Jake Locker, QB

Locker grew up in Ferndale, Wash. as a diehard football fan who watched the Huskies play on Saturdays with his father. So it was a lifelong dream come true when Washington gave him an opportunity to help resurrect its downtrodden program after Locker led Ferndale to a 14-0 record and the state 3A title in 2005.

He was a rare blue chip recruit for Tyrone Willingham, but that didn't stop the former Huskies coach from redshirting Locker. Finally on the field in 2007, the dual-threat was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year after setting a conference record for quarterbacks by rushing for 987 yards and finished with 3,048 yards of total offense.

His sophomore season was cut short after just four games due to a broken thumb against Stanford, and Willingham was shown the door after an 0-12 season. That ushered in the Steve Sarkisian era, and marked a turning point in Locker's development.

After two years of relying on his legs and running for his life behind an atrocious offensive line, Locker relished the opportunity to learn a pro-style offense and be tutored by Sarkisian. The results were clear - and immediate.

Locker threw for 2,800 yards in 2009, the third-most in school history for a program that has seen Warren Moon, Mark Brunell, Damon and Brock Huard and several other NFL quarterbacks grace the field at Husky Stadium. Projected as a top 10 pick, Locker shocked most observers when he chose to return for his senior season.

Unfortunately for his draft stock, Locker's play regressed. The Heisman hopeful entering the season struggled with his accuracy (56.6 percent completions, and flopped miserably on the national stage in a blowout loss at home against Nebraska (4-for-20 passing). But he rallied the team to three consecutive victories to close the season, and the local hero led the Huskies to his first bowl game - and redemption in a Holiday Bowl win over the Huskers.

"It wasn't the easiest career for me at Washington," he said. "We had to go through a lot of adversity, and to be able to finish the way we did, and come out with a Holiday Bowl victory, third in the Pac-10 last year, things I'm very proud of and I think that our football team should be very proud of.

"It was very rewarding, to go through an 0-12 season and two years later to finish that way. Something I'll keep with me the rest of my life, and it's very fulfilling."

Opinions on Locker's NFL potential differ as wildly as some of his passes. He's a tantalizing athlete who turned down the promise of millions of dollars to return to school and will be an excellent locker room presence. But he has also never put it all together as a passer and is injury-prone due to his running style.

He has also spent much of the pre-draft process trying to convince teams he's not about to bolt for the Angels' organization, which owns his baseball rights and paid for his tuition the past two years.

NFL men love Locker's attitude and approach to the game, and he takes his critics head on.

"I think that that's part of this process," he said. "It's something you have to get comfortable with: playing under a microscope. Because it's going to be the same way with whatever team you end up with or whatever city you end up in. Expectations are going to be high, and you've got to find a way to keep yourself grounded and block that stuff out and have confidence in who you are and in the player you are."

That mindset is why many experts still consider Locker a safe bet to be selected in the top half of the first round.

"(Football) has been something that has always been a part of my life," Locker said. "I'm very passionate about it. It means a lot to me, and I'm going to put the work in it takes to be successful."

Accuracy: Showed significant improvement in 2009, though still a work in progress in this area. Has to do a better job of setting his feet before making the throw. Too often forces receivers on short and intermediate routes to slow or reach wide to collect his throws. Flashes surprising touch down the seam and in hitting the back on swing passes, though he needs to gain consistency here. Proved most accurate in critical situations, drilling a variety of pro-style throws (comebacks, crossing routes and deep-outs) when Washington faced some of its best competition or in situations with the game on the line.

Arm Strength: Possesses ideal arm strength. Drives the ball on short and intermediate routes. In fact, may need to learn to more consistently throw with touch for shorter routes, as he too often zips passes through his targets' hands. Can stretch the defense deep and throw 60-plus yards with a tight trajectory. Experienced playing in poor weather and has the arm strength to slice through strong winds. Reportedly has been clocked at 95 mph by baseball scouts.

