SEATTLE – Before the 2018 season began one of the main questions surrounding Washington was how would the team replace star nose tackle Vita Vea.

The 6-foot-4 and 347-pound interior beast went No. 12 overall in the NFL Draft this past April, a first-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It marked the second time in five years UW had a defensive lineman drafted with the No. 12 pick following Danny Shelton in 2015 to the Cleveland Browns.

Defensive tackle Greg Gaines elected to return to school for his senior year, which help offset some of the Vea loss. The senior is sixth on the team in tackles (49), third in tackles for loss (5) and sacks (3), and credited with one of eight interceptions forced by UW’s defense.

However, replacing a player like Shelton or Vea is easier said than done. But maybe not for third-year DL coach Ikaika Malloe.

Three weeks from Thursday senior high school football recruits will be able to sign their National Letter of Intent when the 72-hour early signing period window opens on December 20. For UW that means securing its five DL commitments, three of which are four-star recruits.

Malloe, a former safety / outside linebacker at the school from 1993-96, returned to his roots after joining the staff after the 2015 season and began building what has quickly become a direct recruiting bridge from Hawaii to Husky Stadium.

"I think he's done a nice job," Petersen said Wednesday on Malloe's impact on the recruiting trail. "The life-blood of the program. Think all of our guys are working really hard and doing a good job."