Strengths · No matter how much of a rebuilding project the Washington Huskies might be, they’re still a topflight Pac-10 program waiting to be reborn under the guidance of Tyrone Willingham.

The Huskies have the kind of quality athletes and depth that would make Hawaii head coach June Jones smile every night before he drifted off to sleep.

Last spring, Willingham selected quarterback Jake Locker to run the show. More of a runner than a gunner, look for Locker to reestablish the rush

Tailback Louis Rankin, despite some problems in short-yardage situations, will be the primary back. He rushed for 666 yards and four touchdowns in 2006.

Defensively, senior end Greyson Gunheim runs a young show. Injuries kept him from reaching his potential a year ago, but he’s part of three returning starters up front. The lone returning starter at linebacker is Dan Howell, who managed 35 tackles last season.

WEAKNESS · The defense is an unproved commodity. Five of the top six tacklers are gone from a team that finished ninth in the league defensively.

What Willingham has is a group of young players having to learn the game against the likes of Boise State, Ohio State, UCLA and preseason No. 1 USC.

And that’s just one month of a tough schedule. By the time the Huskies line up against the Warriors in the final game of the season, it will be interesting to see how many guys who started game one in September are still around for that December night at Aloha Stadium.