Washington will be on the run in Pac-12

Expect Washington’s football team to have a new look this season.

Out is the pass, since the Huskies don’t have Jake Locker at quarterback anymore.

In is the run, since the Huskies have running back Chris Polk, a senior from Redlands East Valley High.

Polk has 2,528 yards rushing over the last two seasons, so he is no stranger to leading on the field. Off the field is a different matter.

“I can’t be the guy in the back anymore,” he said Tuesday during the Pacific 12 Conference media day interviews in Los Angeles. “I’m going to have to step up and accept my leadership role.”

Polk averaged 171.25 yards rushing per game as the Huskies won their last four games of 2010 to finish 7-6.

Fast-tracked

Coach Chip Kelly said Oregon needs to devise a plan to take advantage of the speed of freshman De’Anthony Thomas, the City Section player of the year from Crenshaw High.

“De’Anthony can flat out run,” Kelly said.

Thomas, who chose Oregon over USC, will compete for the No. 3 spot in Oregon’s running back rotation behind returners LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner.

“I believe it’s our coaches’ job to figure out a way to see if we can get him the football,” Kelly said.

Lewis remains questionable

Arizona State still doesn’t know whether it will have running back Deantre Lewis this season.

Lewis scored six touchdowns as a freshman last season, but he was hit in the buttocks by a stray bullet while visiting a relative in Norco in February.

“He might not play at all, he might not play three or four games,” Coach Dennis Erickson said. “I’m worried that he doesn’t come back too soon. Here’s a young man who got shot, so he deals with the emotions of the whole thing. The damage to the hamstring [from the bullet] was much worse than people thought.”

Top Wildcat is expected back

Juron Criner, a second-team All-American receiver, took time off to spend time with his ailing mother in Texas, but Arizona Coach Mike Stoops expects him to be back in school this fall.

“Juron has worked hard,” Stoops said. “I haven’t seen him, I can’t, but I know he’s been working out with the team, our guys.”

One hurdle cleared

James Rodgers, Oregon State’s star receiver, has received a medical redshirt season from the NCAA, giving him another year of eligibility.

Now it’s a matter of when he’ll be completely recovered from a knee injury.

“One thing you can never do with James is count him out,” Coach Mike Riley said. “I don’t think we’re going to have an answer until we get into camp.”

Rodgers was injured against Arizona last season in what was Rodgers’ fourth game of the season; he sat out a game because of a concussion. He averaged more than 184 all-purpose yards in his three full games.

Lucky beard

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck sat next to his new coach, David Shaw, sporting a new look — a beard.

Luck said he does not know whether the beard will be shaved tomorrow, during the season or after.

“When I get annoyed of it,” he said, “I’ll shave it.”

With or without the facial hair, Luck, a junior, said he expects this to be his final college season.

“I’m approaching it as such,” he said.

douglas.farmer@latimes.com

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Times staff writer Eric Sondheimer contributed to this report.