Although Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian has only been on the job for eight months, he has already given Husky fans plenty of reasons to be excited about the future.

Sarkisian’s recruiting efforts quickly paid off (see: Nick Montana), and his offensive philosophy seems to be clicking with Jake Locker (see: a fantastic spring). But perhaps his best accomplishment in Seattle so far was persuading defensive coordinator Nick Holt to bolt from USC and help rebuild the worst Husky defense in school history (38.6 points per game, 451.8 yards allowed).

Holt is one of the finest defensive minds in the Pac-10, and he brings a proven record to Washington, capped off by the dominance of last season’s Trojans D. For the 46-year old DC to have success in 2009, he will have to rely on the services of a linebacking corps that is the strength of the defense.

The LB unit received a massive boost when Sarkisian decided to reinstate senior E.J. Savannah.

Savannah was the Huskies leading tackler in 2007 with 111 tackles, and 14 tackles for loss, but was suspended indefinitely prior to the 2008 season for academic issues among other things. Savannah announced last September that he was planning to transfer, but after waiting to see what would happen with the coaching situation at UW, he was contacted by Sarkisian and told that he could come back.

The return of Savannah gives the Huskies a tremendously talented playmaker at outside linebacker. He was a signature recruit (4-stars from Rivals and Scout) for former UW coach Tyron Willingham in 2005, and has all the physical ability you could ask for.

At 6-1 228 pounds, Savannah is a natural at linebacker with good size and speed (4.5). He moves very well laterally, but will also punish ball carriers that like to run north/south. Nick Holt’s traditional 4-3 defensive scheme gives Savannah a chance to move back to his original position of weakside linebacker, and he has looked sharp there during the off-season.

The Bellevue (WA) product will look to close out his eventful career the right way, and he has the tools to be an all-conference performer in 2009.

With Savannah manning the weakside, junior Mason Foster will now move to the strongside.

Last season, Foster flourished as Savannah’s replacement with a team-leading 105 tackles, and 12 tackles for loss. He led the conference in tackles per game with 8.75, and was an honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection.

At 6-2 229 pounds, Foster possesses a nice blend of size and speed (4.5). He lived in the opponent’s backfield last season because of his aggressive pursuit angles and instinctive timing. Foster is also a sure-tackler who wraps up the offensive player well.

The Seaside (CA) native played on the weakside during his prolific 2008 campaign, but Holt will now switch him to the other side in order to accommodate Savannah. Fortunately, the move should free up Foster to rush the passer more, which fits his skill set perfectly. Wherever he plays, Foster will be one of the Huskies best defensive players again in 2009.

Versatile senior Donald Butler will man the middle linebacker position in 2009. Last season, Butler started 11 of the Huskies 12 games, with five starts at the MLB spot and six coming at OLB. He finished a solid 2008 campaign with 69 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and two sacks.

Butler will provide the Husky defense with maturity and leadership, as well as an exciting skill set. At 6-1 242 pounds, he is a well-built athlete who has an exceptional football IQ. He tackles well in space, and can drop back into coverage when necessary.

Sarkisian may have sent a message about Butler’s value to the program when he chose him as the player representative for UW at Pac-10 Media Day in Los Angeles on July 30th.

Butler’s steady presence in the middle will gel nicely with the explosiveness of Foster and Savannah. The Sacramento (CA) native was tremendous during the spring, and should be one of Washington’s most consistent performers throughout the season.

Behind Butler on the depth chart at middle linebacker is senior Trenton Tuiasosopo. The resilient Tuiasosopo has been through a lot in his football career, including a serious knee injury in 2004 and a terrifying bike accident in 2005 that put him in critical condition. This past off-season, he successfully petitioned the NCAA for another year of eligibility, and will therefore be entering year six with Washington.

Trenton is the first cousin of two former Huskies, QB Marques Tuiasosopo and FB Zach Tuiasosopo.

At 6-2 243 pounds, the reliable senior is a run-stopping specialist with tremendous strength. Last season he played in all 12 games and started seven at MLB, finishing with a career-high 71 tackles (3rd on team). While he does not possess great speed or quickness, he is a gamer who just knows how to make plays. Tuiasosopo should see a lot of action again this season as one of the top reserves on defense.

At outside linebacker, the main backup will be senior Josh Gage. Gage played in 10 of 12 games last season, including four starts at OLB. He finished with 17 tackles in 2008, and has been a stellar special teams contributor during his career.

At 6-2 223 pounds, Gage plays with a ton of energy and never takes a play off. The Huntington Beach (CA) native is now on full scholarship after walking on in 2005, and he should see considerably more action in his final year with the program than he has to this point.

Other players competing for time are: freshmen Tim Tucker, Jonathan Amosa, Reece Anderson, Jordan Wallace, and Kurt Mangum, juniors Fred Wiggs, Matt Houston, and Brandon Huppert, and senior T.J. Poe.

My Take

Nick Holt has a lot of work to do with this Husky defense, but the linebackers at his disposal are special. This LB unit is the strength of the defense, and although that may not be saying much, three all-conference caliber players will be suiting up in Seattle this season.

I expect Savannah to regain his 2007 form on the weakside, and I don’t foresee Foster having much trouble moving to the strongside. I also think Butler is primed for a big year, and he should easily surpass his 69 tackle season from 2008.

Depth is my only concern with this unit. Tuiasosopo is a very solid backup for Butler, and Gage should be dependable at OLB, but from there things get hazy. For this LB corps to reach its full potential, more quality backups must surface (especially for next year since every major contributor besides Foster will be gone after this season).

Overall, expect a rebuilding Husky defense to rely heavily on these talented linebackers in 2009.