Sarkisian weighs in on Locker's NFL draft buzz

Nov 17, 2009, 12:00 AM

It seems a logical progression: bowl game out of the question, so now it's time to look forward to next year for the Washington football program - and the people who write about the Washington football program. Wondering about next year also means wondering who will be here next year, or in the case of quarterback Jake Locker, who might not be here next year. Head coach Steve Sarkisian fielded a variety of questions about his star player's status as an early-round NFL draft prospect, maintaining his season-long stance that those are things he'll worry about once the season's over. But Sarkisian did say any player would benefit from playing four seasons in college. "If you think about it, if you come back your senior year and you go from an end-of-the-first-round draft pick to a top-three draft pick, you make yourself $25-$30 million," Sarkisian said. "That's really what you play for your senior year; you made that money. There is a lot of things that go into it." Locker wasn't available for his usual Monday meeting with the press because the Huskies have a bye week, and players aren't made available to the media on Mondays during bye weeks. Had he been, though, he likely wouldn't have shed any more light on his NFL prospects than he has all season. But he did take one question about just that in his postgame interview on Saturday, answering predictably. "It's like I've told you guys, we've still got two games left in this season," Locker said after UW's 48-21 loss to Oregon State. "It's not over. It's something we'll sit down and look at when the season's over." It's worth wondering about now, though. Locker is projected by some to be the No. 1 QB prospect in the nation, obviously meaning he'd be a first-round selection should he declare for the NFL draft at the end of this season. And Sarkisian has dealt with this kind of thing before. He was the offensive coordinator at USC last year when junior Mark Sanchez was trying to make the same decision, and Sanchez ultimately ended up declaring for the draft. He's starting for the Jets now. But Sarkisian said his role is simply as a guide, and it's not his job to dispense the kind of advice that's intended to sway Locker one way or another. That might be a tough temptation to resist. With Locker as a fifth-year senior leading their offense next season, the Huskies obviously stand a much better chance of reaching a bowl game for the first time since 2002. Without him, they'd have to break in either Ronnie Fouch, who will be a junior, Keith Price, who will be a redshirt freshman, or incoming freshman Nick Montana. "I'm not going to tell Jake, and I didn't tell Mark what he should or shouldn't do," Sarkisian said. "My job is to provide information so that he can make a very clear decision, and ultimately, the decision is going to be on the individual because he is the one that's going to live the rest of his life." It's a decision the Huskies' lives will hinge on, too. NOTES Sarkisian said safety Nate Fellner suffered a partially torn biceps in Saturday's game and will be re-evaluated this week. ... Other injuries include: Cameron Elisara (stinger) and E.J. Savannah (hand) will both get a lot of rest from practice this week after both sat out Saturday's game. Sarkisian said both could still return this season. Reach Sports Editor Christian Caple at sports@dailyuw.com.

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