he wasn't all that big. A
year in the weight room has him up to 250 pounds and ready to be a factor behind Ty Eriks.
The Skinny: With most of the bulk depth moving over to the offensive line, this is a very, very young group with only one starter returning. Getting in the backfield will be a key losing
Terry Johnson early to the NFL. This shouldn't be a bad line, but it'll take a little bit of time to come around.
Player to keep an eye on: Ty Eriks ... Defensive Line Rating: 6.5
Linebackers
Projected Starters
- Tim Galloway, Sr. - Galloway finished second on the team in tackles with 84 last year after stepping in for an injured Joe Lobendahn. Now the two will combine for one of the inside spots as
solid tacklers in the middle.
- Scott White, Soph. - A reserve last year, the 230-pound White gained valuable experience as a freshman making 26 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. His production dropped as the season went
on, but he should be a leading tackler in the middle.
- Evan Benjamin, Jr. -The former strong safety brought his big hitting talents to outside linebacker this spring. He's only 210 pounds, but he flies all over the field making 71 tackles last
year while picking off three passes, and it'll be a shock if he's not one of the team's top two tacklers.
Top Backups
- Joe Lobendahn, Jr. - The team captain was all set for a breakout year on the inside, but a knee injury cut things short three games into the season. He'll be back this fall to combine with
Tim Galloway for one of the jobs.
- Taj Bomar, Soph. - Bomar made three tackles last year as a true freshman, mostly on special teams, and will learn on the job behind Evan Benjamin on the outside. At 220 pounds he brings more
size to the position.
The Skinny: There might not be any sure-fire All-Pac 10 stars, but it'll be a strong unit with four players, if Joe Lobendahn returns 100% healthy, that can get the job done. If there
are going to be honors in the group, Evan Benjamin could be the breakout player once he gets all the subtle nuances of the position down. They can all run and are all good and stopping the
run.
Player to keep an eye on: Even Benjamin ... Linebacker Rating: 7.5
Secondary
Projected Starters
- Cornerback Derrick Johnson, Sr. - The star of the secondary, Johnson earned second-team All-Pac 10 honors last year after making 41 tackles and picking off sic passes. He also led the team
with seven broken up passes. He's tremendously quick and has a great nose for the ball picking off 11 passes in two yards, and now he has to be a lock-down corner erasing the opposing team's
receiver.
- Free safety Jimmy Newell, Sr. - Newell got through a season healthy after having problems with his knee and with dislocated fingers the year before, and now has he'll be the leader of the
group after finishing second on the team with 84 tackles to go along with three interceptions. He's a smart player earning Pac 10 All-Academic honors.
- Strong safety C.J. Wallace, Soph. - With Evan Benjamin staying at linebacker, Wallace took over the starting job with a little bit of experience and big hitting ability. His emergence will be
the key to improvement in the secondary.
- Cornerback Sam Cunningham, Sr. - Cunningham returns to his starting spot on the other side of Derrick Johnson where he made 22 tackles and broke up three passes. With Johnson getting a
reputation as a top ball hawk, teams are going to start picking on Johnson more and more.
Top Backups
- Free safety Dashon Goldson, Jr. - The JUCO All-American missed spring ball with a shoulder problem, but he should be ready to roll this fall to immediately challenge for playing time. He made
99 tackles and two interceptions last year as the star of a good JUCO defense.
- Strong safety Chris Hemphill, RFr. - An interesting prospect, Hemphill is 6-6 and 210 pounds pushing for time a strong safety behind C.J. Wallace. Washington has to find a way to use his
height to combat the bigger receivers on the schedule.
- Cornerback Dre Simpson, Soph. - One of the team's rising stars, Simpson saw a little bit of time as a true freshman and will play a much bigger role behind Sam Cunningham this year. At 6-1
and 200 pounds, he's a big, physical corner.
The Skinny: Nobody's pass defense is a rock in the Pac 10, but that doesn't mean the Huskies can't tighten up after allowing 233 yards per game and 18 scores. The players are there with
three returning starters and some good backups. The corner tandem of Derrick Johnson and Sam Cunningham should be among the league's best.
Player to keep an eye on: C.J. Wallace ... Secondary Rating: 7
Special Teams
- Placekicker Evan Knudson, Jr. - The walk-on turned in a decent season connecting on 10 of 17 field goals. He has a decent leg, but there was a problem with blocked kicks getting four batted
back at him. He was solid from deep hitting 5 of 8 from beyond 40 yards.
- Punter Sean Douglas, Soph. - Douglas handled the kickoffs last year and will step in to the punting job replacing Garth Erickson and his 41.8 yard average. He had one punt last year for 43
yards.
The Skinny: The kicking game isn't going to be a problem, but it's a stretch to call it a strength. Charles Frederick returns to handle the returns averaging 18.4 yards per kickoff return and 11.7 yards on punts. The coverage units were tremendous last season holding teams to 17.4 yards on kickoffs and 5.4 yards on punts. Special Teams Rating: 7
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