Washington Huskies

RecruitingNation hoops experts get together to predict where No. 4 prospect Aaron Gordon (San Jose, Calif./Archbishop Mitty) will play his college ball. Gordon will choose among Arizona, Kentucky, Oregon and Washington on Tuesday at the McDonald's All American Game media day.

Click here to see if anyone thinks he'll pick the Huskies.

SEATTLE -- After everything Marcus Peters accomplished as a redshirt freshman -- 44 tackles, three interceptions and a fumble recovery -- it would be easy for the cornerback to set lofty goals for the 2013 season.

With Desmond Trufant moving on to a career in the NFL, it would make sense for Peters to take the next step and evolve into the “all-conference performer” coach Steve Sarkisian thinks he is capable of becoming.

However, instead of making bold claims, the only thing Peters talks about is competing with his “brothers.”

“Once we get in that defensive backfield and you come to the University of Washington, you lock yourself into a brotherhood,” Peters said.

While Peters won’t brag about his potential, Sarkisian expects the corner’s consistency to improve next season.

“He’s flashed it several times for us and now to be able to put that thing together and do if for an 80-play sequence on game day, I think, would be amazing,” Sarkisian said.

Peters started his redshirt freshman season as a backup, but he returned an interception 21 yards for a touchdown in the Huskies’ third game against Portland State.

He ended up starting eight games. In his first start, against USC, he piled up nine tackles and picked off a pass. Washington lost the game, but Peters showed the potential that has caused the coaching staff to elevate expectations.

When asked what he learned last year that will help him achieve the consistency Sarkisian is looking for, Peters said, “I’ve just got to limit my mistakes and play to what the call allows me to do, not so much try to make plays for myself. Make plays for the team, so the team can be successful.

“At times last year, I made bonehead plays and it cost the team. Since we came back from the loss in Las Vegas, I’ve just been focusing on being a lot more dialed in to details.”

While he works on the details, he is allowing seniors Tre Watson, Greg Ducre and safety Sean Parker to be the vocal leaders. Peters plans to set an example through his hard work.

“I’m just trying my best to just keep things going in the right hands from last year,” Peters said.

Based on his performance in 2012, Peters seems poised for a breakout season, but his goal is to help the Huskies take the next step as a program.

“I think the team is going to do something special,” Peters said. “We just need to keep our heads focused on the right things, that’s it.”

Washington's dramatic improvement and blossoming promise since going winless in 2008 yielded to a frustrated "what if?" and "not yet" in 2012 under fourth-year coach Steve Sarkisian.

Yet when you roll together the mixed bag of red-letter wins and bad losses and the lessons both entail, and then toss in impressive returning talent, there's reason to believe the program might turn the reopening of renovated Husky Stadium into a welcome-back party for a program that's been off the college football map for more than a decade.

Washington features 20 returning starters with A-list talent on both sides of the ball. After three consecutive seven-win seasons, which have grown progressively less satisfying for fans, the Huskies seem poised to take the proverbial next step.

"I'd say so, without a doubt," said Sarkisian when asked if this was his most talented team. But then he added, "If we'd finished the last two games, we'd have finished last season as a 9-4 team. But we didn't get it done."

Not getting it done -- at least not yet -- is why some seem intent on putting Sarkisian on the hot seat.

Washington, despite playing one of the nation's toughest schedules in 2012 -- six top-20 and four top-10 teams -- seemed on the cusp of a nine-win season in November. All the Huskies had to do was hold on to an 18-point fourth-quarter lead against Washington State and then win a bowl game.

Neither happened, and the Huskies' worst fourth quarter in Apple Cup history left an ugly smudge on Sarkisian's generally strong résumé.

Further, the 2012 season played out in surprising ways, positively and negatively.

The Huskies' biggest questions before the season were defense and running back. But the defense was vastly improved under first-year coordinator Justin Wilcox, and Bishop Sankey rushed for 1,439 yards. Meanwhile, the biggest certainty was QB Keith Price, who'd ranked seventh in the nation in passing efficiency in 2011, with 33 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 67 percent completion rate.

Price was touted as a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate. But he started slowly and never found his rhythm. He finished eighth in the Pac-12 in passing efficiency with 19 TDs and 13 picks.

