Locker’s Decision To Return Is Washington’s Biggest Victory In 2009

Steve Sarkisian has been on a mission from the day he stepped foot on the University of Washington campus late in 2008. He has made the commitment to recruit a new level of athlete to Washington over the last calendar year, but may have done the most important persuading this week when he convinced record setting quarterback Jake Locker to return for his senior season.

This may have been the most important and productive month for the Huskies football program in the last decade. With a win over Cal to end the season, Washington set out on the recruiting trail with the ability to sell a program to potential players that was one win away from bowl eligibility, and is now returning an All-American level signal caller.

Locker’s return means more to the Washington program than any recruit could at this point in the rebuilding process but it also has direct implications on Washington’s 2010 class, which includes seven players that are ranked in the top 25 at their position by Scouts Inc. Nick Montana, son of Joe, from Oaks Christian HS in California, headlines a group that is expected to compete for a PAC-10 title at some point before they leave Seattle.

Sarkisian will also have the luxury of developing Locker’s successor at his own pace, which will only help the program down the road. In the immediate future though, the Huskies’ eyes have to be set on at least an eight win season - including a bowl win - in 2010, something that would have seemed ridiculous only one year ago. They can look directly at Stanford’s 2009 season as a blueprint for success, with Locker assuming the leadership position that was filled in Palo Alto by Toby Gerhart.

Washington only has to replace two starters on offense, and also returns 1,000-yard rusher Chris Polk to an attack that pulled off victories over USC and Cal during a 5-7 2009 season. While the five wins might not seem like an eye-pooping total, it was a huge step in the right direction for a program that was winless - 0-12 - in 2008.

For Locker, this won’t be the first time he’s passed on an opportunity to start a professional athletic career in order to play football at Washington. He was drafted in the 40th round by the Angels in the 2006 MLB Draft but chose to attend Washington on a football scholarship instead. His focus remained on the football field during his college career but his stock continued to rise on the diamond based on his unique tools and pure athleticism. He was routinely the best prospect in every summer baseball league he played in and was considered the best prospect in the state of Washington before the 2009 draft. Locker was chosen by the Angels this year and signed for $200,000, forfeiting his football scholarship and choosing to pay his own way - most likely negotiated into his baseball contract - in order to play football for the Huskies.

Financially, Locker could be taking a huge risk. He was considered a top-10 pick by most NFL Draft prognosticators and would have had the ability to negotiated an eight figure deal for himself had that been the case. The future for NFL rookie contracts is uncertain, with the possibility of a rookie salary cap becoming a more and more likely scenario with each JaMarcus Russell that flops in the league. Locker will enter the 2010 season as a Heisman candidate as well as the odds on favorite to be the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft but his earning potential may never be higher than it is right now. With all of this in mind, the 21-year old Locker decided it was more important to return for his senior season and cement his place in University of Washington football history.

Nobody realizes the importance of Locker’s return more than Steve Sarkisian. “This is the first time in history that I’ve signed a 10-star recruit. Forget 4- or 5-star recruits, we got a 10-star recruit today,” said Sarkisian after Locker’s announcement.

Washington’s 2010 recruiting class may go down in history as the first in the Sarkisian Era to include a plethora of athletic depth along with a handful of 4-star recruits but there will never be any doubt that Locker’s decision to return for his senior season was Sarkisian’s biggest victory in 2009.