Dawgman Radio: A Washington Huskies athletics podcast

Last season, Washington finished tied for 103 in the nation with just 24 sacks last season, it goes without saying that the Huskies want to improve that aspect of their defense this season. That's been a focus for the front seven all offseason and now that things are near the midway point of fall camp, the focus has turned toward who can get the job done coming off the edge and getting pressure on the quarterback.

Kim Grinolds spoke with defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe about the improvement along the defensive line and how Benning Potoa'e is one of the more versatile players they have up front and how smooth his transition from outside linebacker to defensive tackle has gone.

Redshirt sophomore Ariel Ngata is a player who the coaches specifically brought in to get after the quarterback and we asked him about what he's focused on to help him get better off the edge and what has made the difference for him when comparing what he could do last year as opposed to this year.

Bob Gregory, the linebackers coach, spent time discussing some of his younger players and having four players who played quarterback in high school are now playing linebacker for him as well as how the position has changed in today's college football.

Levi Onwuzurike, the elder statesmen of a young defensive line group, talked about facing off with Nick Harris every day and what makes the offensive line so tough to go up against during practice.

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds and Chris Fetters - talked with some of the offensive players and Chris Petersen after Day 9 of Fall Camp, held in Husky Stadium on Sunday. It sounds like the Huskies got in more scrimmage 'live' reps than they had up to that point in camp, and Petersen sounds encouraged by the competition at both quarterback and running back. He did add that redshirt freshman defensive back Julius Irvin is struggling a little bit with injury, but it's nothing that's considered to be a long-term issue. 

They also spoke with quarterbacks Jacob Eason and Jake Haener, as well as running back Salvon Ahmed and offensive lineman Jaxson Kirkland. Spirits are high, the battles are intensifying, and camp is chugging along per usual. 

We're right in the middle of the "Summer Dead Period" and while there might not be a lot of recruiting news to talk about with fall camp taking center stage for coaching staffs all across the country, there are still a lot of things to talk about and that's exactly what Dawgman.com's Scott Eklund and Kim Grinolds did recently as a sort of "catch up" for those who haven't been able to keep up on the recruiting front.

With 16 players committed, plus another expected to enroll in January after taking a two-year Mormon mission, numbers are getting tight and there are a few other players who could make their decisions here before the beginning of their senior seasons.

Players like Bishop Gorman WR Rome Odunze, Lawndale DB Makell Esteen, and a few others seem to be close announcing a commitment to a school, so Eklund and Grinolds discussed where the Huskies stand with each player and when a decision coming down and how each would fit into the 2020 recruiting class if they wound up committing to the Dawgs.

They also went over the whole situation with former Husky quarterback Colson Yankoff and opined on the over-arching problem of player transfers and why the NCAA wants to limit the free movement without consequences for players wanting to transfer.

Wednesday was the first day the media didn't get a chance to see practice, so the players had to fill in the gaps on how things went on Day 6. They also shared some fun stories, from their takes on the new jerseys and shoes to a lot more. 

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds and Scott Eklund - spoke to senior linebacker Brandon Wellington, sophomore outside linebacker Joe Tryon, sophomore kicker Peyton Henry, and junior outside linebacker Ryan Bowman. 

Wellington talks to Grinolds about his nutrition and what he eats to keep his weight up, as well as how the defense is playing so far in camp despite losing a lot of talent to the NFL. 

Tryon spoke to Grinolds about Wednesday's practice, how he is now compared to where he was a year ago, especially given he always played at Hazen with his hand on the ground. 

Eklund got Peyton Henry to talk about his path to Montlake, how he was recruited to play football from Jake Haener, and his take on the kicking competition. 

He also spoke with Ryan Bowman about camp, their particular unit and how they are progressing, his ability to get to the quarterback, and more.

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - each gave their thoughts on not only day five of UW fall camp, but how Tuesday's 135-minute workout kept more of this fall's storylines alive. 

The quarterback competition is still ongoing, but Jacob Eason and Jake Haener are separating themselves. Eason is looking more and more comfortable by the snap, and Haener led the offense to two touchdowns during the final team periods. They are showing everyone that they're capable of running the offense, even if they do it in different ways. 

