Washington State Cougars Recruiting Class of 2022 – Jake Dickert’s first
Jake Dickert earned his shot to the Washington State Cougars head coach by the way he took over the team after the university fired Nick Rolovich. However, one of the reasons given for his promotion was to keep continuity in recruiting. A recruiting class in the bottom third of the PAC-12 doesn’t say much about his ability to pull in quality talent. That’s even more true considering the current circumstances.
Washington and Oregon hired new coaches after WSU. Cal head coach Justin Wilcox had his name pop up in connection with several vacancies. The NCAA is investigating Herm Edwards at Arizona State. It took until two and a half weeks ago for UCLA to extend Chip Kelly’s contract before he headed into lame-duck status. And rumors about Utah’s Kyle Whittingham retiring in the near future won’t disappear.
That doesn’t include a new coach at USC because Lincoln Riley moved his Oklahoma recruiting juggernaut west. Nor the dumpster fire that University of Arizona football became the last two seasons.
The Washington State Cougars had an opening to pull some big-name recruits away from conference powerhouses but failed to do so. It’s an opportunity missed he may regret a few years down the road.
Silver Lining
In the end, it’s not about where a recruit was ranked. It’s about what happens once the young man gets to campus. College football fans witness recruiting busts all the time. They’ve also seen players come almost out of nowhere who rise up and become All-Americans and high draft picks.
Just look at Ward; not too long ago, he was a zero-star recruit with no FBS prospects. Today, he’s a Pac-12 quarterback.
Now it’s on the coaching staff to develop what they have.
What do you think about the Washington State Cougars 2022 recruiting class? Let us know in the comments sections below.