5 Questions Entering Husky Fall Football Camp

One month before the season begins, we address the pertinent UW story lines.

The University of Washington football team rolls out fall camp on Friday at 10 a.m., giving it a full 29 days to get ready for the season opener against fearsome Montana.

Outside of edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui, recovering from his Achilles tendon injury, the Huskies appear at full strength.

Husky Stadium has new turf, with more purple strips around the exterior. 

The pandemic hasn't gone away, but games aren't in as much jeopardy as before, with vaccinations enabling the crowds to return. 

Jimmy Lake is about to get a full more representative season to show what he can do as the latest in the exclusive line of Husky head football coaches. He's a players' coach, unlike many of his predecessors. Watch these guys want to win for him. 

Taking all that into consideration, here are five pressing questions we'll throw out there before the first whistle blows:

1) How good are these Huskies?

The prognosticators say these guys are top 20 caliber, but a notch behind Oregon and USC. Rather than be a little big-headed about things, the Huskies might feel overlooked, underestimated and even a little insulted. There might be some pent-up emotion after being limited to just four games in 2020, being denied a postseason appearance of any kind and taking a backseat to the Ducks once more without even playing them. The schedule is made to win a lot of games, with 10-2 likely the very minimum or disappointment sets in.

2) Who's the quarterback?

Not sure why this is a question. Too many people are worried about style points with Dylan Morris. He's not tall enough. His arm is not strong enough. He's got a mustache. Oh. Bottom line, the guy doesn't make dumb mistakes. He replaced someone who telegraphed everything. He led one of the biggest comebacks in Husky history. He's still just a redshirt freshman. Ballyhooed 5-star recruit and true freshman Sam Huard will get his snaps at some point and be eased into a promising career, ready to go this season if something happens to Morris or the scoreboard enables it. Patrick O'Brien? See Kevin Thomson. Program timing is everything. 

3) Who's the UW's best player?

You could go any of four ways with this answer. We'll stick with Jaxson Kirkland. At 6-foot-7 and 317 pounds, he's physically the most fit and streamlined left tackle you will find in the college game. The pros keeping looking for body fat, a protruding belly and usual lineman sloppiness, and can't find it. Kirkland is highly motivated. Bright. Legacy. First-rounder. All-Pac-12. All-American. Leader. He's a guy you win with.

4) How good is the defense?

Two years ago, the Huskies didn't have any playmaking inside linebackers. Last year, they were low on brick wall defensive linemen. Barring any more crucial injuries, ZTF not withstanding, prognosticators look at this current group and see a top-5 defense nationally. Eddie Ulofoshio might be the best inside backer anywhere and the same could be said for Trent McDuffie at cornerback. Few opponents have been able to slow down edge rusher Ryan Bowman for five years. There is big hope that converted corner Dominique Hampton has star quality as a speedy, hard-hitting safety. Oklahoma transfer Bookie Radley-Hiles brings high-level nickelback credentials. A good vs. great defense might come down to how well defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa controls the line of scrimmage. He's mean enough. Now somebody come up with a catchy nickname for this group. Purple something. 

5) What's the bottom line for this team?

The game against Oregon in Seattle on November 6 will make or break this season. Treat it like another election day. No game will be bigger for the Huskies. Don James had his way with the Ducks, and Mike Bellotti and Chip Kelly turned the dominance to the Ducks. You can't rightfully chase conference or national championships unless you own the neighborhood. Lake's task is turn the rivalry series, now one of the top 5 nationally that crosses state lines, back to the Huskies. It would go a long way for Lake in building his reputation, owning recruiting and elevating his program.

Find Husky Maven on Facebook by searching: HuskyMaven/Sports Illustrated

Follow Dan Raley of Husky Maven on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven