Finally got subscribed. Glad to have you back. Hope everyone appreciates what Dylan is doing and has done for the program. Might not be as good as Penix but should be a serviceable QB is he goes down. Also he is true Husky. Could transfer out but elected to stay. Knows he isn't going to be in NFL and just wants to be a Husky.
With increased portal activity quality depth becomes a big challenge especially at QB. UW is VERY fortunate to have a back up like Morris. Manny forget as a first year starter he was solid. Few programs have a back up of Morris's quality.
I think it is safe to say we all want Heims to get well and that it is nothing serious. Did you see what happened as in what the situation was that caused the injury? I am still also curious why Bruener keeps getting “stuck” on second team. I can admit I am not a coach and don’t see him every day like this staff does - the only thing I mainly see are gamedays and he sure seems to find his way to where the ball is when he is on the field. And do we have any idea on the battle for the kicker spot? Or too early to see any clear lines there?
See below. Breuner is a truly great player on special teams, and he is a very good backup at LB. He is going to play a lot in the fall, in both roles, even if there are no injuries.
Hey Christian, can you talk a little bit about what you can/cant document or report on? I think some parts are no-camera but I don't know the behind the scenes that well.
With regard to the new coaching staff, there really haven't been any guidelines communicated to us. Common sense dictates that your practice access won't last real long if you report on things like trick plays or new alignments, etc., but basically everything else is fair game, including injuries.
Well, they definitely cannot report on any new schemes that are on display. So we are not going to hear about any of that stuff - they can report on the players and where they are playing, but not on any details at all of the schemes on both sides of the ball. I have heard that Grubb showed at least one genuinely new "scheme" on Monday, he is a VERY creative OC. And, of course, they cannot report on injuries unless the coaches give the OK to do that.
Really hoping for a good update on Heims!! First and foremost because you just want him to be okay!! Also, felt like he had (has) a very real shot to push for significant playing time based on his production in limited reps last year.
Can’t remember from previous stories if Muhammad is already on campus or is he a spring term enrollee who will miss this week’s action?
What did you see at RB in the scrimmage? Who got the first snaps? Curious to know if Cam Davis and Richard Newton are ahead of Dillon Johnson, based on familiarity with the offense. Or if they will give an immediate nod to the obvious athleticism that Johnson brings.
Based on size alone, it feels like Ngata may play more of the Will Nixon type of role, as opposed to every down usage. What do you make of the overall RB competition and what are your insights on who looks to have the best chance to break out...based more on what you are seeing on the field now vs. past highlight plays?
As always, thanks for your work and can’t wait to hear more!!
Muhammed was there on Monday, "suited" up but my understanding is that he did not actually participate in the practice. That may have been to allow him to observe how they run practice live before they throw him out there for one. He is a very veteran player so I am sure that he will pick things up pretty quickly. I will be shocked if he is not a starter in the fall.
I cannot really see how he is in line to get any real playing time at RB this fall. I definitely see Johnson and Davis as being the top two players at RB. If you are looking for a "darkhorse" guy at RB I think that Adams might possibly work his way into the rotation. He definitely has talent. But Ngata, the transfer from ASU, has a lot of talent and a lot of college experience. He is a very good pass receiver, as is Nixon of course (he will actually probably see some playing time at receiver). And there is Newton as well. Unless there are injuries I cannot really see anyone beyond those six guys getting PT in games this year.
My favorite Bruenner play: He blitzed through a gap, changed his angle of attack to make the running back shift left, knocked him him further left with a dipped shoulder, and caromed at high speed toward the QB. He's a very slippery guy with great instincts.
Feels like RB is destined to be a position where there will be some attrition. We need to shed a few scholarships and that position has a number of guys who aren't gonna play.
It would not surprise me at all to see two RB's enter the portal following spring ball. I am not going to throw out names for that here. But there will certainly be some guys at other positions that go into the portal after spring as well.
The only real question on offense is how good is the O-line going to be - can it be as good as it was last year? They have to replace three starters, but they do have some very talented candidates for those spots. I feel certain that Mele can play center based on last season, and I feel pretty certain that Kelepo can handle one of the guard spots. I am unsure about Buelow really being able to fill the other guard spot. Time will tell, but there are other players that could get the other starting spot at guard aside from Buelow. Landan Hatchett will be joining spring ball after the start of Spring Term, and he is very talented and advanced for a freshman. But putting a true frosh in as the starter at center is a major stretch in my mind, as the offense is a very complex one. Mele knows the offense very well at this point.
Bernard will play a great deal this fall, he is a very talented WR with great ability to run after the catch. Boston has a great future at the UW, there is no question about that. The coaches love him, but he is still behind a lot of guys at WR. On the other hand, Grubb loves to run plays with nobody in the backfield and that opens up chances for more WR's to get some shots in games. Boston will need to show that he can get open deep on some of the top Husky DB's to get some of those shots when the season starts.
