SAN FRANCISCO – Third-string strong safety Brandon Beaver made his first start for Washington in the Fight Hunger Bowl after senior starter Will Shamburger was sent home for an unspecified violation of team rules, UW announced just before kickoff Friday night.

Washington sophomore cornerback Marcus Peters was suspended for the first quarter for what was described as an academic issue.

Senior Tre Watson, a former walk-on from Kennedy High School, started at one cornerback spot before Peters returned to his usual spot to start the second quarter.

True freshman Kevin King, Shamburger’s backup during the regular season, watched the game from the sideline with a sling on his left shoulder after having surgery earlier this month.

Washington starting right guard Dexter Charles sat out his third game of the year with a shoulder injury. James Atoe started in his place.

Wilcox expected to join USC staff

Washington defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox is expected to join Steve Sarkisian’s staff in the same role at USC, a source has told The Seattle Times.

Wilcox’s name also surfaced as a potential candidate for the defensive coordinator job at Oregon, his alma mater, after the Ducks’ longtime coordinator, Nick Aliotti, announced his retirement Friday. Aliotti is one of Wilcox’s mentors.

However, a source said Wilcox is still more likely to end up at USC. Sarkisian offered the job to Wilcox earlier this month.

Wilcox, 37, is the highest-paid assistant coach in the Pac-12 Conference, making about $800,000 per year.

Three other assistants on Sarkisian’s UW staff — Peter Sirmon, Keith Heyward and Johnny Nansen — already have joined the USC staff.

New UW coach Chris Petersen is expected to bring at least seven assistants who previously coached for him at Boise State: defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, linebackers coach Bob Gregory, secondary coach Jimmy Lake, quarterbacks coach Jonathan Smith, wide receivers coach Brent Pease, running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Keith Bhonapha and offensive line coach Chris Strausser.

No formal announcements have been made about UW’s new staff. Marques Tuiasosopo, UW’s interim head coach for the Fight Hunger Bowl, said he will make a decision on his future after the game. A source has said Tuiasosopo, finishing his first season as UW’s quarterbacks coach, has been offered the job as the tight-ends coach on Petersen’s UW staff.

Recruit commits

John Turner, a 6-foot-4, 270-pound offensive lineman out of Loyola High School in Los Angeles, gave a verbal commitment to Washington on Friday, according to multiple recruiting reports. He is the fourth known commitment for Petersen at UW.

Adam Jude: 206-464-2364 or ajude@seattletimes.com.

On Twitter: @a_jude