Washington made huge strides under Chris Petersen in 2016, winning the Pac-12 championship and making an appearance in the College Football Playoff. The Huskies backed that up with a 10-2 regular season in 2017 despite heavy losses following the 2016 season. The same can be said on the recruiting trail, with a 2018 class that will keep double-digit winning seasons in play.
Quick references
2018 recruiting class, ranked No. 14 in the ESPN class rankings
Top remaining 2018 targets
LB/DE Tennessee Pututau
QB Tanner McKee
2018 starting quarterback
Should Jake Browning choose to return for his senior season, the Huskies will have one of the nation's top quarterbacks for a third consecutive season. Also potentially returning would be senior backup K.J. Carta-Samuels, so next in line would be two of the nation's best in the 2018 class, Jacob Sirmon and Colson Yankoff.
Who is lost: Washington loses key players on both sides of the ball, but plenty are likely to return in 2018. On offense, center Coleman Shelton and guard Andrew Kirkland have run out of eligibility, as have second team all-conference tight end Will Dissly, running back Lavon Coleman and first-team all-conference receiver and return man Dante Pettis. Junior tackle and All Pac-12 first-team selection Kaleb McGary could face an early-entry NFL draft decision, as could running back Myles Gaskin.
Defensively, senior linebackers Keishawn Bierria and Connor O'Brien are gone, as is safety Ezekiel Turner, but losing defensive tackle Vita Vea and safety JoJo McIntosh, both juniors, would be felt the most.
Who is added: After three straight top-30 classes, the 2018 group sits at No. 14 with the ability to add more key pieces by February. Quarterbacks Sirmon and Yankoff are the future of the position, and receivers Marquis Spiker and Austin Osborne could make more of an immediate impact. ESPN 300 cornerback Kyler Gordon will add even more speed and playmaking to the secondary. Another strong offensive-line class means even more depth and the ability to redshirt and develop the 2018 crop.
What it means for next season: The Huskies need Spiker and Osborne to mix into the rotation to give Washington more receiver depth. Should Browning return, redshirting both Sirmon and Yankoff would set up the quarterback position for years to come, as would redshirting all four offensive-line signees. Petersen and his staff can sit back and develop a good majority of the 2018 class, which would pay dividends down the line.
Trending: Up. Petersen has the Huskies in position to continue to contend for Pac-12 titles, and Washington could be the preseason favorite if Browning, McGary and Gaskin return. Washington would have a potent offense with Gaskin and the explosive Salvon Ahmed in the backfield and Aaron Fuller at receiver. Defensively, the entire secondary will be back should McIntosh opt to return for his senior season. There is impressive depth at linebacker, and some good young talent on the line to go with it.