Setup/Release: Well versed taking the snap from under center and out of the shotgun. Good foot speed, balance and agility for the quarterback position, but is still developing the nuances of setting his feet before releasing the pass. Has an efficient, over-the-top delivery and delivers the ball with velocity.

Reading Defenses: May have regressed as a senior in this area after improving significantly from his sophomore season (under Tyrone Willingham) to his junior season (first under Sarkisian). Has a tendency to stare down his primary option. Can be too aggressive and will throw the deep ball into double-coverage.

On the Move: A true dual-threat quarterback. Has 4.5 speed, but plays faster due to his vision, and his long strides in the open field are deceptive. Has some wiggle to make defenders miss and seems to enjoy the physical aspect of the game. Had to be reined back by Sarkisian (and previously, Willingham) for his willingness to drop his shoulder and take on the defender for additional yardage. Dangerous thrower on the move, demonstrating good velocity and improving accuracy when rolling to his right or left. Has a tendency to forget his mechanics when throwing on the move, however, leading to some of his passes drifting high or wide of his intended target.

Intangibles: In addition to his durability and consistency concerns, scouts also have to worry if Locker will remain in football. He's a dual sport athlete who has twice been drafted by MLB's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Signed a six-year deal with the Angels in 2009, though part of the agreement is that Locker will pursue a career in football over baseball. Technically considered a walk-on at UW as the Angels are paying for his scholarship costs. Highly respected by the coaching staff, teammates and fans. Gutty, determined. Named a team captain in 2009 and 2010. Honored with the Guy Flaherty Most Inspirational Award, the UW's oldest and most prestigious team honor, following the 2009 season.

Compares to: Donovan McNabb, Redskins -- He has an ideal combination of athleticism, arm strength and intangibles, and Locker, like McNabb, can make the highlight reel play despite being only a moderately accurate passer.

--Rob Rang

Ended his UW career at or near the top of most of the school's passing and QB rushing charts … holds the school record for season (986 in 2007) and career (1,939) rushing yards by a quarterback … 29 career rushing TDs ranked No. 3 all-time (all positions) … ranked No. 2 all-time in career passing yards with 7,639 yards … also ranks second in career attempts (1,147), completions (619) and touchdown passes (53) … was responsible for 496 career points (TDs rushed and passed for), second-most in UW history (only eight points behind Cody Pickett's record) … as far as total offense goes, ranked No. 2 in career yards (9,578), attempts (1,601) and yards per game (239.5).

Started 12 of 13 at quarterback, missing the Oregon game due to a broken rib, which was initially injured in the Oregon State game (game six) … earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 … team captain for the second straight season … won the team's Guy Flaherty Most Inspirational Award at the postseason banquet … just the fourth player in the 103-year history of the award to win it twice … despite illness and injury, posted a solid season in terms of passing stats … 2,265 yards ranked 14th in UW history.

Tied Chris Rowland's 37-year old school record with five touchdown passes in the 35-34 win over Oregon State … went 21-for-35 for 286 yards vs. the Beavers … best game of the season in the 32-31 win at USC, rushing for 110 yards on 12 carries while amassing 310 yards and a TD on 24-of-40 passing … second 300/100 game of career … opened the season by going 20-for-37 for 266 yards, no picks and a TD at BYU … 22-for-33 for 289 yards, no interceptions and four scores in 41-20 win over Syracuse … 23-for-38 for 209 and a TD vs. Arizona State … 17-for-27 for 237 and a touchdown in the win at Cal … wrapped up regular season by going 14-for-22 for 226 and two touchdowns in the Apple Cup … during the season, led the Huskies on three game-winning drives late in the fourth quarter.

At USC, trailing 31-29, drove the UW 61 yards on 10 plays, converting a 4th-and-11 on the way, as the UW won on a field goal in the game's final play … at California, trailing 13-10, led the Dawgs on a 10-play, 79-yard march that ended when Chris Polk scored on a one-yard run on the final play of the game … finally, at WSU, with the game tied 28-28, led a nine-play, 88-yard driving, throwing a 27-yard TD pass to Jermaine Kearse for the winning score with 0:36 left … converted on fourth down in that drive as well … rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown in the Holiday Bowl win over Nebraska.

