UW coach says releasing starting quarterback information ‘only hurts us’
Washington head coach Jimmy Lake spent his first game week news conference on Monday dodging questions about the Huskies’ starting quarterback.
And when UW’s depth chart arrived shortly after the Zoom call ended, it didn’t hold any answers, either. Besides quarterback, there were four names listed with a bold, capitalized “OR” in between.
Either graduate transfer Kevin Thomson, redshirt sophomore Jacob Sirmon, redshirt freshman Ethan Garbers or freshman Dylan Morris will start the Huskies season opener at Cal on Saturday. But Lake is keeping the name under wraps until kickoff.
“We will find out at about 7:34 PT, right around there, on Saturday night,” he said.
Lake even declined to say whether the team — and the quarterbacks in particular — knew who would be starting.
“Like I mentioned before, it really doesn’t help us to announce anything like that going into a game,” Lake said. “I know from a defensive perspective, if we know who the starting quarterback is then we can plan for that guy.
“I really want to talk to our fans here, because I know our fans are excited and believe me, we’re all excited and we can’t wait to run out there on Saturday night and play really hard for you guys. But what we’re never going to do here is release information that hurts us. By us releasing that type of information, it only hurts us. It doesn’t help us. We’ll all know here soon enough and we can’t wait to play really hard for you guys on Saturday night.”
Lake hasn’t ruled out playing more than one quarterback against Cal, especially if none of the contenders separated themselves during camp. But he wouldn’t tip his hand about whether that possibility remains.
“That keeps defenses off balance,” Lake said of playing multiple quarterbacks. “You don’t know what to expect. Now for sure, if we’re set up this way, and we’ll see if we are, and we’ll see if we’re not. If there’s a guy that can just take over the reins and be the guy, then he’ll be the guy.
“But from a defensive standpoint, if there’s a guy back there that can just take control, that’s difficult to defend. If there’s a two-headed monster back there, that’s difficult to defend. We’re going to do whatever is best for our team to make sure we get victories here in 2020.”
Another opt out
Lake announced that redshirt freshman wide receiver Taj Davis has opted out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns. Davis is the third UW player to opt out, joining tight end Jacob Kizer and defensive back Isaiah Gilchrist.
“Taj Davis has opted out and we respect his decision,” Lake said. “We’re going to support him. He’s always going to be a Dawg. We hope we can get him back here shortly. Just like with those other two guys who have opted out over coronavirus concerns, we support those guys and we are here for them. Taj, we love you and we can’t wait to get you back.”
A former three-star recruit, Davis didn’t play during his true freshman season in 2019. If he chooses to stay with the team in 2021, Davis will have four seasons of eligibility.
Family attendance
While fans won’t be permitted to attend Pac-12 sporting events this season, UW has been working to allow parents of players to attend home games at Husky Stadium.
Lake said there has been no update from local health authorities on the request. UW will host Oregon State in its home opener on Nov. 14.
“We think the parents and families of our players should be able to watch their sons play here in Husky Stadium,” Lake said. “We have a huge stadium — 72,000. It would be great just to get them all spaced out. We’ve seen other teams that have been able to do that across the country and even in the NFL.
“We definitely are trying to work toward that. Our administration has worked tirelessly to try to get that done. But at this point there is no update, and as soon as we get one we’ll let you guys know.”
A familiar voice
As Lake prepares for his first game as UW’s head coach, he’s remained in close contact with Chris Petersen. Petersen, who stepped down after the 2019 season, is currently serving as the Fritzky Chair in Leadership at UW’s Foster School of Business.
Lake said Petersen has left him “encouraging voicemails” throughout the chaotic and extended offseason. The two also often trade text messages.
“He’s been a great support for me,” Lake said. “I know he will always continue to be. I know he’s going to be glued in, I’m sure, on Saturday and watching the Dawgs go out there and try to get a victory.”
Depth chart notes
With as quiet as Lake has been about position battles, Monday’s depth chart is likely not set in stone. But there were a few surprises on the two-deep.
Here are three of the biggest:
1. Senior Kamari Pleasant, who was the No. 4 running back in the rotation last season, was listed as the starting running back with Richard Newton and senior Sean McGrew as the backups. Redshirt freshman Cam Davis, who has received positive feedback from teammates and coaches during camp, didn’t appear. Newton broke out as a redshirt freshman last season and was expected to be listed as the starter. It’s likely that Newton will still serve UW’s primary running back, but the depth chart could hint at a bigger role for Pleasant this season.
2. Junior Alex Cook appeared as a starting safety alongside sophomore Asa Turner. Sophomore Cameron Williams, who played in 12 games last season, was listed behind Turner. A former wide receiver, Cook made the switch to defense before the 2019 season. Turner and Williams both started over Cook in 2019.
3. Freshman wide receiver and four-star recruit Rome Odunze didn’t appear on the depth chart despite receiving widespread praise over the past month. Fellow freshman Jalen McMillan was listed behind Ty Jones. It still wouldn’t be surprising to see both Odunze and McMillan on the field this season.
Extra points
▪ On the eve of election day, Lake said 100% of his players had registered to vote and 90% had returned their ballots. “We are so excited about that,” he said. “And just like I told the team, ‘Do your research. It doesn’t matter which circle you’re picking, locally or nationally. Just do your research and vote. It’s your American right to vote and make sure you exercise it.’ I’m proud of our guys.”
▪ Lake said no UW players have suffered any long-term or season-ending injuries. He did say fall camp was particularly physical this season, which led to several “bumps and bruises.” “That’s OK,” he said. “We want to feel that way going into a game, no matter what the year is, but especially right now in 2020.”
This story was originally published November 2, 2020 at 5:22 PM.
