Tag Archives: university of washington football

Washington-Stanford Will Be a Battle of Tight Ends (In a Purely Non-Sexual Way)

Austin Sefarian-Jenkins
Sefarian-Jenkins

Let’s take a look at the diving catch Husky Austin Sefarian-Jenkins made on Saturday, shall we? It’s here at the 2:10 mark. In case you’re too lazy to click, what happens is, Sefarian-Jenkins makes a full-body-length dive, parallel to the ground, to catch a Keith Price pass.

If Sefarian-Jenkins were an NFL wide receiver, this would be a great catch. If Sefarian-Jenkins were a college wide receiver, this would be an amazing catch. Sefarian-Jenkins is a tight end. A true freshman tight end.

While Price is a much better passer than Jake Locker, the biggest improvement in the Husky offense has been at the tight end position. Husky tight ends had just six catches all of last season. Sefarian-Jenkins already has four touchdowns.

Catches by Husky Tight Ends, 1981-2011 (Click for larger image)

When the Huskies face Stanford on Saturday, Sefarian-Jenkins won’t be the only talented tight end on the field. The Cardinal have three of them. Zach Ertz, Coby Fleener and Levine Toiolo have combined for 34 receptions, 12 of them for touchdowns. There are 70 FBS teams with fewer touchdown catches than Stanford’s tight ends.

Fleener is the deep threat, averaging 23.9 yards per catch. “That Fleener can run, man,” Steve Sarkisian told the media yesterday. “It’s not just linebackers. They are throwing seam routes and go routes and corner routes on defensive backs, and they make plays.”

Fleener

At 6-foot-6, 254 pounds, Fleener will be enough of a mismatch against the Huskies’ undersized young outside linebackers: Princeton Fuimaono (6-1, 215), Jamaal Kearse (6-2, 224) and John Timo (6-1, 220). When lined up against the Huskies’ even smaller cornerbacks, he’ll have at least a six-inch height advantage. The last hulking receiver UW had to deal with–Eastern’s Brandon Kaufman–scorched the Dawgs for ten catches and 140 yards. Fleener is bigger and probably more talented.

Though he’s as tall as Fleener at 6-6, 258, Sefarian-Jenkins won’t have as easy a time of it, at least on paper. Stanford’s outside linebackers are close to his size: Trent Murphy (6-6, 260), and Chase Thomas (6-4, 240). Sefarian-Jenkins may get some comfort in the fact that UCLA TE Nelson Rosario had eight catches against Stanford earlier this month.

Very rare is the football game that you’d say will come down to how the tight ends perform. But for this matchup–the first time since 2003 that the Huskies are in a game where both teams are ranked in the top 25–the stats of the tight ends will probably tell the story of the game.

Jake Locker Drafted 8th Overall by Tennessee Titans

Jake LockerState schoolboy legend and Washington Huskies star Jake Locker is headed to Nashville, where, with the Tennessee Titans’ unsettled quarterback situation, he’ll have a chance to be an NFL starting quarterback this September.

Locker becomes the highest-drafted quarterback in University of Washington history (Don Heinrich, 35th overall in 1952) and the highest-drafted Husky since Steve Emtman (1st overall in 1992). Reggie Williams (9th overall in 2004) was the last Husky to be picked in the first round.

Tennessee thought they had their franchise quarterback in 2006, when they drafted Vince Young 3rd overall. But Young’s personal problems and clashes with Titans coach Jeff Fisher caused the Titans to release him. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen says a football source called Locker, known for his humility and leadership qualities, “the anti-Vince Young.” Kerry Collins started 7 games for the Titans next season, but he’s a free agent. The only Titans QB under contract is Rusty Smith, who started once last season in a shutout loss.

Locker is the second quarterback taken in this draft, a big surprise, as Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert was considered by most to be the second quarterback taken after Cam Newton. ESPN’s Todd McShay predicted that Locker wouldn’t be drafted until the second round.

If the NFL schedule stays the same, with NFC teams playing a matching AFC division on a rotational basis, Locker will first face the Seahawks at some point in the 2013 season. Unless the two teams meet in the Super Bowl. ;)