UW quarterback Jake Browning ‘on a mission’ entering his senior season

No detail is too small for Washington coach Chris Petersen and, by extension, his quarterback, Jake Browning.

That is particularly true this time of year, when the Huskies spend the majority of spring practices repeating nuanced fundamental drills that, from the outside, can seem tedious. But it’s not for Browning.

“As far as fundamentals,” Browning said this week, “I’m not going to get away from what I’ve been doing since I was, you know, 10.”

Browning is entering his fourth season as the Huskies’ starting quarterback, and takes pride in those details — from sound footwork, to proper handoffs, to reading defenses — and so does his coach.

“If he wasn’t that way, he probably wouldn’t be our quarterback. It’s that simple,” Petersen said. “We’ve got too many guys that are focused around here but that’s never been Jake, he’s never flinched since the second he’s been here. He’s always preparing at a super-high level.”

Petersen praised running back Myles Gaskin and defensive lineman Shane Bowman as two other seniors who have been hyper-focused on improving this spring.

It’s Browning who appears especially motivated for a strong senior season — and he needs to have a strong senior season if the Huskies are to live up to the growing expectations for this team.

A year ago, Browning’s right arm was carefully managed as he recovered from shoulder surgery in January 2017. His workload last spring was limited. This spring, he hasn’t missed a rep.

“He’s doing a nice job,” Petersen said. “It’s one of those subtle things. He’s very much a perfectionist, so he comes to work every day really trying to elevate his game. I think he’s been sharp and I think he’s gotten some good work. I think there’s some new little wrinkles we’re doing that he’s still working through and working on, which is great.

“I always enjoy watching Jake practice because he’s on a mission every day to try and improve his game.”