Ugh. An assistant major injury on the first day of spring practice. The big questions are all on defense I would say. Any hints as to whether the defense can rise to average as what I’m looking for.
Anybody know why Carson Bruenner isn’t a starting linebacker? He looks like a starter to me. Terrific instincts, an uncanny ability to dip under blocks, and a hard-hitting, sure tackler. Thoughts?
I think that it has a great deal to do with the fact that the coaching staff really wants both of the LB's in their defensive scheme to be relatively bigger and stronger guys. That is why Tuputala came out of the pack last year to grab one of the starting spots. Ede is big enough and he is also very fast and mobile when 100% healthy. I think that the primary thing that Breuner lacks as a LB in the coaches' view is size/strength - he runs very well. Goforth is a physical beast who is also quick and can run - he is a big-time athlete with great size. The competition this year at LB is very stiff. All of the top four players are going to see a lot of PT this coming season. The defensive coaches really like to play a lot of guys.
It really does. They want those two guys to be very physical at the LOS as well as big as long as they can still move and run well. In their defensive scheme the two edge guys have the bulk of the responsibility for the edge of the defense, with the Husky also having a lot of responsibility for that. Of course the CB's do as well, just as soon as they are sure it is a run and not a pass play.
I just think they feel that Breuner is a little smaller than what they see as being ideal for the LB positions in their scheme. He is definitely smaller than both Ede and Tuputala are, and both of them move very well - Ede is their fastest LB when he is 100% healthy. GoForth is pretty big and he can really move. Ede described him after practice on Monday as being a very fast-twitch athlete, which means that he can be very explosive. It will be very difficult for Ede and Tuputala to keep him off the field, as he was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school.
I've often wondered the same thing. He just flashes big time during games, but there must be something underlying the is keeping him from more playing time.
It is very hard for some guys to put on much weight and still maintain their quickness and speed. Ede O. had put on too much weight at one point, and he has now lost that weight in order to get back his former quickness and speed.
Finally got subscribed. Glad to have you back. Hope everyone appreciates what Dylan is doing and has done for the program. Might not be as good as Penix but should be a serviceable QB is he goes down. Also he is true Husky. Could transfer out but elected to stay. Knows he isn't going to be in NFL and just wants to be a Husky.
With increased portal activity quality depth becomes a big challenge especially at QB. UW is VERY fortunate to have a back up like Morris. Manny forget as a first year starter he was solid. Few programs have a back up of Morris's quality.
Glad I signed up for the annual subscription. Great piece on Day 1 of spring camp, thanks Christian.
I think it is safe to say we all want Heims to get well and that it is nothing serious. Did you see what happened as in what the situation was that caused the injury? I am still also curious why Bruener keeps getting “stuck” on second team. I can admit I am not a coach and don’t see him every day like this staff does - the only thing I mainly see are gamedays and he sure seems to find his way to where the ball is when he is on the field. And do we have any idea on the battle for the kicker spot? Or too early to see any clear lines there?
See below. Breuner is a truly great player on special teams, and he is a very good backup at LB. He is going to play a lot in the fall, in both roles, even if there are no injuries.
So good to read you Mr Caple
Adios athletic
If you have any tidbits on the on going Pac-12 media saga, I am sure we would be all ears :-)
Hey Christian, can you talk a little bit about what you can/cant document or report on? I think some parts are no-camera but I don't know the behind the scenes that well.
With regard to the new coaching staff, there really haven't been any guidelines communicated to us. Common sense dictates that your practice access won't last real long if you report on things like trick plays or new alignments, etc., but basically everything else is fair game, including injuries.
Well, they definitely cannot report on any new schemes that are on display. So we are not going to hear about any of that stuff - they can report on the players and where they are playing, but not on any details at all of the schemes on both sides of the ball. I have heard that Grubb showed at least one genuinely new "scheme" on Monday, he is a VERY creative OC. And, of course, they cannot report on injuries unless the coaches give the OK to do that.
Man I hope Maurice is ok. Nobody likes the way it sounds so I hope it was precautionary and he'll be okay.
He sure looked good vs WSU last year.
He has great potential, for sure. Very fast for his size.
Best of luck Christian! Enjoy your podcast and writing. hope this all works out for you because the UW community appreciates you!
Really hoping for a good update on Heims!! First and foremost because you just want him to be okay!! Also, felt like he had (has) a very real shot to push for significant playing time based on his production in limited reps last year.
Can’t remember from previous stories if Muhammad is already on campus or is he a spring term enrollee who will miss this week’s action?
What did you see at RB in the scrimmage? Who got the first snaps? Curious to know if Cam Davis and Richard Newton are ahead of Dillon Johnson, based on familiarity with the offense. Or if they will give an immediate nod to the obvious athleticism that Johnson brings.
Based on size alone, it feels like Ngata may play more of the Will Nixon type of role, as opposed to every down usage. What do you make of the overall RB competition and what are your insights on who looks to have the best chance to break out...based more on what you are seeing on the field now vs. past highlight plays?
As always, thanks for your work and can’t wait to hear more!!
