News is breaking today of the loss of two tailbacks off of UW's roster for the upcoming season for academic reasons --- David Freeman and Brandon Johnson.

Freeman's coach at Inglewood, Calif., High, Charles Mincy, a former Husky player, confirmed this afternoon that Freeman will not be eligible.

"It's really too bad,'' said Mincy, who was a UW cornerback and started on the 1989 and 1990 teams."I thought that was a really great fit for him.''

RealDawg.com, meanwhile, reported the news of Johnson's ineligibility, quoting Johnson as saying that "I'm not at Washington anymore.''

A school spokesman confirmed the departure of both players this afternoon and says neither is enrolled in school.

Both were injured at times in the spring --- Johnson more than Freeman --- and neither was listed on the two-deep out of spring with Chris Polk and Willie Griffin listed as co-starters and Demitrius Bronson No. 3. Also in the mix is Curtis Shaw, who returned to the team in the spring after sitting out last fall.

However, UW also figures to be without Brandon Yakaboski, a Mt. Si grad who suffered a setback recently in his recovery from knee surgery and is likely out for the season. And the Huskies were already without Terrance Dailey, the leading rusher last season with 338 yards, who was also declared academically ineligible during the spring.

Mincy said he was uncertain what Freeman would do now saying "it's just so sad. But I'm sure he will bounce back and end up at another school.''

Johnson was the team's third-leading rusher last seasonn with 194 yards, averaging 2.6 yards per carry playing in nine games. Freeman was the fifth-leading rusher with 152 yards on 27 carries in four games before suffering ankle injuries that held him out of the last half of the season. He had seven carries for 64 yards against Stanford in his best game.

Johnson would have been a true junior next season, Freeman a true sophomore.

UW coach Steve Sarkisian had said earlier that recruiting some tailbacks for the Class of 2010 would be a priority after the team didn't get any in its 2009 haul, and that may be a bigger issue now. UW does have one commitment from a running back for the Class of 2010 from Melvin Davis of Narbonne High in Harbor City, Calif.