Most Oklahoma fans hadn’t heard of Washington quarterback Jack Locker until last Saturday.

He was the unfortunate recipient of an excessive celebration penalty in the final seconds of the Huskies’ 28-27 loss to BYU. But they’re going to see a lot more of him at 6:45 p.m. Saturday when No. 3 OU faces Washington at Husky Stadium.

It isn’t just because Locker is Washington’s quarterback. He could very well be the best dual-threat quarterback the Sooners have faced since Vince Young’s final season at Texas in 2005.

“ He’s very explosive, has a huge arm and is very fast. A lot of coaches who’ve played against him claim he’s a 4.2 (in the 40-yard dash) guy,” OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “I’ve seen that from several different coaches, (Oregon’s) Mike Bellotti being one. (USC’s) Pete Carroll says he’s one of the best high school quarterback’s he’s seen in the past 20 years. You watch him play SC or Ohio State a year ago and he outruns everybody on the field.”

Locker threw for 2,062 yards last season and rushed for 986. He’s continued the trend through the first two games , rushing for 119 yards and throwing for another 307 against Oregon and the Cougars.

Obviously, the Husky offense will run through him. But his impact in the running game is what makes Locker an even bigger threat.

“I’ve never had a quarterback who has all these skills put together,” Washington coach Tyrone Willingham said. “He throws the ball very well. He thinks the game very well. He has the speed you don’t see in most quarterbacks. It’s that combination that makes him special.”

Going against agile quarterbacks with good arms is nothing new. Texas had Young for three seasons and OU faced two with similar styles last season against Missouri’s Chase Daniel and Oklahoma State’s Zac Robinson.

The key is keeping Locker in the pocket and not letting him run wild on busted plays.

Oregon and BYU did a pretty good job of that. He rushed for 57 yards against the Ducks and 62 against the Cougars. But he did find the end zone twice last week.

“We have to function as a unit to have success,” Locker said. “When the guys up front are blocking, I’m able to sit back in the pocket. It’s up to them (the receivers) to run good routes and get open. I feel like they’re doing a good job of that.”

But in the pocket is where Locker has struggled. He has only completed 48.3 percent of his passes this season and only one for a touchdown. He completed less than half his passes last season, as well.

“It will be a great, great challenge for our players. He obviously has our attention,” Venables said. “They’ve got a great system. They’re going to find a variety of ways to use his skills. Coach Willingham is a great offensive mind and they’re very multiple in the things that they do. Our guys are really going to have to be on point.”

John Shinn

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