That had many folks wondering if he'd keep his job in 2013. Before spring practices began, Sarkisian essentially said it was Price's job to lose, but he certainly could lose it if he got outplayed.

After six practices -- Washington returns to the field on April 2 after spring break -- Sarkisian said Price looks more like his 2011 self, particularly after the Huskies concluded their first session with a scrimmage.

"That was probably the best practice he's had in over a year," Sarkisian said. "He played really well."

A lot of Price playing well has to do with his health. His legs seemed shot much of last season. Not only was he not running well, he wasn't moving in the pocket and his throws lacked velocity and accuracy, two qualities that are often connected. The offseason priority has been getting Price's leg strength back.

"Not that Keith is ever going to be a runner, but he's at his best when he can avoid the initial pass rush and is able to buy time and keep his eyes downfield and create plays," Sarkisian said. "We've definitely seen that this spring."

It's not all on Price, though. The Huskies were beaten up on the offensive line last fall, and the lack of depth showed -- see 38 sacks surrendered. Further, there were times when the Huskies didn't seem mentally tough. They seemed intimidated at LSU, which fell into a pattern of woeful performances on the road -- see Oregon, Arizona and Washington State.

The difference between teams that win six or seven games and those that win nine or 10 or more is often consistency of performance.

"There are a couple of key things for taking a next step, for this to be our best team," Sarkisian said. "Yeah, I know it's our most talented team. But are we really going to be a team that goes on the road and it doesn't matter what time, or what the weather is, or who the opponent is, or what their record is? That stuff can't matter to us anymore. We've got to play our game."

When asked if he feels like he's on the hot seat, Sarkisian said, "Not at all."

On paper, hot-seat talk should give way to high hopes. The grounds for optimism are solid. The Huskies have the talent and experience to end up in the top 25.

But Washington needs to eclipse being a team of "not yet" and "what if?"

Washington head coach Lorenzo Romar landed a verbal pledge on Monday from small forward Mike Anderson (Hartford, Conn./Moberly Area Community College). The news was first reported by www.jucorecruiting.com.

The 6-foot-5 Anderson chose the Huskies over South Florida, San Francisco and Central Michigan. He averaged 16.9 pints and 9.8 rebounds this past season at Moberly.

Anderson joins ESPN 100 PG Nigel Williams-Goss (Happy Valley, Ore./Findlay College Prep), SG Darin Johnson (Sacramento, Calif./Sheldon) and PG Jahmel Taylor (Los Angeles/Pacific Hills School) in the Huskies' 2013 class.

With the NFL draft exactly one month away, the buzz is starting to heat up around several Pac-12 players -- including Washington defensive back Desmond Trufant.

The San Diego Chargers website is counting down potential draft picks each day leading up to the draft -- and Trufant might be on the Bolts' wish list, writes Ricky Henne, managing editor of Chargers.com.

Trufant already established himself as one of the premier athletes in the draft with his strong showing at the NFL scouting combine -- posting high marks in the 40-yard dash, bench press and 20-yard shuttle.

But it might be his instincts and football IQ that are attractive to the Chargers, who draft 11th overall.

Writes Henne:

According to some scouts, his best asset may be his pure football intelligence. Some players have a knack for diagramming plays and possessing natural instincts, and Trufant is such a player. He’s able to play zone, man or press coverage, and that flexibility is a major asset. Throw in a strong build (6-foot-0, 190-pounds) and elite speed and you get a player who has made a strong impression on NFL decision makers.

... Still, Trufant’s versatility and impressive overall skill set have him poised to be an early selection as one of the best cornerback prospects available this season.

In his most updated top-five player rankings, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. rates Trufant as the No. 2 cornerback in the draft behind Alabama's Dee Milliner.

A top-15 pick might seem a bit high for Trufant -- especially since he didn't start catching more buzz until after the combine. In their most recent mock drafts, both Kiper and Todd McShay have Trufant as a first-round pick. In his most recent Top 32, released last week, McShay projects Trufant as the No. 22 player -- up from No. 32.

Writes McShay:

We always liked Trufant's game. He does just about everything well, though his ball skills could be a little more consistent. His tape didn't indicate elite speed, but he was good enough at the combine. His combination of speed and arm length is impressive. Trufant has good size, and in a league starved for good cover guys, his production could move him into the first round.

Kiper has him at No. 28 to the Denver Broncos.