Washington State Cougars: Jayden de Laura should be the starting QB
Ed Stein
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Apparently, the Washington State Cougars still have a quarterback controversy. They shouldn’t, because only one of the two contenders is the right choice, Jayden de Laura.
So far, Washington State Cougars Head Coach Nick Rolovich hasn’t named a starting quarterback for Saturday’s 2021 opener against Utah State. During his Tuesday press conference, Rolovich said he would wait to announce his choice closer to game time. So CougNation and, more importantly, Jayden de Laura and Jarrett Guarantano anxiously await a decision.
Why de Laura
One of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the Pac-12, de Laura has all the tools to succeed. He came out hot last season, starting the season opener against Oregon State as a true freshman. That game was a WSU win and served as an appetizer of what the young man from St. Louis High School in Honolulu can do.
The rest of his starts didn’t end as well. The Cougars went 1-3, and de Laura was replaced by Gunner Cruz and Cammon Cooper on a few occasions. Yet he came back.
Last winter, de Laura made a terrible mistake by drinking and driving. He drew a lengthy suspension because of it. No one would have been surprised if JdL packed bags and went into the transfer portal after that. Instead, he accepted his punishment and stayed with his team. That showed maturity
A big criticism of de Laura in 2020 was his decision-making. There is no doubt he made some mistakes. But his numbers were pretty good for a first-year quarterback in a Power 5 conference. He completed over 60 percent of his passes in four games and threw five touchdowns against four picks.
Why not Guarantano
I went to the University of Tennessee. As a proud alum, I watch the Vols almost religiously. It’s fair to say that I’ve seen nearly every game Jarrett Guarantano played for UT. With that knowledge, I feel comfortable saying in no way should he be the Cougs number one signal-caller.
Those who question de Laura’s decision-making will go plain nuts with some of the ill-advised throws by Guarantano to either no one or, worse, the other team. That doesn’t include the many times that Tennessee’s outstanding receivers bailed him out. His poor decisions led to several benchings over the past two years.
Do the smart thing
Is there some gamesmanship involved by holding off on naming a starter? Sure, but it shouldn’t be necessary against an opponent such as Utah State. The next question then is Rolovich still unsure about who should lead the first-team offense? He shouldn’t be. This call is a no-brainer. Jayden de Laura is by far the better quarterback and the future of Wazzu football.
When he came to Pullman in 2020, Rolovich brought de Laura with him from Hawaii. Now isn’t the time to isolate the kid who can put him on the map. There is absolutely no good reason to take the team away from Jayden de Laura.
Who do you think should be Washington State’s starting quarterback on opening day? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.