The Washington Huskies enter Year Three of the Tyrone Willingham era cautiously optimistic that the winning is about to return to Montlake.

The Huskies have some major question marks, notably, who takes over as the fulltime QB, but after a 5-7 season that marked a three-game improvement from Willingham's first year in 2005, UW players and coaches say the corner has been turned.

"I think everyone is really excited about next season," said UW redshirt freshman Jake Locker, the front-runner to replace Isaiah Stanback as the team's full-time starting QB. "We played some pretty good games against some pretty good teams last year. Unfortunately at times, we didn't come out on top. But the guys kind of saw the potential that we have and they are excited about reaching that potential next year."

The Huskies return 13 starters from last year's team, which finished the season with a rousing 35-32 win at Washington State to end on a high note after a six-game losing streak that derailed a promising 4-1 start.

Seven of those starters return on offense, including leading rusher Louis Rankin (666 yards), and every receiver who caught more than two passes except for Sonny Shackelford, who led the team with 50 receptions.

The biggest losses are guards Stanley Daniels and Clay Walker and Stanback, who was the QB for the first seven games before suffering a foot injury. Carl Bonnell started the final five games in his place but is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery and his status for the spring remains uncertain. He's expected to be able to participate, but at what level is still unclear.

That could leave the door wide open for Locker, the most heralded recruit of the Willingham era. He redshirted a year ago but has been considered the future of the program since committing almost two years ago.

The Huskies think the strength of the team could be on defense, where the entire starting line returns, though finding a couple of cornerbacks will be key.

What has many on Montlake most optimistic, however, is the stability Willingham has brought to the program.

There has been little change in personnel since the end of the season, and this will be the first time since 2001 that UW enters a season with a coach and program in place for its third consecutive year. Willingham lost just one assistant last season -- wide receivers coach Eric Yarber left for Arizona State -- and has lost just two since taking over.

BUILDING BLOCKS: With senior QB Carl Bonnell laid up much of the offseason after having surgery on his left shoulder, redshirt freshman QB Jake Locker took over as the unofficial team leader, organizing offseason workouts and other such activities. "Jake's been doing a great job getting the receivers and the tight ends and the defensive backs together and throwing," said offensive coordinator Tim Lappano. "That's where your leadership takes over." Locker was regarded as one of the top 10 QB recruits in the country in 2005 but redshirted last season, with UW coaches resisting the urge to play him after Isaiah Stanback was injured in the seventh game.

COACHING CAROUSEL: The Huskies lost just one assistant coach with receivers coach Eric Yarber leaving for Arizona State to work for Dennis Erickson, the coach he played for at Idaho and also worked under at several other stops before coming to Washington. Tyrone Willingham replaced him with an old friend, Charlie Baggett, a longtime college and NFL coach who was most recently with the Miami Dolphins. Baggett and Willingham played together at Michigan State in the early '70s.

SCHEDULE SITUATION: The Huskies are preparing for what some are calling the most challenging schedule in school history -- and the best for the home fans. The Huskies open at Syracuse and will end the season at Hawaii, a 13th game added just a few months ago. In between, UW will host Ohio State and Boise State on back-to-back weeks in September, and also host Cal, USC, Oregon and Washington State in Pac-10 play. UW, however, tried to ease the early onslaught a bit by moving back its traditional game with Washington State from the Saturday before Thanksgiving until the Saturday after Thanksgiving. That allowed the Huskies to move a game against Cal from Oct. 6 to Nov. 17, creating a much-wanted bye in the schedule. Last year, UW played 12 straight games, which Husky coaches thought turned into a hardship.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We can't be afraid of it -- we have to take it as a challenge." -- UW offensive coordinator Tim Lappano about a UW schedule that figures to rank among the most difficult in the country this season, including games at Syracuse and Hawaii and home games against Boise State and Ohio State along with nine Pac-10 contests.

STARS OF 2007: RB Louis Rankin -- He is the only UW tailback returning who has ever carried the ball in a collegiate game. He was the team's main rushing threat early in the season, then got into a slump due to an inability to run well between the tackles. But he finished with 118 yards on 17 carries in the season-ending win at Washington State to earn renewed faith from the coaches.

QB Jake Locker -- The much-touted redshirt freshman could be the opening day starter with senior Carl Bonnell nursing a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery. Locker is regarded as the future of the program and after redshirting last year, is anxious to see his first playing time.

WR Marcel Reece -- The Huskies desperately need some playmakers to emerge, and Reece, a senior who came to UW a year ago as a JC transfer, is a leading candidate. He struggled much of the year to make the adjustment to D-I ball, but had three catches for 107 yards, including a 69-yard TD that gave the Huskies the lead for good, in the Apple Cup.

DE Greyson Gunheim -- The senior defensive end was expected to be an all-conference player a year ago but never really hit his stride after suffering a knee injury late in fall camp. Still, he led the team with six sacks and rapid improvement this year is possible.

TOP NEWCOMERS: RB J.R. Hasty -- The sophomore has yet to play after redshirting two years ago then sitting out last season with academic problems. But he will be one of just two scholarship tailbacks available this spring, giving him ample opportunity to emerge as a major contributor this fall.

QB Ronnie Fouch -- Fouch signed with UW in February and was expected to enroll in time for spring ball as UW has just two returning scholarship QBs. That means Fouch could be the No. 3 QB this season.

WR D'Andre Goodwin -- Goodwin redshirted last season but impressed UW coaches during workouts and is expected to compete for significant playing time this season.

CB Byron Davenport -- The junior college transfer spent two years at UCLA where he went by the name Byron Velega before deciding to transfer. Committed to WSU then changed his mind and became a Husky. He isn't expected to enroll until the fall but could immediately contend for a starting spot.

ROSTER REPORT: RB Michael Houston, who transferred from Texas last August and was expected to compete for playing time this season, decided to leave the program last month while dealing with legal problems stemming from his arrest last fall for stealing a taxi.