Washington State Cougars win QB shuffle with FCS star
Ed Stein
|
The Washington State Cougars are a big part of the recent college football quarterback carousel. As a matter of fact, they might have won it.
Football fans are familiar with the annual coaching carousel. Due to revised transfer policies, there is now college free agency. This year it led to a quarterback carousel, and the Washington State Cougars are right in the middle of it.
Portal Exits
Cooper
The first quarterback out the door this year was Cammon Cooper. After Jarrett Guarantano (a transfer) was injured early in the season, Cooper became the number two. Maybe he saw the handwriting on the wall for 2022.
Three days after the Washington State Cougars Apple Cup win, Cooper entered the transfer portal. It would have been nice if he waited until after the Sun Bowl to do it, but that’s life in modern college football. Earlier this week, he committed to Hawaii, a school in the midst of a transfer exodus.
de Laura
No one can blame Cooper for going somewhere that he has a chance to play. That’s why it was a surprise when starting quarterback Jayden de Laura put his name into the portal. He was the undisputed number one.
Cougs head coach Jake Dickert said publicly that he wanted to build the offense around de Laura. In 2022 Washington State is opening up the offense with new coordinator Eric Morris. The former Incarnate Word coach runs a modified version of the Air Raid that uses a tight end.
Granted, JdL had issues in Pullman, such as a lengthy suspension due to a DUI arrest. But de Laura is also the guy who put out a statement that Washington State Cougars football is bigger than one person after the university terminated former head coach Nick Rolovich mid-season.
He played in 16 games at Washington State, completing 307 of 490 passes for 3,688 yards, 28 touchdowns, and only 13 interceptions. He entered the portal on January 7 and transferred to Pac-12 rival Arizona on the 10th.
If Cougars fans are disappointed by his departure, Gunner Cruz must be devastated. Cruz was also a WSU quarterback. He transferred to Arizona after the 2020 season because de Laura was the Cougars unquestioned starter. Now he’s got the same situation in a new location.
Most likely the last time we will ever see Jayden de Laura in a WSU uniform: pic.twitter.com/OX2kEjdZ13
— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) January 7, 2022
Portal Entrance
One quarterback’s exit is another quarterback’s opportunity. Days after de Laura announced his departure, one of the most sought-after passers in the transfer portal committed to the Washington State Cougars.
Last season, Cameron Ward lit up the FCS subdivision with 4,648 passing yards and 47 touchdowns. The best part is he did it while playing for Morris at Incarnate Word. Not only does WSU get a great quarterback to replace a two-year starter, but they also get one that already knows the system. If Ward comes close to his 2021 numbers, he’ll have the crowd at Martin Stadium rocking.
Now all he needs is an offensive line to give him time. But that’s a story for another day.
Related Story: WSU football 2021 year in review
What do you think about the Washington State Cougars QB carousel? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.