Inside The Huskies

Huskies Land Just 6 on Preseason All-Pac-12 Team

The media vote doesn't find a lot to like about this UW football entry.

Dan Raley

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Four and eight is going to leave some residual effect as the preseason All-Pac-12 selections demonstrated when sizing up the University of Washington football team.

Coming off that dismal showing, even with a new coach and a host of new players, only six Huskies this week drew all-conference recognition in the annual media vote — with just one first-teamer in offensive tackle Jaxson Kirkland. 

Four and eight will take some of the luster away and ask you to show that you're better than that.

Kirkland was joined by UW edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui on the second team and by linebackers Edefuan Ulofoshio and Carson Bruener plus wide receiver Jalen McMillan and kick returner Giles Jackson as honorable-mention selections.

The UW had nine picks the year before when it was projected as a Top 20 team.

If there's a quibble, Husky sophomore wide receiver Rome Odunze seems to be continually overlooked, even after leading the Huskies in receiving. 

Also, players such as sophomore offensive lineman Troy Fautanu, redshirt freshman defensive lineman Kuao Peihopa and junior tight end Devin Culp could be on the verge of receiving recognition, but need to show it.

Yes, 4-8 will make you wait. Make you have to win to be feted in large numbers. 

Among the other recipients, former UW linebacker Jackson Sirmon, now at California, was voted first-team All-Pac-12, which was mildly surprising. While he's a tough, hard-nosed player worthy of some attention, Sirmon doesn't have elite speed — and he was part of that 4-8 Husky team that had trouble stopping people. 

Had he stayed, Sirmon might have been hard-pressed to keep Bruener from taking his job. Yet his football pedigree, as the son of Bears defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon, counts for a lot.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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