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DawgmanRadio: Husky Defense Is Focused On Eastern Washington Aug 27, 2019

Show notes

The first game of the season is this weekend and as the Huskies prepare to stop an explosive Eastern Washington attack, the defensive players and staff know they have their work cut out for them.

We got the chance to catch up with defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake who talked about playing a lot of different players in the secondary including two new starters -- Kyler Gordon and true freshman Cameron Williams -- both of whom the coaches and players feel very comfortable with in the deep patrol.

Co-defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski has some familiarity with the Eastern Washington coaching staff, so there isn't a lot of unknowns as far as what they will see on Saturday.

The linebackers have to replace a lot of leadership and experience, but linebackers coach Bob Gregory told the media he feels like the players he has stepping into those spots -- Brandon Wellington and Kyler Manu as well as youngsters Jackson Sirmon and M.J. Tafisi -- are more than capable of getting it done and now is their chance to show what they can do. Even though he's been around for a while, Gregory said he still gets the jitters and wouldn't be coaching anymore if he didn't still get them. He also discussed how seeing an opponent early in the season, especially in college, where they don't have a lot of film or just a limited scouting report makes things easier because you can just go out and play ball instead of being overloaded with information.

Linebackers Kyler Manu and Brandon Wellington talked about getting their first starts at Husky Stadium and how big it is for Manu to finally earn a starting spot after five years in the program.

Finally, Elijah Molden and Levi Onwuzurike talked about finally getting the chance to hit someone that isn't wearing purple.

EMERGENCY PODCAST: Jake Haener is Out, So What Does That Mean? Aug 24, 2019

Show notes

Apparently, it's springtime all over again. At the end of spring football, Washington was down to only three scholarship quarterbacks for 48 hours: Jacob Eason, Jake Haener, and Dylan Morris.

Move forward nearly four months, and Washington is back to having only three scholarship quarterbacks for the 2019 season: Jacob Eason, Jacob Sirmon, and Dylan Morris.

So what happened? What caused Jake Haener to suddenly announce that he was immediately transferring from Washington just one day after Chris Petersen confirmed the news that Eason had won the starting quarterback job over Haener, Sirmon, and Morris?

Dawgman.com's Chris Fetters and Scott Eklund get together Saturday afternoon, to record an emergency podcast to address these questions, and to offer up a vision for how the Washington Quarterbacks room will look this fall, and next year as well.

Will the Huskies look to add another quarterback to join Ethan Garbers in 2020? Or will they look to the transfer portal to give back a quarterback now that they've lost two quarterbacks to the portal this year alone? Is a graduate transfer the way to go? Will they go with a top-notch preferred walk-on?

The announcement by Haener on Saturday only opens up more questions, and Fetters and Eklund offer up their insights into the move during this 17-minute podcast.

DawgmanRadio: Bryant, Adams, Ready to Go Hit Someone Else Aug 24, 2019

Show notes

It's that time. The coaches know it, the players know, the fans know it. A week from now, the Washington Huskies will be putting on pads for the first time since January, knowing they'll be hitting someone else for a change. That 'someone else' is the Eastern Washington Eagles, with the game starting at Noon at Husky Stadium next Saturday.

The players have had productive camps in April and August, but now it's time for the real football to begin.

Dawgman.com's Kim Grinolds and Scott Eklund spoke to Myles Bryant and Trey Adams, about that feeling of getting ready for 'real' football, how they've seen their respective sides prepare for the season, and what they're looking forward to seeing.

DawgmanRadio: Chris Petersen Talks About Naming Jacob Eason the Starting Quarterback Aug 23, 2019

Show notes

Washington Head Coach Chris Petersen was supposed to meet up with the press anyway on Friday, but the gaggle just got a lot spicier when news broke the night before that junior transfer Jacob Eason had been handed the starting quarterback job for the Eastern Washington opener a week from Saturday. Petersen confirmed the news, talked about Jake Haener as well, and also talked about his 'Day in the Life' video that was released by the football department earlier in the day.

EMERGENCY PODCAST: Chris Petersen Names Jacob Eason as the Starter Aug 23, 2019

Show notes

It wasn't much of a surprise to those who have been keeping track of such things, but on Friday, Washington head coach Chris Petersen named junior signal-caller Jacob Eason the start for the Huskies as they continue to prepare for Eastern Washington.

Why did Petersen wind up naming him the starter?

During his comments to the media following practice Friday, Petersen said sometimes it comes down a gut feeling.

"It's not going to be any 'one' thing," Petersen noted. "I think a lot of this comes down to a gut feeling. You have to let a guy go and play and let him grow in games and all those types of things. That's why Jake Haener's going to play some. He doesn't have legitimate game time himself, so that's important."

After listening to what Petersen had to say, Dawgman's Scott Eklund and Kim Grinolds gave their opinions on the announcement and what it means for the future...

DawgmanRadio: Game Week is Almost Here! Aug 21, 2019

Show notes

The guys from Dawgman.com - Chris Fetters and Scott Eklund - talked with Offensive Coordinator Bush Hamdan, Offensive Line Coach Scott Huff, Running Backs Coach Keith Bhonapha, Tight Ends Coach Scott Huff, as well as junior left guard Luke Wattenberg and junior running back Sean McGrew.

All the coaches and players gave their thoughts on fall camp, as well as progress that's been made and details that need to get cleaned up as the Huskies finish up fall camp.

The media will have one more chance at coach and player availability on Friday, and then that's it. Fall camp will be done. And then come Monday, UW Head Coach Chris Petersen will have his weekly press conference and game week has begun!

EMERGENCY PODCAST: Initial Thoughts On Elijah Jackson Commitment Aug 20, 2019

Show notes

Just because it is a dead period on the recruiting trail, that does not mean that things are not happening and in less than a week, the Washington Huskies have grabbed their third commitment of the month as three-star Lawndale (Calif.) Elijah Jackson became the 19th commitment for the 2020 recruiting class.

Dawgman's Kim Grinolds and Scott Eklund got together for an Emergency Podcast to discuss what Jackson brings to the table, what makes him so special and how he fits once he arrives next year. They also took a bit of a deep dive into how his commitment impacts the class as Washington plans to take just four defensive backs.

Jackson joined Lawndale teammate Makell Esteen, Saguaro (Scottsdale, Az.) DB Jacobe Covingtonand St. John Bosco DB James Smith as the fourth defensive back committed to the Huskies. So what does that mean with players like Ayden Hector also in the mix with the Dawgs? Are Jimmy Lake and Will Harris done with the defensive back class for 2020?

At nearly 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 180 pounds, Jackson is long and lean with a great wingspan. Since they arrived in 2014, the Husky coaches have made a concerted effort to get longer across the entire lineup, but specifically outside at corner where big frames and long arms can make things very hard on quarterbacks and receivers as they try to complete passes. Look no further than players like Keith Taylor and redshirt freshman Dominique Hampton, two players taller than 6-feet-2.

The Husky coaches also like players with an aggressive style of play outside. Players who are super-confident and love to come up and be physical with receivers. Jackson is exactly that player and he looks like he will be an outstanding fit in Washington's coverage scheme able to play off-man and in soft zones where he can read the quarterback and then turn and run with the receiver.

DawgmanRadio: Josiah Bronson's Path to Montlake, and More Aug 20, 2019

Show notes

It was a bit of a circuitous route for Josiah Bronson - from Kent to Philadelphia to Seattle - but the senior defensive tackle is back home and happy to be a Washington Husky.

On Monday, Dawgman.com's Chris Fetters talked to him about his journey back east to Temple out of high school, what brought him back, and his reaction when his running mate, senior John Clark, went down with a season-ending knee injury.

Fetters also talked to Joe Tryon, who is a man of few words. He clearly lets does his talking out on the football field.

Kim Grinolds spoke with two of Washington's defensive backs who will play pivotal roles for the Huskies this fall - Keith Taylor and Elijah Molden, and also talked a little bit with sophomore outside linebacker Ariel Ngata about putting on weight, as well as his big football family.

DawgmanRadio: Tons to Talk About After Busy Saturday Scrimmage Aug 19, 2019

Show notes

After a really busy Saturday scrimmage - one where UW Head Coach Chris Petersen said the Huskies ran 90 live scrimmage plays, plus another 50 productive turns after that - the media had one more chance to ask him if he was going to name a starting quarterback.

He didn't bite. And in fact, he went a step further, saying he'd play multiple quarterbacks if that gave the Huskies their best chance to win. So the speculation continues...

Petersen also had some difficult news to report, as freshman linebacker Josh Calvert and senior defensive lineman John Clark, are both done for the year with knee injuries. Clark is a fifth-year senior, so the odds of him getting a sixth year would be slim - although he did miss the entire 2017 season with an injury, so it's possible.

Dawgman.com's Kim Grinolds and Chris Fetters were there Sunday post-practice, where they also spoke with senior center Nick Harris, who joked that he's become the starting quarterback stand-in for the media. They also talked with Offensive Coordinator Bush Hamdan, who gave praise to all the quarterbacks in the competition, and also to first-year receivers coach Junior Adams, who went in great detail about his relationship with Chico McClatcher and also how important it was for him to build a connection with the seniors in the receivers room before anything else could get accomplished.

ANOTHER EMERGENCY PODCAST: Makell Esteen Commits! Aug 18, 2019

Show notes

One of the top defensive backs remaining on Washington's board, Lawndale (Ca.) DB Makell Esteen, committed to the Husky coaching staff on Sunday, making it three defensive back commitments for the 2020 recruiting class.

What does Esteen bring to the table?

He's a versatile athlete with a ton of upside. He's played almost exclusively at corner, so he has a lot of experience covering receivers, but when it comes to playing for the Dawgs, Esteen projects as a safety or nickel who can roam the middle of the secondary and make plays on the ball.

"I had a good season and I just love to compete," Esteen told Dawgman.com back in the summer. "I will play wherever I'm needed. I just love to play football and go out there and compete, but coach (Jimmy) Lake is a great coach and if he thinks I fit better at one spot, then I will do whatever he thinks I can do to help my team the most."

With Esteen's commitment, as noted above, the Huskies now have three defensive backs committed in the class and they will likely take just one more, so spots are at a premium.

James Smith, a corner from St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California, committed to the Huskies back in late July while Saguaro (Scottsdale, Az.) DB Jacobe Covington, a four-star prospect, committed just yesterday.

With the recent news, Dawgman's Kim Grinolds and Scott Eklund sit down and discuss what makes Esteen so good, why the Huskies coveted his talents so much and where he fits once he arrives. They also take a look at the remaining two defensive backs on their board -- Ayden Hector and Elijah Jackson -- and when each may make their decision and where they believe they will end up.

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