Pac-12 Analyst Yogi Roth Says Washington Still The Best in the Pac-12 North
BEAVERTON (OR) – Fresh off their first double-digit win season under head coach Chris Petersen, Washington is expected to continue developing the program to maintain success.
Among those who still view the Huskies ahead of the rest of the pack in the North, Pac-12 Network analyst Yogi Roth doesn’t see UW slowing down anytime soon.
“They’re just getting warmed up, I think,” Roth told Rivals.com on Friday. “The challenge will be the conference isn’t going anywhere. This isn’t the era when you can dominate a conference anymore.”
Roth, who spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at USC under former head coach Pete Carroll from 2005-06, believes the Huskies have the talent, and the right coaches in place, to make a significant run similar to the late Don James two decades ago.
The only college football program since those mid-2000 Trojans to maintain peak success has been Alabama and Nick Saban. The Tide defeated UW in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl 24-7 in early January, and not for a last-second touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson there could be yet another National Championship in the trophy case in Tuscaloosa.
Since then, along with the departures of wide receiver John Ross, cornerback Sidney Jones IV and safety Budda Baker who forfeited their final year of eligibility at UW and turned pro, Petersen and the Huskies have wiped the slate clean from 2016.
However, the Huskies still maintain the core of their offense led by juniors Jake Browning (quarterback) and Myles Gaskin (running back), and a more experienced offensive line including junior Trey Adams (left tackle) and Kaleb McGary (right tackle).
Defensively, UW returns Azeem Victor and Keishawn Bierria at linebacker, redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Vita Vea and redshirt junior defensive tackle Greg Gaines. The losses in the secondary can be offset if defensive backs coach / co-defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake can develop some of the younger players, including former four-star cornerback Bryon Murphy and several others.
With the wealth of talent returning, Roth still views the Pac-12 North the Huskies to lose and he doesn’t expect them to let go of the reigns.
“They’re in the driver's seat,” Roth said of Washington. “I look at them in the North, and Stanford right below them, because you’re kind of curious what they are at the quarterback position right now. But overall, they ain’t slowing down. You look at how they recruit, what they recruit, there is no late signees, you know what they’re about and they know what they’re about.”