First!

After watching last year's train wreck of a defense, I've got to say this whoregon duck running attack does concern me. A big line with a bruising back. Could it be another 450 rushing yard nightmare? Until this defense proves to me they can stop a girl scout from running for 200, I'm pretty worried.

kirton and ta amu you would think would be a force on that side so im worried but I havent rang the alarm yet. Ta amu is going to be BIG TIME! and to think everett thompson wouldnt play right away baffles me....how are you 6-5 250 at LB and not play? everyone is forgetting all the ids that havent even arrived yet, yeah there freshman but these are special freshman

Mattysimone, your idea of football seems to be line up the guys with the best size and let them go at it. You clearly do not understand how much technique and strategy is involved in this game. The jump from HS to college is huge. Occasionally someone can jump in and do something. That is not the norm.

MattySimone,

I agree with John. I also think - particularly at the line positions- the program and these recruits have a ton to gain longterm by being able to redshirt next year. I would hope that we don't have to play more than 1 of the huge incoming DL guys next year.

My understanding is while the guy from RB is huge, he was not all-world 100% of the time despite often playing against players 100 lbs lighter and weaker than he was. He is probably going to have a long way to go before he is holding his own against Pac 10 OL guys.

so you dont think a parade all american will come and be a force at 6-3 350lbs is that what your saying? like i said before these arent just normal freshman. are you also saying that middleton wont come and doing anything because he was only the second ranked TE in the country outta HS? correct me if im wrong fellas. im sure he will ride the pine also haha wasnt locker a freshman last year and set the rushing record by a QB for the pac 10? oh thats right, by the way I read on the PI that hes just as chiseled but now weighs 235!!!! im excited!

furthermore I think your forgetting the state of the program and the sales pitch the coaches needed to use to get these caliber of players. WE HAVE PLAYING TIME RIGHT AWAY IF YOU COME HERE!! think about it guys hmmmm wonder why polk came here instead of USC......but like you said he will probably redshirt or be on the bench because the transition will be to tough for him

For all the talk, it all boils down to one thing for me. Win some games. (It would be great to see our defense not suck for the first time in years, but I'm okay with winning 45 to 42 if that's what it takes.) Just win some freakin' games and go to a bowl game. I don't care who is on the field, who coaches the team, etc. Just win.

Matty S,

I read John's post as referring specifically to the incoming DL and DEs. Mine as well.

Based on the spring game, it seems Polk is going to play. (I don't think anyone on this board ever said he would redshirt this year, so I am not sure who you are railing against on Polk).

I hope Middleton is so great, he can get on the field and improve our TE play. It would not surprise me if that happened, from what eevryone says.

I am not an expert, and the recruiting sites can be lame. But what I have read about Ta-amu is that he is big, usually had mediocre pad level in high school, and didn't really dominate 100% of the time against extremely physically inferior HS opponents. If this is the case, next year may not be a cakewalk for him. The competition will be a huge step up, and he will no longer outweigh everyone by 125 pounds.

Hopefully you are right, I am wrong, and these freshmen DL and DEs are all-world. But history shows that the extra redshirt year really helps linemen. Hopefully our guys will have the luxury of one- for those of whom will need it.

I agree that Jake was great as a freshmen as you pointed out. However, he was a REDSHIRT freshman. That meant that despite the state of the program at the time he entered, he wasn't ready to contribute, despite being all-world in high school. And the state of the program at the time he entered was crappy. I'll give you that.

Matty Simone,

I should add I think we are all exicted for next year. Even those of us who think it may take a while to develop most of these freshmne to where they can get on the field. I know I am exctied. I just bought tickets for the first time.

with jake you had Isaiah and what were you gonna do bench him? with the DL and DE there is nobody that stands in these guys way. I hope im right and ta amu is that big!!! Ive walked by him and he is a beast...his size is bigger than most NFL guys at the same position, i guess only time will tell

Mattysimone, you miss the point entirely. I am not denying that there are some large dudes coming in to play. However, technique is at least as important as physical ability.

And as for them being beyond "normal" freshmen, I don't know what evidence there is of that. A 4 star rating is good, but isn't evidence that they will be able to play at a college level right away.

Perhaps you could actually go find out how many true freshman DTs have made a difference in the past (at any school). That would be good evidence for your argument, if you could make a comparison between those players and Ta'amu.

I am glad to see the excitement building, and people like "guest" buying tickets for 2008!

Regarding the incoming freshmen, I think it is reasonable to think 2-4 will play a role next season, but maybe not until about mid way through. I wouldn't be surprised if either Ta-Mu or Noble play next year, but it will probably take them a few games to get up to speed and even then they will probably rotate with the other DTs. I think there is also a decent chance that Middleton will play, especially if Gottlieb cannot stay healthy. It sounds like one of the CBs will also play on special teams, but I can't remember which one.

