Washington sets sights on QB

[np_husker]

Washington sets sights high at QB

 

By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star

To think, a month ago this guy was a linebacker.

 

Now they’re asking Latravis Washington about his pursuit of being Nebraska’s backup quarterback.

 

Make no mistake. He may be new to the green-jersey-wearing quarterback club, but Washington is aiming for at least backup status.

 

“Yes, sir. I feel good about it. I’m a competitor. All the quarterbacks know that,” Washington said. “Any quarterback, I think, would want to compete for the starting job or even a backup job. There’s great pride to be a backup at the University of Nebraska. Who would have ever known a linebacker being a backup quarterback?”

 

It seems more plausible now than it might have even a couple of weeks ago, especially given Nebraska is down to three healthy quarterbacks after Kody Spano suffered a knee injury this week that will require surgery.

 

And certainly confidence is not a problem when it comes to the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Washington.

 

“I knew I was going to excel in the position because I played it before,” said the former high school quarterback from Bradenton, Fla. “It was just getting the offense down and my feet under me.”

 

Washington’s progress is just one of the reasons Husker head coach Bo Pelini maintains a good vibe about the team’s quarterback situation despite entering this Saturday’s Spring Game with just three of them.

 

Zac Lee. Cody Green. Latravis Washington. As most have assumed all spring, the junior Lee is atop that list.

 

“I think you look at Zac, he’s clearly ahead right now,” Pelini said. “But all those young guys, they’ve had good springs. I feel good about the quarterback position. I think it’s in good hands. Zac has had a tremendous spring, and the younger guys have all learned. I feel good about where we are. I feel about where we thought we would be.”

 

All three will play on Saturday in their green hands-off jerseys, though Pelini said caution will be applied to how coaches use true freshman Green, who has been slowed by a hip injury suffered lifting just before spring ball.

 

“Cody Green, we’ll be careful with because we don’t want him to open up running too much,” Pelini said.

 

There will be great fascination for Husker fans to see the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Green, the much-talked-about, 17-year-old recruit from Dayton, Texas.

 

But just as interesting to watch will be the play of the junior Washington, who decided just a couple of days before spring practice to switch from linebacker to quarterback. The playbook still reads likes Greek to him, but he’s got a strong arm to go with strong ambitions.

 

“It’s still coming to me,” Washington said. “Still got some wrinkles in the offense that I still need to clean up. The motions and the shifts, I’m getting that down easily. As far as like routes and chemistry with the receivers, I still have to get that. That will come over the summer. I’m still grinding at it.”

 

Pelini said Washington’s progress at this point is “better than I thought it would be.”

 

Washington said he feels comfortable with the option and zone-read aspects of the offense.

 

“As far as the throwing, it’s brand new to me,” Washington said. “We ran the ball like 90 percent of the time (in high school).”

 

But Washington already has one aspect of being a quarterback down: He’s good in front of the cameras.

 

Easygoing. Confident. Funny.

 

Asked what he hopes fans are saying about him when they leave the stadium Saturday, Washington smiled and said: “Man, that guy can throw.”

 

http://huskerextra.com/articles/2009/04/16...85269272444.txt