Washington Huskies Football Team Preview 2019 - Odds and Predictions

After starting the season ranked 6th in the nation, coach Chris Petersen’s squad went through a volatile run. The Huskies rebounded from an opening game loss to Auburn by ripping off a five-game winning streak before a heartbreaking loss at 17th ranked Oregon on October 13th. Washington soon after hit rock bottom with an embarrassing 12-10 loss at last-place Cal-Berkeley.

Fortunately, quarterback Jake Browning and Co. recovered from that loss to upset intrastate rival, Washington State for the Apple Cup before winning the Pac-12 Championship game against Utah. The Huskies closed out the season with a loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, in the last game for many of the top players on the roster.

Who else is counting?

1?0?0??#PurpleReign pic.twitter.com/OBFApMH9RL

— Washington Football (@UW_Football) May 23, 2019

Key Returning Players (2018 Stats)

• WR Aaron Fuller (Senior) – 58 Receptions | 874 Rec Yards | 4 Rec TD
• RB Salvon Ahmed (Junior) – 608 Rush Yards | 7 Rush TD | 5.8 Yards per Carry
• S Myles Bryant (Senior) – 61 Total Tackles | 3.5 Sacks | 4.5 TFL
• C Nick Harris (Senior) – 13 starts | All-Pac-12 First Team

After sitting out a year as a transfer from Georgia, redshirt junior quarterback Jacob Eason is likely to take over behind center. Eason will have a decent set of weapons at his disposal, as leading receiver Aaron Fuller returns, along with fellow pass catchers Ty Jones and Andre Baccellia. Salvon Ahmed will likely get the lion’s share of carries in the backfield, behind an offensive line that should feature seniors Trey Adams and Jared Hilbers at the tackle spots, while Nick Harris mans the center slot.

Given the losses on defense, defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake will lean heavily on two returning seniors in linebacker Brandon Wellington and free safety Myles Bryant. The nose tackle position, in particular, will be green, with redshirt freshmen Tuli Letuligasenoa and Sam Taimani competing for the starting nod at that spot. The same could be said for nickel corner, where Kyler Gordon and Julius Irvin look to get some playing time behind starting corners Keith Taylor and Elijah Molden.

Key Departures

Staying in Seattle. @benbk25 ?? @Seahawks pic.twitter.com/96bByHcZhQ

— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) April 27, 2019

• QB Jake Browning (Graduation)
• RB Myles Gaskin (Graduation)
• CB Byron Murphy (NFL Draft)
• OT Kaleb McGary (Graduation)

An underrated pipeline for NFL talent, Washington once again lost several key players to the pros. The defense in particular was gutted with the loss of Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Ben Burr-Kirven, along with all conference team selections Greg Gaines, Byron Murphy, and Taylor Rapp. On offense, the biggest losses by far are Gaskin and Browning, who left Seattle on top of the school’s record books in rushing and passing, respectively.

Notable Recruits (Star Ratings and Rankings According to Rivals.com)

• MLB Daniel Heimuli – 4 Star | 6-2, 215lb | Menlo Atherton HS | Atherton, CA
• DE Laiatu Latu – 4 Star | 6-4, 272lb | Jesuit HS | Carmichael, CA
• DT Faatui Tuitele – 4 Star | 6-4, 304lb | St. Louis HS | Honolulu, HI
• OT Julius Buelow – 4 Star | 6-8, 331lb | Kapolei HS | Kapolei, HI

The Huskies recruited heavily in Hawai’i, nabbing five of their 23 commitments from the Islands of Aloha, including a pair of big guys in Faatui Tuitele and Julius Buelow. Washington’s top prize of the 2019 class was inside linebacker Daniel Heimuli, who was ranked seventh at his position and strongly considered Alabama and Oregon before opting for UW. Last but not least, the Huskies locked up the top in-state quarterback recruit in Dylan Morris out of Puyallup, Washington.

2019 Schedule

The Huskies go into 2019 with a fairly favorable schedule, with their most challenging road game being a visit to Stanford. The best part about their schedule is without question having their toughest games at home in front of a routinely loud Husky Stadium crowd, as USC, Oregon, and Washington State will be paying visits to Seattle. With a manageable schedule like this, Washington has close to zero room for error in the eyes of the Playoff Committee, as a single loss could eliminate them completely from contention.

Where to Bet on the Washington Huskies in New Jersey – Odds

New Jersey residents can log onto 888Sport to wager on Washington’s Pac-12 Championship odds, as well as their win total. With an over/under of 10 wins and a seemingly easy schedule, an undefeated season would not be outside the realm of possibility for the Huskies.

Pac 12 Conference Winner

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Number of Games Won – Excluding Bowl Games & Play Offs

Regular season only. Conference championship games do not count.

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