You wouldn't know it from standing outside for a few minutes here this morning, but summer is just a few days away.

And for the members of the University of Washington football team, it technically starts today as the team will begin its summer off-season condioning program.

What that mostly means is conditioning sessions in the morning with the team's strength and conditioning coaches, and then usually twice a week doing some voluntary seven-on-seven workouts (the skill players usually working together in a group, and the linemen in another group, though sometimes together, as well).

For now, it's just the veterans. The incoming freshmen aren't due to arrive for the LEAP program (explained well here) until July 12.

I talked to UW coach Steve Sarkisian a few days ago and he said that the emphasis on the off-season conditioning program will be on "becoming more explosive.

"The last off-season was about getting faster and more speed, and we really leaned out. Now we want to become a more explosive team which will include more of a power-clean emphasis, more of a plyometric emphasis so we are more explosive on the line of scrimmage, especially in those (short-yardage and goal line) situations).''

"We want to become a more explosive team snapping off the football. I thought we deteriorated a little in that area (as last season wore on) at times in short-yardage offense and defense and goal line situations and one-on-one matchups.''

Sarkisian said the ability to concentrate more on becoming more explosive was reinforced when playerse were recently timed in the 40 and tested in some other areas.

"We saw it in our 40 times and our vertical junping and in our standing broad jump --- our numbers increased dramatically,'' Sarkisian said. "We had numerous guys run in the 4.4's (meaning 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash) that weren't in the 4.4's prior to that. ... Our numbers just improved dramatically at all positions.''

One stark example, Sarkisian said, was senior strong safety Nate Williams (pictured above in a John Lok photo against Oregon State last season). Sarkisian said Williams "went from bring a mid-4.7 guy to a low 4.5 guy.''

Sarkisian said that all returning players remain on track to be ready for the season, that there have been no setbacks in recovery for players who were out or limited during the spring, notably DLs Kalani Aldrich and Everrette Thompson.

"Until they really have to play you don't know for sure,'' Sarkisian said. "But it feels like they are on track.''

As for the freshmen, Sarkisian said that he can't yet say if all will enroll for the LEAP program. Rumblings around the program, however, are that the only two with academic issues still to resolve are Auburn High LB Chris Young and Lakes High LB Darius Waters.. Also, OL James Atoe of The Dalles will apparently not grayshirt, so he should be here this summer for the LEAP program. It's thought that the Huskies will be right at 85 scholarships for the beginning of camp.

Sarkisian said the UW coaches will also be busy this month.

"For our coaches, the month of June is about our camp season, we've got a bunch of high school camps (that UW is hosting),'' he said, "Two, it's preparation for our own training camp in August. And three, we do some real preliminary game prep work on our first three opponents, BYU, Syracuse and Nebraska.''

Players will officially report for fall camp on Aug. 8 with the first day of practice on Aug. 9.