UW offense still in flux

SEATTLE – Throughout spring practices, and again so far throughout fall camp, Washington Huskies coach Chris Petersen has referred to his team as a “work in progress.”

Of course, any football coach at any level anywhere could say the same thing about any facet of their own team. No amount of improvement is ever enough. But Petersen’s assessment is more true in certain areas than others, given the offensive talent the Huskies lost from a year ago.

Even with only 12 days remaining until the Huskies begin the season at Hawaii, Petersen says: “I still see us in camp mode, to tell you the truth. We got a lot of work to do. Just honing in on that game mode.”

First of all, they’ll have to settle on a new quarterback, either Troy Williams, Jeff Lindquist or Cyler Miles – and Miles is suspended for the opener. That position has been discussed at length since fifth-year senior Keith Price finished his statistically impressive career in December.

But there are a few other positions with plenty to sort out before that Aug. 30 game in Honolulu. Here’s what to expect at said positions as the Huskies close their practices to media and begin developing their initial depth chart.

RUNNING BACK: With Bishop Sankey now vying for the starting running back job with the Tennessee Titans, the Huskies find themselves with four candidates to replace the record-setting back in 2014.

Redshirt freshman Lavon Coleman, sophomore Dwayne Washington and seniors Deontae Cooper and Jesse Callier have each been given first-team repetitions throughout camp, and Petersen maintains that he’s likely to favor a by-committee approach once the season begins. Still, someone has to start, and Petersen would ideally like one player to emerge at least enough to be able to develop an in-game rhythm.

Coleman was a standout in spring and a highly-touted recruit. Washington, Cooper and Callier each had their moments during Saturday’s open scrimmage, with Washington (22 yards) and Callier (5 yards) each scoring touchdowns.

SAFETY: The Huskies will enter the 2014 season with three new starters in the defensive backfield alongside junior cornerback Marcus Peters.

The first-team defensive backfield has remained the same throughout fall camp. Jermaine Kelly, a redshirt freshman, seems to have a strong hold on the cornerback position opposite Peters. Third-year sophomore Brandon Beaver has impressed at free safety since the beginning of spring, while sophomore Trevor Walker is at strong safety.

There is competition behind those four. Freshman Budda Baker, the gem of UW’s 2014 signing class, has already played his way into the second-string free safety spot, and has also worked with the first-team defense as a nickel back. Another freshman, Naijiel Hale, has taken reps with the second-team defense, and sophomore Kevin King has made plays with the No. 2 group at strong safety.

KICKER: Sophomore Cameron Van Winkle has shown a pretty consistent leg inside of 40 yards throughout camp, and was particularly impressive during Saturday’s scrimmage. He nailed five or six consecutive field goals and also put a pair of kickoffs through the back of the end zone. Punter Korey Durkee’s leg looks stronger than ever, and he proved that on Saturday with a kick that traveled about 70 yards. Consistency and accuracy, then, will be key for the junior.