Selected to receive the Guy Flaherty Most Inspirational Award, the UW's oldest and most prestigious team honor, at the postseason awards banquet … honorable mention All-America by Pro Football Weekly … earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 by league coaches … selected as a Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award semifinalist … finished third in national fan voting for the O'Brien Award … served as a team captain … finished the season with 2,800 passing yards, the third-highest single-season total in UW history … his 3,188 yards of total offense ranked second in UW history and led the Pac-10 Conference … in terms of passing, his season ranked fourth in total attempts (394), fourth in completions (230), 11th in completion percentage (.584), and fourth in touchdown passes (21) … through his junior season, ranks No. 6 on the UW career passing yardage list with 5,374 yards, No. 5 in career attempts (815), No. 6 in completions (435), and tied for No. 3 in touchdown passes (36) … 1,554 rushing yards are already a UW career record for rushing yards by a quarterback.

Named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week after the 42-10 win over No. 19 California, when he completed 19-of-23 for 248 yards and three touchdowns through the air while rushing for 77 yards and two scores on 14 carries … led UW to 16-13 win over No. 3 USC, when he went 21-for-35 for 237 yards. and 1 rush TD … 4-for-4 for 56 yards on game-winning drive … named Davey O'Brien QB of the week after USC game … in win over Arizona, went 12-for-23 for 140 yards, one interception and three touchdowns while rushing for 92 yards and a TD on 11 carries … 56-yard TD run vs. Arizona was career-long carry … 16-for-28 for 196 yards passing and 10 carries for 94 yards in 30-0 Apple Cup win over Washington State … 14-for-23 for 153 yards, one interception and three TDs at Oregon State … 23-for-40 for 235, one pick and two TDs at UCLA … 22-for-38 for 279 and 1 touchdown at ASU … 23-for-44 for 266 yards, two interceptions and a touchdown vs. Oregon … 22-for-39 for 281, no interceptions, one touchdown, plus 16-for-33 with one rushing TD at Notre Dame … vs. Idaho: 17-for-25 for 253 yards, three scores, no interceptions, one rush TD … in opener vs. No. 11 LSU: 25-for-45 for 321, one interception, two touchdowns, plus 51 yards rushing … 372 yards of total offense in the LSU game ranked 9th in UW single-game history.

Played in, and started, the season's first four games before breaking his thumb vs. Stanford … finished his abbreviated season with 512 yards passing on 50-of-93 passing … rushed for 180 yards on 56 carries, with three rushing touchdowns … completed 12-of-28 for 103 yards and rushed for 57 yards on 16 carries in the season-opener at Oregon … 17-for-32 for 204 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 62 yards and two scores in 28-27 loss to BYU … 16-for-24 for 154 yards through the air and 12 for 44 on the ground against Oklahoma … 5-for-9 for 51 yards passing and 10 carries for 17 yards vs. Stanford before breaking his thumb while throwing a downfield block … didn't throw an interception in 93 pass attempts for the season … picked up the team's offensive player of the week award for both the Oregon and Brigham Young games.

Named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year … named a second-team Freshman All-America by rivals.com and a first-team redshirt freshman All-America by collegesportsreport.com … chosen as the Sports Radio 950 KJR Player of the Year (offense) and also earned the Travis Spring Most Outstanding Freshman Award for offense at the postseason awards banquet … earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors … also received Academic All-Pac-10 honorable mention … set a UW and Pac-10 record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 987 yards … 987 yards were also good enough to rank second most in a career by a UW quarterback and the most-ever for a freshman … 3,048 yards of total offense were second-most in UW single-season history … also established a Pac-10 record for longest pass play with a 98-yard TD completion to Marcel Reece vs. Arizona … finished fifth in the Pac-10 in rushing with 82.2 yards per game, most by any player who will return in 2008 … 82.2 yards also ranked No. 51 in the nation and No. 3 among quarterbacks … fourth in the league and No. 39 in the country in total offense with 254.0 yards per game … third in the conference in scoring (non-kickers) with 6.5 points per game … 2,062 passing yards were most ever by a Husky freshman … started 12 of 13 games at quarterback, sitting out the California game after suffering an injury on a helmet-to-helmet hit the week before at Oregon State.

