SEATTLE (AP) - Very soon into his first week of practice at Washington, freshman Jermaine Kearse realized his old tactic of simply using his quick feet to get past defenders wasn't going to work anymore.

With so many holes on offense, the Huskies couldn't afford to keep Kearse on the sidelines and let him gradually learn the techniques needed by a successful college wide receiver. Instead, he's one of a number of inexperienced receivers the Huskies have leaned on early in the season.

The indoctrination has been brutal - Oregon, BYU and Oklahoma on consecutive weeks, leading to the Huskies' 0-3 start.

"The game was just a lot faster," Kearse said of his transition to college. "But after that first game, the game started to slow down and I started picking things up easier. ... Once you get comfortable, things start to slow down and you start to relax."

Six of Washington's top seven pass receivers thus far are true or redshirt freshmen. All are trying to pick up the nuances of college play while developing a relationship with quarterback Jake Locker.

Those relationships will be tested Saturday night when Washington hosts Stanford in a critical game for the Huskies.

D'Andre Goodwin is the old man of the receiving group - a redshirt sophomore - who was the only receiver on the Huskies roster entering the season with a collegiate catch. Because of his past work with Locker, Goodwin has quickly become the main target, with 22 catches for 232 yards.

Freshman tight end Kavario Middleton has shown signs of being the Huskies' next great at that position, catching eight passes in the first two games, before playing sparingly against Oklahoma with a knee injury. Devin Aguilar emerged against Oklahoma with five catches after getting just one pass in the first two games. Kearse's highlight was a 48-yard touchdown reception against BYU, showing his ability to be a deep threat in the Huskies' offense.

"There's some good things emerging from the group and those other guys just keep working to get just a little bit better," Washington coach Tyrone Willingham said.

With that youth comes mistakes. Wrong routes. Missed checks. A few dropped passes. It's growing pains the Huskies' coaches expected. But if Washington wants its offense to be more than Locker and his running ability, those young receivers need to mature quickly.

Offensive coordinator Tim Lappano has seen signs of growth.

"They're really starting to understand what we're doing. I don't think there is a reason to do a lot more right now just let them play and play fast," Lappano said. "They're playing faster every week."

For Aguilar, his journey was a year in the making. Initially part of the Huskies' recruiting class last year, his enrollment was delayed six months by academic issues, and he joined the team in January. He said the game plan against Oklahoma was in part to give him a chance to show he can play at this level.

"It kind of built the confidence up a lot. Now I know I'm able to maneuver and do stuff against a good defense," Aguilar said. "Coming up through the (rest of the) season I know I can be able to contribute a lot against these other defenses."

That confidence is welcome news for Lappano and Locker. They both understand that the more success the young receivers have, the more potent Washington's passing game can be with teams concerned about Locker's running ability.

"I think those guys have done a really good job of stepping up and playing well and playing older than they are," Locker said.