Redshirt freshman quarterback Luther Leonard, formerly of Evergreen High School, has been shifted to wide receiver.

“We thought, ‘We’ve got a really good athlete on our roster, let’s try to utilize him,’” UW coach Steve Sarkisian said. “So we put him out on some special teams (Friday), we incorporated him some at the wide receiver spot, and he looked really good. I’m anxious to watch him grow at this position.”

Friday practice highlights included a 45-yard fingertip catch by Anthony Boyles, a 25-yard completion from Jake Locker to Cody Bruns in the corner of the end zone, and an interception of Locker by cornerback Marquis Parsley. … Sarkisian had more praise for tailback Demetrius Bronson, which is becoming a daily occurrence. Sarkisian said Locker improved his accuracy Friday even though the receivers “didn’t catch particularly well.” And on defense, he noted the play of Persley and of defensive end Darrion Jones for the second straight practice. ... Linebacker Bradly Roussel didn’t practice, which Sarkisian attributed to an academic matter.

Looking ahead, the Huskies will take part in their first of three spring scrimmages starting at 1 p.m. Saturday. Sarkisian said the team will work through a variety of situations for a total of about 90 plays in full pads.

“There will be tackling, and we’ll play football,” he said. “I don’t know if it will be so much different, but I think it’s a mindset for our guys that this is kind of their first test. We’ve gone through six days now, and now it’s time to test them.”

The scrimmage, like all spring practices, is open to the public.

It's a cloudy, drizzly day on the UW campus, and coach Sarkisian has decided to run his practice in Dempsey Indoor.

It's scheduled to be a light practice devoted mostly to special teams before the team gets back into heavy contact with the first full scrimmage of spring at 1 p.m. Saturday, back in Husky Stadium.

The Washington Huskies lose Jon Brockman and Justin Dentmon and climb to the seventh-best basketball team in the NCAA next season?

That's the projection by Jeff Goodman, senior college basketball writer for Fox online.

Here's his list, which he admits is ridiculously early.

I think he undervalues what UW lost. Can even a best-case freshman season for Gaddy be that much of an upgrade from Dentmon as an all-conference senior? Is their anything short of witchcraft that turns any frontcourt player into anything approximating Brockman?

I do think next season's Huskies will be good. I think they'll be in the upper third of the Pac-10, I think they'll wake up on Selection Sunday on the safe side of the NCAA bubble, and I could see them making a deeper NCAA tournament run than this team. (Just as I could have seen this team going one game deeper.)

But seventh nationally? I don't see that yet. Although it's a great conversation starter for April.