2020 Washington Huskies Football Preview – Defense
Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington Huskies.
Inside Linebacker
Jackson Sirmon, who played in every Husky game last year as a redshirt freshman, starts at one of the inside linebacker spots. Sirmon had 28 tackles on the season and recovered a fumble against Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Washington lists Josh Calvert, a redshirt freshman, as Sirmon’s backup. He missed last year after an injury sustained during camp.
Edefuan Ulofoshio, another redshirt sophomore, played in nine games last season. He was very active, as shown by his 47 tackles. The Anchorage, Alaska native’s highlight game was against WSU in the Apple Cup. Ulofoshio had 12 tackles, including one-and-a-half sacks.
The Huskies list MJ Tafisi, another redshirt sophomore, as Ulofoshio’s backup. Last year he played in Washington’s first seven games. Unfortunately, his season was cut short because of an injury.
Safeties
The Washington Huskies have plenty of depth and flexibility at safety. Expect to see a deep rotation at the free and strong safety positions. Many of the players will see time at both spots, depending on the matchup. For now, sophomore Asa Turner and redshirt junior Alex Cook earned starting jobs to open the season.
Cook, a special teams standout last year, moves to the starting lineup ahead of sophomores Cameron Williams and Julius Irvin. Impressive considering Williams was one of the top freshman defensive backs in the country last year.
Brandon McKinney doesn’t have a spot on the depth chart at this time. Nevertheless, expect the senior to play in a variety of roles this year. He has plenty of talent and experience, which adds to Washington’s depth.