5 college football teams that will be a lot better than you think in 2020
By Nick Villano
4. Washington Huskies: FanSided offseason ranking – No. 26
This one seems obvious why the Washington Huskies are being overlooked in the 2020 season. They lost their starting quarterback Jacob Eason to the NFL. He was one of the most talented signal-callers in the country, and now they have to find a way to replace him. Then, Chris Petersen unexpectedly stepped down as head coach and Jimmy Lake took his place. Like Miami, there was just something off about Washington last season.
The Huskies have a lot of talent on the defensive side to go up against those Pac 12 offenses. Elijah Molden could become one of the better cornerbacks in the entire country. He’s been covering the slot the past couple years, and even if he stays there it could be increasingly valuable as teams stretch their roster. Levi Onwuzurike is also one of the most talented defensive linemen in the country. He can stuff gaps and rush the quarterback from the inside.
The offense is going to be the question for Washington. It all starts with the quarterback. Redshirt sophomore Jacob Sirmon is the favorite to win the job, but they have interesting options in freshmen Dylan Morris and Ethan Garbers.
The reason Washington is here is because of recruiting. They brought in 15 four-star recruits in 2019 and 10 in 2018. Those are the players that are going to start competing for stops this season. Then, in 2020 they have five-star outside linebacker Sav’ell Smalls who could contribute to the program right now. Washington has been on a recruiting binge, and that’s going to pay dividends now.
Lake needs to prove he can make a seamless transition at the top and the quarterback competition needs to find the best possible candidate, and I expect Washington to finish well ahead of their No. 26 ranking. I don’t like that first matchup against Michigan to start the season, and playing on the road against USC, Oregon, Utah, and Cal is less than ideal, but I think talent will prevail for Washington and a little confidence will go a long way.