Johnson will not be there until the start of Spring Quarter at the UW, he will miss these first three very early practices of the spring.
Muhammed was there on Monday, "suited" up but my understanding is that he did not actually participate in the practice. That may have been to allow him to observe how they run practice live before they throw him out there for one. He is a very veteran player so I am sure that he will pick things up pretty quickly. I will be shocked if he is not a starter in the fall.
Any thoughts on why Dumas disappeared last year after Spring? Is he going to be in the rotation?
I cannot really see how he is in line to get any real playing time at RB this fall. I definitely see Johnson and Davis as being the top two players at RB. If you are looking for a "darkhorse" guy at RB I think that Adams might possibly work his way into the rotation. He definitely has talent. But Ngata, the transfer from ASU, has a lot of talent and a lot of college experience. He is a very good pass receiver, as is Nixon of course (he will actually probably see some playing time at receiver). And there is Newton as well. Unless there are injuries I cannot really see anyone beyond those six guys getting PT in games this year.
Bruenner is 6'2" 223. Maybe he's small-boned. :)
My favorite Bruenner play: He blitzed through a gap, changed his angle of attack to make the running back shift left, knocked him him further left with a dipped shoulder, and caromed at high speed toward the QB. He's a very slippery guy with great instincts.
Feels like RB is destined to be a position where there will be some attrition. We need to shed a few scholarships and that position has a number of guys who aren't gonna play.
It would not surprise me at all to see two RB's enter the portal following spring ball. I am not going to throw out names for that here. But there will certainly be some guys at other positions that go into the portal after spring as well.
Love hearing that the offense is already humming.
I hope to hear more about Boston and Bernard this spring. Gotta keep that WR talent coming to UW.
The only real question on offense is how good is the O-line going to be - can it be as good as it was last year? They have to replace three starters, but they do have some very talented candidates for those spots. I feel certain that Mele can play center based on last season, and I feel pretty certain that Kelepo can handle one of the guard spots. I am unsure about Buelow really being able to fill the other guard spot. Time will tell, but there are other players that could get the other starting spot at guard aside from Buelow. Landan Hatchett will be joining spring ball after the start of Spring Term, and he is very talented and advanced for a freshman. But putting a true frosh in as the starter at center is a major stretch in my mind, as the offense is a very complex one. Mele knows the offense very well at this point.
Bernard will play a great deal this fall, he is a very talented WR with great ability to run after the catch. Boston has a great future at the UW, there is no question about that. The coaches love him, but he is still behind a lot of guys at WR. On the other hand, Grubb loves to run plays with nobody in the backfield and that opens up chances for more WR's to get some shots in games. Boston will need to show that he can get open deep on some of the top Husky DB's to get some of those shots when the season starts.
What's the music that they're playing during practice, if they're playing any music at all?
Ugh. An assistant major injury on the first day of spring practice. The big questions are all on defense I would say. Any hints as to whether the defense can rise to average as what I’m looking for.
Anybody know why Carson Bruenner isn’t a starting linebacker? He looks like a starter to me. Terrific instincts, an uncanny ability to dip under blocks, and a hard-hitting, sure tackler. Thoughts?
I think that it has a great deal to do with the fact that the coaching staff really wants both of the LB's in their defensive scheme to be relatively bigger and stronger guys. That is why Tuputala came out of the pack last year to grab one of the starting spots. Ede is big enough and he is also very fast and mobile when 100% healthy. I think that the primary thing that Breuner lacks as a LB in the coaches' view is size/strength - he runs very well. Goforth is a physical beast who is also quick and can run - he is a big-time athlete with great size. The competition this year at LB is very stiff. All of the top four players are going to see a lot of PT this coming season. The defensive coaches really like to play a lot of guys.
Coach Inge has said Tupatala is “a goon at the point of attack.” That probably fits with what you’re saying.
It really does. They want those two guys to be very physical at the LOS as well as big as long as they can still move and run well. In their defensive scheme the two edge guys have the bulk of the responsibility for the edge of the defense, with the Husky also having a lot of responsibility for that. Of course the CB's do as well, just as soon as they are sure it is a run and not a pass play.
I just think they feel that Breuner is a little smaller than what they see as being ideal for the LB positions in their scheme. He is definitely smaller than both Ede and Tuputala are, and both of them move very well - Ede is their fastest LB when he is 100% healthy. GoForth is pretty big and he can really move. Ede described him after practice on Monday as being a very fast-twitch athlete, which means that he can be very explosive. It will be very difficult for Ede and Tuputala to keep him off the field, as he was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school.
I've often wondered the same thing. He just flashes big time during games, but there must be something underlying the is keeping him from more playing time.
I imagine Oregon Dawg is probably right. If that’s true, I’m surprised Bruenner hasn’t hit the weights a little harder.
It is very hard for some guys to put on much weight and still maintain their quickness and speed. Ede O. had put on too much weight at one point, and he has now lost that weight in order to get back his former quickness and speed.