Entering this 2016 season, Washington returned the Pac-12's best defense. The Huskies also featured the promising young tandem of quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin. Neither were freshmen anymore, and both were set to operate behind a maturing offensive line returning four starters.

The necessary components were there to generate preseason buzz. But one glaring question mark still hovered around Washington's receivers.

The Huskies had to replace Jaydon Mickens and tight end Joshua Perkins, Browning's top two targets who combined for 94 catches and 1,231 yards in 2015. There was skepticism about Washington's ability to do so, especially because speedster John Ross hadn't played for an entire year because of an ACL tear.

"We have a chip on our shoulders because of [those doubts]," Ross said back in early September. "We believe we have some special guys in this room."

Two months later, the rest of the college football world should believe the same thing.

During their surge up to No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings, the 9-0 Huskies' receivers have dazzled with game-changing speed and enviable depth. Browning has been able to leverage both of those assets from the quarterback position, helming a passing game that's been historically efficient.

Browning is throwing a touchdown every 6.5 passes, or on 15.5 percent of his attempts -- a rate that is on pace to shatter a 47-year-old FBS record. San Diego State's Dennis Shaw threw touchdowns on 11.6 percent of his attempts in 1969, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

John Ross has 14 touchdown receptions already this season, and the Huskies have shown they have plenty of talent around him, too. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Ten Washington players have caught at least one touchdown pass this season, the largest such distribution in the Power 5. Ross leads all Power 5 players with 14 touchdown receptions, including a sensational three-score performance in last Saturday's 66-27 victory at California in which he averaged 34.7 yards per catch.

"That guy is ridiculous," fellow receiver Dante Pettis said afterward. "On his big plays, I catch myself just standing there on the field. I'm a fan for a second."

Ross' speed -- clocked at 4.25 seconds in a hand-timed 40-yard dash this past offseason -- has mesmerized opponents, too. After Ross singed Cal on two early touchdown deep balls, the helpless Golden Bears secondary began triple-covering him downfield -- leaving wide-open spaces for other Huskies to work elsewhere.

During one play on which most of the Cal secondary chased Ross on a go pattern, Browning found tight end Drew Sample roaming completely alone for a 32-yard gain.

The keys behind Washington's staggering 10.3 yards per pass attempt -- best in the Pac-12 -- are simple: The Huskies have the horses at receiver to preoccupy defenses, and their quarterback is skilled enough to expose the overextended opposition.

"I think that all goes back to Jake," coach Chris Petersen said. "If John Ross is hot, he's not gonna just lock in on him and say, 'I'm gonna keep giving him the ball.' Jake's going to take what's given to him."

Ross said he appreciates his decoy role as much as his more glamorous duties.

"That's what I work for, especially at this point of time because we expect defenses to focus on me more," Ross said. "I love to see our guys getting the ball more. That makes me more happy than seeing myself in a pile of stats."

The way this Washington offense has been humming along, Ross can enjoy the best of both worlds: He's already racked up 44 catches for 742 yards, while Pettis isn't far behind with 37 receptions for 574 yards. The two have 25 touchdown catches, making them the most productive duo in the nation.

Beyond that, Chico McClatcher, Darrell Daniels, and Aaron Fuller have hauled in 42 passes for 698 yards to highlight the Huskies' depth at receiver.

"When everyone gets in on the scoring, there's nothing like that," Pettis said. "You spread the love and it's fun."

'Fun' has been the operative word for this receivers group, which has branched out beyond its pass-catching duties. In a pivotal victory at Utah, Pettis scored on a game-winning 58-yard punt return late in the fourth quarter. The following week, Petersen dialed up a trick play and Pettis delivered a pretty, 39-yard scoring pass to Daniels.

"I'd been throwing tighter spirals in practice," Pettis laughed. "I was a bit upset that one wasn't tighter because it was on TV."

There's apparently a competition between Washington wide receivers regarding who can throw the prettiest pass, and Pettis claims that he's in the lead.

And that right there is a nice illustration of this group's position: The Huskies' receiving corps has gone from an unanswered question mark to a lethally efficient unit, one that even has a little extra time to practice throwing the ball nowadays.

"We knew what we had in the room," Pettis said. "Outside, they didn't see all the hard work and the extra stuff we'd been doing with Jake. But we knew all the talk didn't matter because we had talent in the room."