2020 Washington Huskies Football Preview – Defense
Elijah Molden, Washington Huskies.
Cornerback
Keith Taylor, another senior, starts at cornerback. As a junior, Taylor had 59 tackles, including nine against instate rival WSU in the Apple Cup. Sophomore Dominique Hampton is expected to be Taylor’s backup. He played in five games last season as a redshirt freshman.
Trent McDuffie made a huge splash as a freshman in 2019. Due to his 59 tackles and tight pass coverage, he earned several postseason accolades. McDuffie was a runnerup to Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux for Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, and Pro Football Focus selected him as second-team Freshman All American. He’s back in 2020 as a sophomore to start opposite Taylor.
On most football teams in the country, Kyler Gordon is an undisputed starter. In fact, he started four games for the Washington Huskies in 2019. The redshirt sophomore even earned All Pac-12 Honorable Mention. For 2020 he’ll see plenty of action but will do so as McDuffie’s backup to begin the year.
Nickelback
Senior Elijah Molden is the most recognized name among the defensive backs. Last year, the 5-10, 195-pound cornerback made 75 tackles, with 5.5 for loss. Molden also added four interceptions, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
It’s no wonder Pro Football Focus named Molden as a first-team All Pac-12 and second-team All-American selection. Molden is on several 2020 pre-season award watch lists, including the Jim Thorpe Award given annually to the nation’s top defensive back. At this point, his understudy looks to be redshirt freshman Kamren Fabiculanan from Camarillo, California.
Defensive back is the strength of this defense. In an era of wide-open offenses, a team can never have enough quality pass defenders.
Related Story: Washington Huskies 2020 Preview – Offense
Going into this season, the Huskies defense will be a mix of players with experience and those without. We will see how their opponents will try to take advantage of the inexperienced areas. It will be tough on those teams who throw the ball to gain big chunks against this D. Washington Huskies football fans can expect a strong defense once again in 2020. Go Dawgs!