Washington Huskies Fill DT Hole With 4-Star Recruit Elijah Qualls

The Washington Huskies‘ defense was pretty solid in 2012, ranking 31st among all college football teams and third in the Pac-12. On average, they gave up right at 357 yards of total offense per game and seemed to get a little better as the season wore on. They now plan to build off that small amount of momentum in 2013 by returning seven defensive starters. Their biggest hole was at defensive tackle after Josh Banks used his final year of eligibility in 2012, but it was filled on National Signing Day as four-star recruit Elijah Quall committed to play for Washington.

At 6’1″ and 282 pounds, Qualls is big enough to play on the interior defensive line in the Pac-12 but not short enough that he can get under most interior offensive linemen who will be taller than him. He’s not very fast, but he’s strong with quick hands and that’s all the Huskies need in their 4-3 scheme with Qualls in the middle next to nose tackle Danny Shelton and defensive end Andrew Hudson.

It’s no secret that Qualls will be expected to not only start but perform at a high level from day one and he’ll be under pressure to do just that as Huskies fans are anxious for their team to not only improve its defense but also its 7-6 record from last season.

Jeric Griffin is the Director of Content for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JericGriffin, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google