The new wrinkle in Tuesday's action was that the team could wear full pads for the first time. Though they didn't go full pads, just shoulder pads and shorts, there was still a little bit of hitting going on. And when the hitting starts, the energy starts too. And, as Chris Petersen has said this fall, when the execution is happening, that brings even more energy into the mix. 

The energy and intensity was evident throughout practice, and the Dawgman guys talk about who they liked, who is showing out, and who they think will continue to improve and stay factors, despite the fact that the media will no longer be able to watch the rest of fall camp. 

Lastly the three talk about the punting and kicking games and who is standing out there. 

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - spoke to a handful of Washington coaches and players from the offensive side of the ball to get their thoughts on not only why the offense seems to be ahead of where they were this past spring, but who is stepping up, and what to expect from them in the coming practices. 

Yes, it's only been five days, but the improvement from spring has been noticeable. Starting with the quarterbacks, the Husky offense has been hitting bigger plays with more frequency and has been more efficient in moving the ball down the field. 

And yes, we haven't really seen them in full pads yet, so it's hard to know just how the running backs will look when guys really get to start thumping on them a little bit, but from the five days where we have gotten to take a look they've all had moments where they've shown explosiveness and big play capability.

It was a reasonably quick Monday practice for the Washington Huskies, but there was a spirited team period at the end of the workout, which was enough for the guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds and Chris Fetters - to give their thoughts on who stood out, who made big plays, who made some mistakes, and more.

And because practice was short and the practice thoughts were short, we've added on the audio of UW Head Coach Chris Petersen talking to the media afterward. He took questions about the practice, the quarterback competition, and certain individuals like Chico McClatcher, Nick Harris, Dylan Morris, Richard Newton, and more...

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - each had breakout interviews with a number of defensive coaches and players after a spirited Day Three of UW fall camp, held on a hot and sunny Sunday on the east field next to Husky Stadium. 

They spoke with Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach Jimmy Lake, Defensive Line Coach Ikaika Malloe, Linebackers Coach and Special Teams Coordinator Bob Gregory, senior defensive lineman Benning Potoa'e, junior defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike, senior linebacker Kyler Manu, and junior defensive back Elijah Molden. 

Curious how Jimmy Lake feels about moving guys around to find roles? How much does he place a premium on position versatility? Interested in why the program felt it was important to offer senior defensive linemen Josiah Bronson and John Clark scholarships? Malloe explains why. Does Gregory like pairing the inside linebackers, or is that just how it's working out? 

Benning Potoa'e has gained 20 pounds since moving to the defensive line. Is it possible he's actually feeling quicker?

In talking with Onwuzurike, the native Texan talked about his transition to Seattle and what he's telling other guys from the Lone Star State who are thinking about playing for the Purple and Gold.  Manu wasn't even sure he had a scholarship offer to Washington after he had originally committed to Boise State before Chris Petersen moved to Montlake.  

Does Elijah Molden have a favorite position in the secondary? Or is he just leaving that up to Lake and Will Harris? 

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Scott Eklund, and Chris Fetters - recapped a strong Day Three of fall camp, where both the offense and defense traded blows during the more than two-hour practice Sunday, the first 'long' practice of fall. 

Myles Bryant had a big day, including a pick of Jake Haener in the end zone on a pass intended for Hunter Bryant, but that offset a nice day throwing the ball for Jacob Eason, who capped off most of his work with a beautiful 42-yard touchdown strike to Chico McClatcher. 

Both sides certainly had their moments to gloat, and as practice started to end the lasting image was junior defensive back Elijah Molden waving goodbye to the offense as they were preparing to run gassers. 

The guys talked about all the pluses and minuses of the day, if there's been any substantial movement in the quarterback battle, and a lot more in his 38-minute podcast. 

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - compiled their thoughts after Day Two of Fall Camp Saturday night, and in a weird quirk of fate, there wasn't a whole lot of disagreement from Day One. The offense continued to show early signs of life, something that's been a rarity in years' past. The defense definitely came back and had their moments too during the final team session.

Practice was a little longer than Friday's Day One workout, as the Huskies continue to ease back into things. There was more kicking than Friday too, and the guys get into that a little bit, as well as a deeper dive into the quarterback competition and where they think things stand with Jacob Eason, Jake Haener, Jacob Sirmon, and Dylan Morris.