After 14 days of spring practice, coach Tyrone Willingham’s fourth UW team remains a work in progress. However, among the most interesting developments is an apparent starting secondary that averages 208 pounds and a defensive line that averages about 260 pounds.

Although the Purple and Gold teams may be divided differently when the spring game begins at 12:45 p.m. today at Husky Stadium, the current No. 1 secondary is composed of four players with backgrounds at safety: current safeties Nate Williams and Victor Aiyewa and two former safeties converted to corners, Mesphin Forrester and Quinton Richardson.

“Just a real physical DB unit,” Richardson said. “A lot of us try to push each other to do our best. Hitting-wise and interceptions, we’re a good, solid unit.”

Of the starting foursome, three weigh in at 205 pounds, and Aiyewa, who registered eight tackles last season as a true freshman, weighs 217.

For now at least, traditional-sized corners Byron Davenport, Jordan Murchison, Matt Mosley and Vonzell McDowell Jr. – who all weigh fewer than 200 pounds – provide the depth.

“Bigger, in my opinion, has always been better if all things are equal,” Willingham said. “So, I’m looking forward to the day that we get a 6-7 corner out there who’s about 240 and let him hammer and cover some people. ... That day is coming.”

Meanwhile, the day of the 253-pound defensive tackle is already here.

That is De’Shon Matthews, a sophomore from Sacramento who was a reserve defensive end last season.

In one of spring’s early surprises, he was shifted to starting tackle alongside Cameron Elisara, a 275-pound sophomore. The ends are 260-pound junior Daniel Te’o-Nesheim and 255-pound junior Darrion Jones.

“I’m having fun with it,” Matthews said. “It gives me an opportunity to start if I can continue doing what I’m doing now and just continue to get better on the inside.”

Matthews admits things become somewhat less fun when he’s confronted with offensive linemen who may outweigh him by 50 pounds or more.

“It doesn’t work,” he said. “It’s just another fight. It’s competition, that’s how I see it. Inside, outside, I’m motivated to win. (Bulking up is) very important. I’m 253 right now. I’m just trying to eat more and work out harder – whatever’s a good fit for me. I don’t want to be sluggish or anything like that. There’s a certain point I can stop.”

The game also will offer fans their first and only spring look at:

 • Sophomore quarterback Jake Locker, whose passing accuracy is said to be much improved. (Spring game rules will protect quarterbacks from contact, so Locker’s running abilities will be less of a factor.)

 • Reserve quarterback Ronnie Fouch, a redshirt freshman without college playing experience who will be one play away from the starting job.

 • True freshman slot Chris Polk, a potentially explosive running-catching threat beyond anything the Huskies have had in recent seasons.

 • A tailback rotation with little or no experience, including sophomore Brandon Johnson and redshirt freshmen Brandon Yakaboski and Willie Griffin.

 • An almost fully reworked receiving corps of D’Andre Goodwin, Curtis Shaw, Alvin Logan, Devin Aguilar and Anthony Boyles.

 • An offensive line trying to find its way without two top players: center Juan Garcia and guard Ryan Tolar. Matt Sedillo will sub for Garcia (foot), who is questionable for the coming season; and Jordan White-Frisbee is filling in for Tolar (shoulder).

“I cant’ wait for the spring game so we can light it up,” Matthews said. “It will be the first taste of a real game-type feeling. And I’m excited about the next season so everyone can do their thing: offensive side, defensive side, special teams. I think we’ll be real good next year.”

The spring game will use a running clock of 15-minute quarters.

Admission is free for the game and several other Spring Fling athletic events on campus.

Don Ruiz: 253-597-8808

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