Injuries leave UW roster in flux

SEATTLE – One week away from the season opener, the University of Washington football team was no closer to unveiling its starting lineups on Saturday.

Injuries at several key positions left the first units on both sides of the ball in flux as the Huskies took part in their first game-week practice of the regular season.

Redshirt freshman cornerback Justin Glenn watched the session while wearing a brace on his left knee. Glenn entered camp as the first-team cornerback but was relegated to second-team duty most of last week while true freshman Desmond Trufant worked with the No. 1s. On Saturday, sophomore Vonzell McDonald Jr. ran with the first team while Trufant worked with the second unit.

At tailback, redshirt freshman Chris Polk continues to be the front-runner, but no clear-cut starter was announced. His chief competition, sophomore Johri Fogerson, sat out practice while nursing a sore ankle.

Wide receiver James Johnson, who joins Trufant as one of two true freshmen battling for a starting job on this year’s team, was also sidelined by an ankle injury. Johnson is competing with returning players D’Andre Goodwin, Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar for a starting spot.

Tight end Kavario Middleton sat out practice because of a hamstring injury, and it’s unclear whether he is still the odds-on favorite to start. Chris Izbicki was with the first team Saturday, but junior-college transfer Dorson Boyce also got plenty of work with that unit.

In all, 13 Huskies sat out Saturday’s practice for health reasons, including five who are competing for starting jobs.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian said he expects all of his ailing players to be back for Saturday’s game against 11th-ranked LSU.

An estimated 13 of the Huskies’ 22 starting jobs are expected to go to returning starters. That includes quarterback Jake Locker, who started only four games last season before getting sidelined by a thumb injury.