Washington Huskies

Washington coach Steve Sarkisian talks about the upcoming season for the Huskies.

Washington defensive end commit Daeshon Hall will return to Lancaster (Texas) for his senior season, HuskyNation confirmed Monday.

Hall spent his first two years at Seattle (Wash.) Garfield and had discussed returning for his final year of high school.

The 6-foot-6, 230-pound three-star prospect committed to Washington with six other recruits during the Huskies' Rising Stars Camp in June. He originally committed to Texas. Despite returning to Lancaster to finish his high school career, Hall remains committed to Washington.

SEATTLE -- George Hickman greeted everyone with a handshake and a smile.

No matter how much time passed, the longtime usher in the Husky Stadium and CenturyLink Field press boxes -- he also worked at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion -- always asked for an update on those who stopped to talk to him.

One of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen, the 88-year-old died Sunday. The news hit the Huskies athletic department hard, with coaches taking to Twitter to share a short story and some kind words.

"George Hickman will be missed," Washington football coach Steve Sarkisian said. "He represented the UW and the Tuskegee Airmen with class. I will always appreciate how he treated my family."

Huskies basketball coach Lorenzo Romar added, "Wow. Really going to miss George Hickman. He was one of the most inspirational men that I have ever met."

Hickman, who attended Barack Obama's presidential inauguration in 2009, was so beloved in the Seattle sports community, he raised the 12th Man flag before a Seattle Seahawks game last season.

Among the first African-American pilots to fly for the military in World War II, he was a hero. He was a friend. He will be missed.

SEATTLE -- Midway through spring football, something clicked for Kasen Williams.

Washington coach Steve Sarkisian saw a change in practice. The coaching staff saw a change on film. The receiver saw a change within himself.

“I want to be the best,” said Williams, a sophomore. “That’s what we’re all out here for, to be the best. If I’m not getting better every day, there’s no way I can accomplish that.”

Prior to Williams’ senior high school season in 2010, he joined tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins as the two top prospects coming out of Washington. They both held highly publicized press conferences to announce their decisions. They were two hometown heroes headed to Husky Stadium to lead the Huskies’ rebuilding effort.

“Coach Sark (Steve Sarkisian), and the players there, it's going to be a national championship soon,” Seferian-Jenkins said the day he committed. “I want to be a part of that, that hometown guy, that local guy to help bring them back up. I think I can do that. I know I can do it. We're going to do it.”

They arrived on campus as tremendous talents who were expected to exceed expectations.

As freshmen, they both had their moments.

Williams caught 36 passes for 427 yards and six touchdowns and will be remembered for hurdling Washington State cornerback Nolan Washington in the Apple Cup.

Seferian-Jenkins finished the year with 41 catches for 538 yards and six touchdowns.

But as productive as they were as freshmen -- Seferian-Jenkins’ receiving yardage ranked No. 2 all-time for a freshman at Washington -- the Huskies need the proven playmakers to take the next step as sophomores. They need to fill the void left by the graduation of Jermaine Kearse and Devin Aguilar and the absence of senior James Johnson, who is recovering from a wrist injury.

“I feel like it’s definitely necessary to take this team where we want to go,” Williams said. “We have a lot of offensive weapons. I want to be the main offensive weapon. If we want to keep going as a team, we’re going to need all 11 of us. If I’m at the top of my game, they’re all going to follow in my footsteps.”

Seferian-Jenkins added, “This year I’m taking the next step by working hard, harder than I’ve ever worked before. Being smart, taking care of my body when I feel that needs to be taken care of, just getting better chemistry with Keith, understanding the playbook.”

After working through seasons that were as productive as they were humbling, Williams and Seferian-Jenkins have made plays throughout the first two weeks of practice.

Before fall camp started, Sarkisian called the 2012 season a “unique time” for the receiver and tight end. He wanted to see if they would embrace the challenge of being the primary targets for quarterback Keith Price.

So far, Sarkisian likes what he has seen.

