Early look: What to like about No. 7 Washington in 2017

Each week, USA TODAY Sports will give a more detailed look at the teams listed on our early Top 25 for the 2017 college football season.

Up next: No. 7 Washington. The Huskies’ inevitable breakthrough under Chris Petersen found the program atop the Pac-12 Conference and in the College Football Playoff. But repeating won’t be easy.

Why No. 7?

1. The juniors. There are seniors set for key roles for the Huskies, including linebacker Azeem Victor, an all-conference contender, and center Coleman Shelton, one of the nation’s best at his position. But the core of UW’s Pac-12 title defense is primarily composed of its junior class: quarterback Jake Browning, running back Myles Gaskin, offensive tackle Trey Adams and defensive linemen Vita Vea and Greg Gaines, for starters. As good as this group has been thus far – and they’ve been pretty good – it stands to reason that 2017 will find UW’s junior class at their best yet.

2. Experience. Don’t overlook how important last season’s title push will be to this program’s overall development. It will come with drawbacks – the bullseye UW now wears, as touched on below – the positive is clear: Washington fully understands what it takes to win the North Division, win the Pac-12 at large and compete with the nation’s best for the national championship.

3. Petersen. All this guy does is win, first at Boise State and now at Washington, with a unique attitude toward first building and then maintaining an elite program. Suggesting that UW is destined to take a substantial step back from 2016 totally ignores what Petersen has done since first taking the reins at Boise more than a decade ago.

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Why not higher?

1. The secondary. No positional grouping will undergo as much change as the defensive backfield, which brings back just one starter from last year’s absolutely outstanding unit: Taylor Rapp, a sophomore safety with obvious All-America potential. How capably can Washington replace Budda Baker, Sidney Jones and Kevin King? It’s unreasonable to expect the defense to drop off the map. Still, expect the defense to tweak and adjust its style to offset any drop in production from the secondary.

2. The bullseye. It’ll be a different feel for the Huskies in 2017. Only a pessimist – or an Oregon fan – would have expected Petersen to fail in his quest to turn Washington into a Pac-12 power. But after last season’s breakthrough, the Huskies will wear the bullseye against every team on their schedule. How will the team respond? Pretty well, I’d bet, given how diligently Petersen maintains his program’s personality and approach. Yet the shift from hunter to hunted may define the Huskies’ attempt at repeating atop the conference.

3. Stanford turnaround. One game won’t always make or break a season. But it should be noted that UW must make a quick, six-day turnaround for its key road matchup with Stanford on Nov. 10. Likewise, take note of the fact that the Cardinal come on the heels of a home game against rival Oregon, which will almost certainly be an improved bunch in Willie Taggart’s first season.

Biggest games

► Washington vs. Oregon, Nov. 4

► Washington at Stanford, Nov. 10

► Washington vs. Washington State, Nov. 25

Three players to know

1. CB Jordan Miller. He’s set for one of the starting roles at cornerback for the Huskies’ new-look secondary.

2. WR Aaron Fuller. UW is secure in what production the offense will land from leading receivers Dante Pettis and Chico McClatcher, who will be tasked with shouldering the load left by John Ross’ early departure for the NFL. But the Huskies will need Fuller to step into the void as the third receiver in the rotation.

3. RB Sean McGrew. There may not be many touches to spare behind the tandem of Gaskin and senior Lavon Coleman. However, Petersen will always find a role for players with multifaceted skill sets – and McGrew definitely fits in that category.

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