Two backs lost to academics for Dawgs

Numerous reports have been circling that running backs David Freeman and Brandon Johnson (pictured) have left the Husky football program and Dawgman.com has been able to confirm that that is the case. Both were expected to battle for playing time this fall and leaves the Washington coaching staff with only four healthy, scholarship running backs.

As recently as three weeks ago, Dawgman.com was able to chat with Johnson about the upcoming season and his thoughts and he noted that he was upset about missing the last two weeks of practice with an injury, but was back to 100% and was ready to go.

In 2007, Johnson rushed for 196 yards on 51 carries and notched two touchdowns. His top performance was a 23 carry, 121-yard, one touchdown effort against Cal in the second to last game of the season.

Last year, Johnson stood ready to take over the starting running back role, but missed time in the spring with a knee injury and reported out of shape for fall camp and was relegated to a backup role for much of his sophomore season posting 194 yards on 76 carries and three touchdowns.

Freeman's mother confirmed that David had left the program and "we still aren't sure what he's going to do," now that he's back in southern California.

As a freshman last season, Freeman managed to post 152 yards rushing on 27 carries, a rather robust 5.6 yards per carry average, with no touchdowns.

Freeman saw significant time during the spring and was taking part in the offseason conditioning and the player-led 7-on-7 drills, so this comes as a bit of a surprise.

Both have a redshirt season available to them, so they would have the option of taking junior college courses and then enrolling at a D-1 school after the season.

The defection of both Johnson and Freeman leaves the Huskies relatively thin at the running back position.

They joined Terrance Dailey as academic casualties, while sophomore Brandon Yakaboski is likely to miss the entire season with a knee injury.