WSU roster update includes no regular walk on

JOE DAHL IS going to be a Cougar after all. The standout offensive lineman from Spokane received a scholarship offer from WSU very late in the 2011 recruiting cycle but opted to stick with his original pledge to Montana. He was a redshirt for the Griz this past season, but is now walking on in Pullman. That's just one of the notable changes in the new WSU roster released today.

A handful of position moves are featured on the new roster. And there are a handful more comings and going, but the addition of Dahl to the team is especially interesting because the Cougs need line depth and Dahl, who checked in at 6-4, 257 last fall, is no ordinary walk on.

"Joe came on strong as a senior at University High, and the Cougars offered him a scholie very late in the process last year," says former Greater Spokane League assistant coach and CF.C columnist Paul Sorensen. "Joe would have loved to become a Coug then, but Montana had shown him the love from the get go so he stuck with them. His heart is crimson, though. Mike Leach just landed a bona fide OL prospect and he didn't even have to pick up the phone."

Dahl redshirted as a true freshman at Montana in this past season, and enrolled at WSU in Janbuary. In high school he lettered three times in both football and basketball at University High. He was the only Spokane-area player to be named all-league first team on offense and defense in 2010. He also was selected first-team all-state at defensive end that season.

Elsewhere on the roster, it’s important to note that the positions will be a moving target this spring, WSU sports information told Cougfan.com this week. A player may be listed on the roster as a linebacker, but could subsequently move to d-end, for example.

Among the moves, and not surprising given the Cougs' change to the 3-4 defense are:
Justin Clayton is now being listed at defensive end, as is Xavier Cooper, while Logan Mayes is penned in at defensive end after being listed at linebacker last season.

Tana Pritchard is listed at linebacker.

Most of the heights and weights were not updated from last year and won’t be until the fall, said WSU.

An initial glance among the walk-on newcomers reveals LB/DE John Taylor Altomare, from Green River Prep in Auburn and Hamza Griffin, a defensive end out of Vashon Island High.

Among the more notable names no longer with the program are S Jay Matthews, OL Alex Reitnouer and DE Skylar Stormo. All have battle injuries in the past. Other names no longer on the roster released today are walk-ons WR Coleman Bryant, LB Paul Lutgen, S Trace Pickering, WR Keanu Ruelke, DL Justin Mann and OL Sam Shirley, (RB Cody Hendricks is listed on today's roster but is no longer with the program, WSU tells CF.C)

Click here for the roster released by WSU today.