Kavario Middleton and Josh Shirley

I’ve been gone for almost a week now and have missed out on some interesting things.  Some of those things included a Mariner scuffle that I don’t have any problem with.  Maybe they should do it more often because it’s the most entertaining thing the team has done this season.  Instead of writing a couple of paragraphs about something that has been covered too much already I thought I’d write about something that is actually exciting: Husky football.

Over the last week two big things have happened, a departure and an arrival.  Lets end on the good note.

Kavario Middleton was kicked off the team last week.  The news seemed to come all of a sudden, but I wasn’t too surprised by it.  In fact, I haven’t talked to anyone who was too surprised by the news.  Middleton was kicked off for breaking team rules.  I’ve heard rumors about him failing a drug test but I don’t really know if that was true.

Middleton came to Washington as a 5-star recruit who was supposed to make UW Tight End U again.  He had moments.  In his home debut against BYU, Middleton made a few nice plays as a true freshman.  He had the size to look like he belonged and he had the hands to become an amazing pass catcher. 

That never happened.  Instead Middleton didn’t care.  He never worked hard enough to become a good blocker.  He was supposed to be a star in the pro-style offense that Sark brought but that never happened.  Sure, he had flashes but so does Casey Kotchman and we all know Kotchman won’t work out.  At least, he won’t work out for the Mariners.  Middleton wouldn’t have worked out for the Huskies. 

I watched Kavario quite a bit this spring.  I saw Sark try to get teach him in every way possible.  He would pull him aside and try to teach him privately.  He would yell across the field to tell him to block.  He would praise him whenever he did something good but Middleton would still take plays off and that would show in the games.  I absolutely agree with Sark in letting him go.  Maybe he’ll figure it out somewhere else.  He has the talent and he’s young, I wish him the best.

Now on to the good news.  Josh Shirley is a Husky!  I followed recruiting pretty closely this year and Josh Shirley was the one guy I was really disappointed that we didn’t get.  If he had committed on signing day, Shirley might have been a bigger name than Sean Parker. 

He is exactly what the Huskies have been looking for.  A DE/LB with speed off the end.  He was a mad man in high school and played really well in the all-star games that followed.  He may be a little underweight right now but he is expected to play right away.

Yes, he got into some trouble down in Pasadena.  Or did he?  Maybe UCLA just jumped to conclusions.  Shirley, at the moment, has no charges against him.  He didn’t have to post bail.  Yes, he obviously did something wrong but at this point we don’t know if it was just being in the wrong place at the wrong time or something more.  We aren’t picking up a Jeremiah Masoli here.  He has no record and is regarded as a good kid from everyone I’ve heard.

This could be a great pick up for years to come.  Welcome Josh!

Andrew