“He’s been really strong,” he said when asked about Williams. “He’s been physical. He’s been confident. He really knows what he’s doing, so he’s doing it confidently.”

When asked about Seferian-Jenkins, Sarkisian added, “Austin, he’s committed himself to it. He’s matured since last season and, obviously, spring. The work ethic, the willingness to block, the playing with better effort when the ball is not coming his way, all of that has improved. And he’s still making plays on the ball when we’re throwing it to him.”

Seferian-Jenkins considers his success so far a first step. He sees what he has accomplished. He knows what he wants to achieve in the future. He understands what it takes to reach that point.

Now, like Williams, it is time to take the next step.

“I’ve taken baby steps and I feel like I’m just starting to crawl,” Seferian-Jenkins said. “I’m excited to start running.”

SEATTLE -- Before Keith Price left the field, Washington’s quarterback summed up Saturday’s scrimmage with a simple sentence: “I’ve got to get my juice going.”

The Huskies wrapped up their second week of fall camp with a full-contact scrimmage that produced highlights -- a 51-yard completion from Price to freshman Jaydon Mickens -- while showing there is still plenty of room for improvement.

“We’re not ready yet,” said Price, who was 14 of 18 for 176 yards and two touchdowns. “We’ve still got a long way to go, obviously, getting lined up and getting set.”

With young players like Mickens and fellow freshman receiver Kendyl Taylor and freshman safety Shaq Thompson getting a long look, Washington is working on creating consistency.

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SEATTLE -- For Washington's coaching staff, a pivotal part of the recruiting plan is getting kids on campus.

The Huskies are selling something that requires personal attention, a connection that is formed through face-to-face meetings.

Talk to head coach Steve Sarkisian, recruiting ace Tosh Lupoi and recruiting coordinator Johnny Nansen and they will all say the same thing.

When Washington gets recruits on campus, the Huskies like their chances of landing a verbal commitment. In order to make those connections, the unofficial visit is vital.

“If we get the parents and the recruit here, we have a really good shot at winning the kid,” Nansen said.

Get a kid on campus for an unofficial visit and it eases the rest of the recruiting process. It is easier to talk to a recruit on the phone if there is a pre-existing personal connection. It is easier to make an in-home visit if you have already made a positive impression. It is easier to land a verbal commitment if the athlete is comfortable with the coaches, the community and the university.

“I think that’s where we have the upper hand,” Nansen said. “We have a great head coach that understands how important recruiting is and, after people come here and see that, they leave and they’re very impressed with what they see.”

As much as recruiting has changed over the years through social media and earlier offers, the key to success remains the same. Recruiting is all about relationships.

“In recruiting these days, there are so many other things that are involved, but it’s still back to the relationships with the parents, with the coaches and, obviously, with the kids,” Nansen said. “That’s why we’re winning some of those battles right now. Kids like our coaching staff, they love the university and, when they get up here, Seattle is a beautiful place. We’ve got a lot to offer.”

When Dane Crane and Connor O’Brien -- teammates at Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Santa Margarita -- visited Seattle, both said they felt like they were home. They committed quickly.

When Auburn linebacker commit Reuben Foster (Auburn, Ala./Auburn) made the trip to Seattle, he raved about his visit. While Washington didn’t land a commitment, the nation’s No. 2-rated prospect publicly praised the program.

Even though Bellevue (Wash.) Bellevue linebacker Myles Jack has given a verbal commitment to UCLA, he has made several trips to watch Washington practice with teammates Sean Constantine -- a Washington verbal commit -- and Bishard Baker -- a talented 2014 prospect at safety.

When recruits show up in Seattle for a Washington practice on a sunny day, they see a new Husky Stadium being built in the background and they get a glimpse of Lake Washington.

Whether it’s Crane, O’Brien or 2014 receiver commit Rahshead Johnson (Long Beach, Calif./Jordan), their experiences during unofficial visits played a part in their commitments.

Tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, getting players on campus for unofficial visits will continue be a cornerstone of the Huskies' recruiting success.

SEATTLE -- Here is a quick-hitting look at Washington's 11th day of fall camp:

Johnson, Kearse have surgery

Receiver James Johnson had surgery on the dislocated wrist he suffered in Wednesday's practice. In addition to the dislocation, doctors found torn ligaments. The senior is expected to miss four to six weeks.

Linebacker Jamaal Kearse, who has a stress fracture in his tibia, also had surgery Friday and is expected to miss four to six weeks.

"Anytime you're dealing with bones, it is what it is," Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said.

WR Smith works his way back

Sarkisian could sense the excitement when receiver Kevin Smith got the opportunity to participate in team drills.

"Kevin is such a great spirit," Sarkisian said. "He's got such a great energy. He loves being out here. When we gave him the opportunity to get in there on some team stuff he was just excited to be out there."

The junior continues to work his way back from the ACL injury he suffered right before the Alamo Bowl last season and his progress is a positive sign with Johnson expected to miss more than a month.

But, moving forward, the Huskies will continue to be cautious.

"He's definitely on a one-a-day schedule," Sarkisian said. "He will never go on a two-a-day. We've been very encouraged by his progress to this point."

Thompson back to full strength

Freshman safety Shaq Thompson shed the yellow non-contact jersey and was back to full strength. He also made another promising play, making a one-handed interception on a tipped pass.

• The Huskies will scrimmage Saturday.
• Sarkisian said he expects senior safety Justin Glenn, who has been recovering from a mild concussion, to be back Monday.
• Sarkisian said one of the surprises through fall camp so far has been the play of safety Will Shamburger.
• Washington offensive line commit Andrew Kirkland (Portland, Ore./Jesuit) attended Friday's practice.

SEATTLE -- H-back Joshua Perkins and walk-on running back Willis Wilson were reinstated to Washington's football team one day after they were dismissed for a violation of team rules.

"They're back," Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said. "We gathered some more information on the situation and it felt like the right thing to do. We met with some of the leaders on the team, it felt like the right thing to do. Their punishment will be handled in house and I think they're thankful for the opportunity to get back and I think their teammates are happy to have them back."

Perkins and Wilson practiced Friday night.

Washington hired Brad Jackson as an assistant men's basketball coach, Huskies coach Lorenzo Romar announced Friday.

"I think we got an absolute steal," Romar said in a news release. "You hire a basketball coach off of winning a national championship ... it doesn't happen very often. I'm just ecstatic that he has decided to do this.

"I have tried to hire him before and it just didn't work out. He is successful, very accomplished and knows the Northwest. He has been here forever. He is definitely going to help our program."

Jackson spent 27 seasons at Western Washington University, winning 518 games as head coach. The 60-year-old, who led the Vikings to the NCAA Division II national championship last season, will join Washington on its upcoming trip to Europe and Africa. The Huskies leave Aug. 25.

"It was very, very hard," Jackson said in a news release. "Our roots are in Bellingham. The other side of that is that my wife grew up in Seattle, I started my coaching career here at SPU [Seattle Pacific University] and we have a lot of friends here. It is only an hour drive away. The logistics are very easy."

"But, the fact that I've headed a program for 27 years and sort of built it from scratch, leaving that is difficult. The other part is the current players. Some of the relationships I have with them have gone on for quite a few years. Those are going to be the toughest parts about leaving."

H-back Joshua Perkins and walk-on running back Willis Wilson have been dismissed from the Washington football team due to a violation of team rules, coach Steve Sarkisian announced Thursday.

A statement issued by the university said Sarkisian and the school would have no further comment on the dismissals.

After Deontae Cooper suffered his third ACL tear on the first day of fall camp, Wilson was seeing time in the running back rotation behind Bishop Sankey and Jesse Callier. The loss is a hit to the Huskies' depth at that position.

Perkins, a redshirt freshman, began his career as a receiver.