I'm somewhere in the middle between the two sides. Ta'amu's technique, hand-placement, and perhaps even motor will have to rapidly reach college levels and that's tough to do. However, the coaches undoubtedly have been in contact with him, perhaps even sending him videos of great DTs or instructional videos for college DTs. He's already strong as heck (400 and something bench press) and certainly must already be on the Huskies lifting program. If anything, shouldn't he be ready to clog the middle for 15 plays a game come August 30th? He'll be playing at 335 to 350 lbs!!!!

I agree, i think of the class middleton, noble, ta amu, thompson, polk and maybe kearse should be playing very quick. thats my picks, there was one other kid I think from east side catholic that could be a sleeper. I would be SHOCKED if Ta amu wasnt a force as a freshman!

Instructional videos? Really?

Have you ever tried to learn a sport?

Also, don't answer that question.

As you said, time will tell...

Don't forget that the true freshman will not only be competing with holdovers for pt, the rs frosh are also there, with a leg up on them from learning technique and getting up to speed.

As I've always said, there are two things about increasing the numbers of talented players beyond simply having a larger pool to choose from...first, there are several ways that result in fewer injuries, and secondly, the increase competition pushes an overall higher level of performance.

Fortunatly, it's not THAT long 'til the end of August...

Matty Simone,

Forgive me for belaboring the point here. Isiah went down halfway through the year as I recall, and then hard times hit. Jake wasn't ready to play. The Stanford game was probably the most painful experience for Husky fans that season, I would think. Despite that game, Jake still wasn't ready to play.

Sometimes freshman need a redshirt year. I have no doubt the coaches will put whomever on the field next year can help us win, and the lack of DE/DL rotation last year certainly killed us. But particularly at strength positions, playing the kid early isn't always a smart move.

If I am wrong and we have multiple incoming true freshman garnering all-conference honors next year on the DL and DE, I can accept that. I just don't envision it.

Let me explain what I mean:

Quarterbacks view tape because it helps them with an overall understanding of the game and to prepare for specific opponents. They do not watch tape to learn technique.

Defensive tackle is all technique. You don't need to be smart, you don't need have a great understanding of the game. But in the same way that you can't learn kung fu
from watching a video, you can't learn DT techniques.

It's a mechanical issue, not mental. It can only be learned through repetition on the practice field (and of course, in games).

Again, I have no doubt that he is a big, strong dude. But he is going to be absolutely abused by O-linesmen with better technique. To go back to a martial arts metaphor, it's like jiu jitsu or wrestling: you can be big and strong as hell, but try rolling with someone with even a basic understanding of jiu jitsu and they will destroy you even if you outweigh them by 50 pounds.

WOW matty you really have drank the koolaid havent you........ Have you ever seen any of this kids play? Im not talking about what you have read but have you even seen them play or even practice? Lets be real here the chance of 1 true frosh to make an impact is rare (Reggie Williams comes to mind) but to have 3 or 4 like you think would be a first........ i like the others hope you are right but i have seen way to many players ranked as high or higher come in and never really do much.

If we are counting on Freshman to help us win games this season, lord help us. Juniors and Seniors win games, period. There is always an eception to the rule but thinking a 4 win team is now a 7 win team because of incoming Freshman this fall, that is misguided.

There are plenty of underclassmen that make a HUGE difference. Prime examples: Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford. Not that I'm comparing our incoming freshman to them, as I think both might have red shirted, but it's possible that some of our freshman could make a significant difference.

tebow and bradford ARE the exceptions. you don't build or sustain any program by hoping freshman are going to significantly help. if 1 or 2 do, consider yourself lucky.

i've got a bad feeling about the first 3 or 4 games this year. i could see a mid season boot for ty if this team starts 1-4.

Don't worry, Ty isn't going to get fired in the middle of the season. If the team is 1-4, it's not like there's going to be the experience needed in order to rebound. He'll get the duration of his 4th year.

I was just throwing the video idea out there. Ta'amu doesn't need to start, just to learn some technique during fall ball and maybe he'll be in on only short-yardage situations.

It's tough to say who will start. Depends on how Kirton progresses and how big Matthews can get. Duncan and Wood are wild-cards too. We have 5 DTs for two spots and probably one freshman will play. Maybe Craig Noble is just as strong as Ta'amu and comes in at 300 lbs but with much better technique. Who knows.

Brian Price of UCLA had an impact as a true frosh. JWF had an impact as a true frosh (before he sadly broke his foot). Can't recall JWF's technique but he was a big guy at 320 lbs and moved pretty well.

The first three games are dicey, the dawgs could be 0-3 or 2-1 --- 3-0 seems like a fantasy at this point -- but the next 4 games are Stanford, @ Arizona, Oregon State, and ND. Those 4 are all very winnable, even for a mediocre team. I think those first 7 games really give the dawgs a chance to have a good record heading into the home stretch. Ty's teams have been relatively fast starters, and have faded down the stretch. If they can start 2-1 they have a good shot at having 5 wins through 7 games.