Became just the 19th player in NCAA history to rush for more than 100 yards and pass for more than 300 in a game vs. Arizona, when he ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries and threw for 336 yards and two scored on 17-of-30 passing … both totals were season highs and the single-game total offense of 493 yards was second-most in UW single-game history … 157 rushing yards were third-most in a game ever by a UW quarterback … had two other 100-yard rushing games, going for 102 on 14 carries vs. Ohio State and for 103 yards and two scores on 14 attempts vs. Washington State … had a very good college debut, leading the UW to a win at Syracuse on national TV .. rushed for 83 yards and two scores while completing 14-of-19 for 142 yards and no interceptions vs. the Orange … led Huskies to win over Boise State the following week, running for 84 yards and a TD while completing 13-of-25 for 193 yards and a TD … rushed for 92 yards and passed for 216 and a season-high four touchdowns at UCLA … four TDs ranked second-most in UW single-game history … ran for 50 yards and two scores vs. No. 1 USC … 13 carries or 78 yards and 257 yards and four touchdowns passing vs. Oregon … after missing the Cal game, came back for the Apple Cup and had a good game … rushed for 103 and two TDs and also threw for 224 yards and a score vs. the Cougars … named the team's offensive player of the week for the Oregon, Arizona and Washington State games.

Won the UW's Pepsi Player of the Week Award for his work on the service team after the Fresno State, Arizona and Washington State games … made the travel squad for every game, and suited up for all 12, but didn't see any game action … quarterbacked the UW service team.

2010: Missed one game due to broken ribs.

2008: Missed eight games due to torn ligaments and a broken right thumb.

2007: Missed the cal game due to a neck sprain.

Combine: 4.50 40-yard dash; 35-inch vertical; 9'7" broad jump; 4.12 short shuttle; 6.77-cone drill.

Led Ferndale to a 14-0 record and the 2005 Washington 3A state title … passed for 1,603 yards and 27 touchdowns with just three interceptions as a senior, while also rushing for 1,338 yards and 24 TDs … earned first-team All-America honors from Parade and EA Sports … named the overall and 3A state player of the year by the AP and Seattle Times … also earned first-team all-state honors from both organizations … accounted for four touchdowns and 272 total yards in Ferndale's 47-12 win over Prosser in the 2005 Washington 3A state title game … helped Ferndale to No. 8 in USA Today's final West Region rankings, and to No. 12 in MaxPreps.com's final national rankings … one of four Seattle Times "Blue Chip" recruits … ranked No. 5 nationally at QB, and No. 1 in the West, by PrepStar … ranked 85th in Scout.com's National "Hot 100" … ranked 68th overall and fourth among "dual-threat" quarterbacks in Rivals.com's national rankings … as a junior, threw for 1,314 yards and 16 TDs and rushed for 987 yards and 15 TDs … led Ferndale to a 13-2 record and a Washington state 3A runner-up finish in 2004, and was selected first-team all-state by the AP … as a sophomore, threw for 713 yards with nine TDs, while running for 478 yards and three scores … in addition to quarterback, played four years as a defensive back at Ferndale … was the first freshman ever to start in coach Vic Randall's 21-year career … also a standout baseball pitcher and outfielder … named 3A state player of the year in baseball.

Father, Scott, and uncles Mike, John and Patrick all played football at Western Washington University, where Patrick still holds the career total yardage record.