Washington State Cougars: Guarantano not the answer to de Laura suspension
The Washington State Cougars suspended their starting quarterback Jayden de Laura after a DUI last weekend. Tennessee transfer Jarrett Guarantano isn’t the answer.
Over the weekend, Washington State Cougars starting quarterback Jayden de Laura was arrested for a DUI in Pullman. The Cougs suspended him from the team for an undetermined amount of time.
It sounds like Wazzu expects de Laura to play for them again, but there aren’t any guarantees. First of all, the duration of his suspension is unknown. So are the terms or criteria he has to meet to rejoin the team.
Also, this is the era of “free” college transfers. If de Laura doesn’t like his situation, he can always leave and doesn’t have to sit out a year before playing again. He was a highly ranked recruit from St. Louis School in Honolulu and showed more than enough as a freshman to validate any FBS school’s interest in him.
In his absence, Cammon Cooper and Jarrett Guarantano, a graduate transfer from the University of Tennesse, are the top two signal-callers on the roster.
The Returner
Last year, de Laura, a true freshman, beat out Gunner Cruz and Cooper to be the Cougars starter. de Laura took the vast majority of snaps, but the other two saw limited action. Following the season, Cruz transferred to Arizona. From watching both of them play, Cruz was the right QB to move on if one had to leave.
Albeit a small sample size, Cooper displayed a good command of head coach Nick Rolovich’s offense. The lefty from Lehi, Utah, had good chemistry with his teammates and showed some of the “it factor” that made him a four-star recruit.
The New Guy
Some on the Palouse may think Guarantano is the answer. After all, he was a four-year starter at an SEC school. His career numbers look solid with 41 appearances, 6,174 passing yards on a 61.7 completion percentage, and 38 touchdown passes against 17 interceptions. Numbers can be deceiving.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am a University of Tennessee alumni. I’ve seen almost every game Guarantano played over the last four years. His performances, especially the previous two seasons, left me disappointed.
I’m not the only one. Former coach Jeremy Pruitt started to doubt him in 2019. Guarantano got the hook several times. His spotty play continued through the 2020 season. After a five-game losing streak that saw him in and out of games, Guarantano sat the Vols’ final three contests.
It was a surprise that the former star from Bergen Catholic High School in New Jersey lasted as long as he did. Despite a very talented group of receivers, Guarantano never looked like he was on the same page as them. Also, his decision making was questionable, especially as an upperclassman.
If I were Rolovich, I’d go with Cooper until de Laura returns, if de Laura returns.
What do you think about Jayden de Laura’s suspension and the remaining Washington State Cougars quarterbacks?