UW’s Talent in the Upper Tier of the P12, Still Rising

This graphic is based on rosters published by ESPN’s Bill Connelly. Position groups are ranked based on average 247 Sports Composite ratings for players on the roster. Unranked players were assigned a 0.70 rating by default.

To use, select the conference that you are interested in investigating. Hover over individual team logos to identify how a team stacks up at each position group. If you are interested in only a specific class (Freshman includes both Freshmen and RS Freshmen), click on that class on the right. To select multiple, hold CTRL or COMMAND when clicking.

Key Takeaways

1) Washington’s roster is extremely talented, but has some holes…

While the Huskies have recruited quite well lately, there are still portions of the roster where the recruiting has not reached the elite tier in the conference, let alone all of college football. The most notable gap is the DE/OLB/Rush position group. Despite having the 3rd most raw talent on defense (per the 247 Composite Ratings), the OLB/OLB/Rush position group is 8th in the conference, and is heavily weighing down the defensive average. The talent deficit at that position is borne out by the fact that the Huskies generated almost no pass rush last season.

While the development and projection are key components of this (and any) position, this heavily highlights the need to close on Sav’ell Smalls and Jordan Banks in the 2020 cycle. They have an opportunity to be immediate impact players the moment they step onto campus.

2) UW’s upper classes are relatively average in raw talent…

What is lower than the average DE/OLB/Rush on the roster? The average DE/OLB/Rush ratings for the upperclassman. This is dynamic is repeated across most of the position groups on Washington’s roster (though one should note that NFL early entries naturally depress the Senior ratings). Despite having a top ranked defense year after year, the raw talent on the defense in the Junior and Senior class rank 6th in the PAC-12. It’s interesting to imagine how good the defense would have been if the Huskies had been recruiting at the current level 4 years ago.

3) Husky freshmen: HOLY SMOKES

While Oregon has been hyped as the Pac-12 recruiting power as of late, Washington is actually on top of the average 247 Composite ranking for both offensive and defensive Freshmen. Dawg fans have a TON to be excited about in the coming years and even this year, if the young talent can find playing time. However, Chris Petersen has shown, both in action and in words, that he puts a lot of value in experience. This likely means that only the very top performing Freshmen or Freshmen at positions of significant need are likely to see extended playing time.

Conclusion

The Huskies are becoming more talented with each passing year. Currently the most raw talent resides in the Freshman classes (2019 & 2018 recruits). The 2020 class isn’t included here but, with the class nearly complete, it isn’t difficult to project that this analysis will show an even more talented and less imbalanced roster a year from now. And the incredible in-state talent in the 2021 class suggests that the 2021 recruiting class is likely to be the Huskies’ best ever.