Even though I thought the spring game was so-so, the depth really is a lot better and the overall attitude seems solid. I think we have the players to win 7+ games, but it will be a matter of closing out those tight games instead of letting them get away --- starting with Oregon on Aug. 30.

There is an old joke about how you can call the races so much better if you don't see the horses beforehand.

That's how I feel in my talking about our incoming freshman.

So this is all simply intuitive speculation.

We have the four presumed studs coming in on the defensive line. Thompson, contrary to what one earlier poster said, will play DE, not LB.

My sense of this is that at least one and possibly two of the four could see time right away. I am sure many of you share my antsy feeling about the DT spots.

The quys we have just don't seem to have enough sand in the bucket when you consider the size and experience of many of the centers and guards over whom they will be lining up. So I naturally think about Noble and Ta'amu, who are slated to play the interior positions.

Because the knock on Ta'amu has to do with technique and endurance, and because I think he WILL have to adjust to battling with guys in his own (approximate) weight class, my thoughts more naturally go to Noble.

As I recall he described himself as a good run-stopper and (how modest can you get?) as the best high school defensive tackle in California. He comes in at about 300 lbs -- who knows how solid and with what core strength.

Does anyone here have any solid informaton on him? If so, please hit the keyboard and cough it up.

Someone was challenging people to name incoming freshmen to the PAC-10 who made an immediate impact. I thought of a truly galling example, especially in light of the doubts about Alemeda Ta'amu (which are of course also purely speculative).

Haloti Nogata. He was the same weight as Alemeda, but a genuine 6' 4''. The Oregon coach -- the guy with the wife who rants drunkenly -- called him the most important recruit in school history and I think he lived up to that billing. Have we got the second coming of Nogata?

John in Kent: Haloti Ngata was a freak of nature, and he became a starting tackle for Oregon halfway through his freshman year.

He was also the number 1 defensive prospect in the country out of high school. That's number 1 overall, regardless of position.

If one of our incoming DTs can learn quickly and make a difference, awesome. But it's extremely rare.

John

What is your take on Noble, if any?

I think he has a better chance to make a difference at DT than Ta'amu, at least this year. But I actually don't know much about either of them beyond what's available on scout.com.

I'm just skeptical in general about freshmen on the lines.

John

Have to agree with you.

Coach Willingham did make reference to Ta'amu as an immovable obstacle, or words to that effect.

I'm wondering if Donatell would use him as a nose tackle in a 3-4 ala Stafford Mayes and Dave Pear and the other NT's of old in the James era.

That could definitely happen, maybe depending on the makeup of the opponent's offensive line (some teams might have a weaker center and/or guards that Ta'amu could take advantage of).

With our linebackers likely being the strength of the defense I can definitely see a lot of 3-4 in our future.

just remember my 5 that will play...im sure ill remind u of there names. those 5 kids could have went to much more successful schools than the udub so im sure lots of PT early was a huge deciding factor. sure 4 of the 5 were in state but those 5 could have went to a top 10 school. also another sleeper player I think would be a russo style player in burns. god i cant wait to watch this team. teams better be putting up 40 plus because thats what its gonna take to out score the huskies! can locker go for 3k 1k? should be interesting

Actually, if we do see 3-4, I think it will be a direct result of one of the big DT's development. 4-3 fits our D-line better because of the more "experienced" DTs being fairly small.

3-4 would be nice, but you really need a huge NT with great skills. As our big tackles get better, it will happen.

John in Kent,
Who is the Oregon coach whose wife likes to rant while intoxictaed?

thanks.

I'm just glad that we might be competitive this year. We need to return to our rightful place as a national power. Firing Willingham is the way to start!

Oregon is going to crush us this year, hopefully Locker plays out of his mind. But remember, "they're not our rival" right guys!!!

Oregon is going to again lead the conference in rushing and no freshmen is going to have a say in stopping that unit.

Their line returns 2 outland trophy candidates. They are deep and very experienced. I wouldn't worry about Blount so much as I would about Jeremiah Johnson who will most likely be the first Pac 10 RB taken in next years draft.

UW is very inexperienced and thin at DL. We are in serious trouble on AUG 30.

As for ripping a coaches wife, why the hate! We should worry about our own house than tear others down. As for drunken rants look no further than your local Dick Baird sighting.

R-law,

I have no hate towards UO. They are not an opponent to take lightly.

But I can't let a story about a drunken, ranting coach's wife go without knowing the details- regardess of the program. My life is bland enough that such stories are my main source of amusement.

I thank Coach Baird for such sustenance, as I do others. I lived in Wisconsin during their recent ros bowl years, and I lived for whenever the local tlak radio would play their tape of the inebriated, slurred, nonsensical speech then-governor Tommy Thompson gave the team and fans at a local rally.