Martin Stadium, home of the Washington State Cougars.
It’s been a busy few months in Pullman. Since the beginning of the year, 18 Washington State Cougars players have entered the Transfer Portal, while 5 new players are coming into the program.
In November, former Defensive Coordinator Jake Dickert became the new WSU Head Coach. He hired a new group of assistants to help him get the Cougars back to the top of the Pac-12. As with any change in management, there will be personnel turnover. And the WSU Cougars had plenty of that.
The new reality
Welcome to college football in 2022. For lack of a better term, free agency has come to the NCAA. Regular students change schools all the time; it’s nothing new. Under the old system, student-athletes didn’t have the same flexibility.
Not only do players get a free transfer, but that new reality completely changed big-time college sports. Added to new rules concerning a player’s ability to earn money from their Name, Image, and Likeness, it created a system close to free agency.
The transfer portal has opened opportunities for student-athletes to find a better fit for their talents than where they were. Without the recent ability to transfer, players such as Joe Burrow and Justin Fields wouldn’t have become the success stories they are now.
So what has the Transfer Portal brought and taken away from the Washington State Cougars? Did the Cougs come out ahead?
Washington State had more than their share of players leave the program since 2022 started. Among them are some key losses:
Obviously, the biggest loss is de Laura. He has all the skills to be a top collegiate quarterback. Unfortunately, his inconsistency was often his undoing. Maybe he gets himself together at Arizona and fulfills his potential. The Cougs will see what’s become of him up close on November 19 when they travel to Tucson for the second-to-last game of the season.
Don’t underestimate the loss of center Brian Greene. It’s a brand new line, and he could have been the veteran glue to hold it together. Now that responsibility falls to his backup, Konnor Gomness.
Although he hadn’t played yet, it would have been nice to see what Sam Carrell could do for the Washington State Cougars defensive line. As for the rest, while the mass departures will hurt WSU’s depth, Dickert can replace those who left.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Washington State Cougars football. There are players headed to Pullman. This article covers activity since the beginning of the year, but the Cougs landed two big transfers in December.
The loss of de Laura is offset by the arrival of dynamic quarterback Cameron Ward from incarnate Word. New WSU Offensive Coordinator Eric Morris was Ward’s head coach at Incarnate Word. That gives the young signal caller familiarity with Morris’ version of the Air Raid.
Washington State also landed a linebacker Daiyan Henley to help the void left by graduating seniors Justus Rodgers and Jahad Woods. Last year, Henley had 94 tackles, 4 interceptions, 3 passes defended, 3 fumble recoveries, and a touchdown.
Coming to the program since the calendar turned to 2022 are:
These are five solid pickups for the Cougs. Starting with the receivers, Ward gets one of his favorite targets from IWU in Ferrell. Last year he caught 74 balls and 9 touchdowns. He and Benson will be good additions to returning receivers De’Zhaun Stribling, Donovan Ollie, Lincoln Victor, and Renard Bell.
Stephens will help a depleted offensive line. In 2021, he was a second team All-Big-Sky selection at right tackle. His line at UNC allowed the fewest sacks in the conference.
The Cougars also got some much-needed help in the defensive backfield. Lampkin replaces NFL-bound Jaylen Watson. After losing three seniors due to graduation, Lee steps in at strong safety.
Did the Washington State Cougars do enough to replace the players they lost from last season’s 7-6 team? Let us know in the comments section below.