With signing day just happening this last Wednesday, I decided it was time to get to know the Huskies new players. Tonight I’ll go over the Huskies offensive skill positions, tomorrow the offensive and defensive lines, and on Sunday I’ll write about the defensive skill positions. I’m sure you could find better information from the Seattle Times or any recruiting website but hopefully you all find this interesting!
This class is extremely large, with 30 players coming in. This makes up for the lack of depth Tyrone Willingham (also known as the anti-christ) left UW with. This class was ranked #11 by www.scout.com, #20 by www.espn.com, and #28 by www.rivals.com. The reason for such a big difference in the recruiting rankings will take on a post of its own, that I will hopefully get to soon. So on to the players!
Quarterback (1)
Nick Montana, 6-3, 191– As Nick Holt would say, this is awesome! Montana will be enrolled in time for spring practices, which will help in his development. After Jake graduates, Montana and Keith Price will battle it out for the 2011 starting job and these extra practices may really help Nick. He needs to add a little weight to become a starting Pac-10 quarterback. Most scouting reports say he needs a little time to develop under good coaching. Thankfully, he has time, with Jake sticking around, and two of the best quarterback coaches in the country in Sark and Nussmeier. Also, his dad was an alright quarterback so it’ll be nice to have him around.
Running Back (2)
Jesse Callier, 5-11, 186– Callier led the state of California with 3,010 rushing yards this year. No, that’s not a typo. 3,010 yards! In one game last year he rushed for 447 yards! Callier seems durable since he had 300 carries this year, which is a ton for a high school kid. Scouting reports have him more as a speed back than a power back. He will be enrolling in time for spring practices.
Deontae Cooper, 6-0, 191– Cooper was second in the state of California with 2,863 rushing yards this year. It’s pretty impressive that Sark went into California and got the two top rushers. In comparison to Callier, Cooper is more of a power back. Like Chris Polk, he is a straight ahead runner. Cooper is already enrolled at UW, he got here in January.
Fullback (1)
Zach Fogerson, 6-0, 231– Zach, who is the younger brother of UW’s backup running back, Johri, was ranked as the #3 fullback in the country by Scout. He committed to the Huskies way back when Willingham was coach in 2008. He wavered a bit in his committment after Michigan offered him a scholarship, but he ultimately stuck with the Dawgs. He brings a little more athleticism to the fullback position, which the coaches want to utilize.
Wide Receiver (2)
DiAndre Campbell, 6-1, 186– There’s not a lot being said about this guy. He cane from a school in Oakland. Our coaches want tall receivers who can jump and catch the ball, much like USC receivers and Jermaine Kearse. This guy fits that bill as he is said to be very athletic. He’s averaging 20 points on his high school basketball team, which shows some of his athleticism. Sark said in his press conference on Wednesday that they like to recruit basketball players because they have good hand-eye coordination.
Kevin Smith, 6-0, 194– Many people seem to be excited about Kevin Smith. He didn’t start playing football until a couple of years ago and a lot of scouts think that if he had one more year in football he would’ve been a 5 star recruit. As is he’s rated a 4 star by Scout. At the press conference Sark compared him to Terrell Owens. He will also be able to get up and catch the ball with his 40-inch vertical leap.
Tight End (1)
Michael Hartvigson, 6-6, 235– From Danny’s alma mater, Bothell, Hartvigson is a hometown kid who is ranked as one of the best tight ends in Washington. He can also play Defensive End but will most likely stick here for the Huskies. He’s got the length that you want for a tight end. With Middleton, Izbicki, and Boyce in the fold, I believe Hartvigson is headed to a red-shirt year but he will be a solid contributor in time.
I’ll be back with the offensive and defensive lines tomorrow! Hope you enjoyed this, thanks for reading!
-Andrew
andrewlong7
dpscansen
Joe Loughery
Matthew
The Good Guys Sports Blog 
In addition to Hartvigson, another guy to be aware of is the other bookend at Bothell. His name is Evan Hudson, and he is going to walk-on at UW. Hudson, like Hartvigson, played both TE/DE at Bothell. He is 6’6”, 230 and had intended to pursue baseball at WSU until UW recently took notice. I guess all those scouts who came to look at Hartvigson couldn’t help but notice Hudson too. His skill set is not as polished as Hartvigson, but on more than one occasion, he was Bothell’s best TE/DE on the field.