Cornerback
Jason David will be largely responsible for slowing down the likes of
Washington’s Reggie Williams and USC’s Mike Williams this season
and appears up for the challenge. David showed up with his “A” game today,
knocking down most everything thrown in his direction including a pass intended
for Devard Darling that he was able to break on and swat out of
bounds.
But
practice Sunday showcased the talents of both Darling, and red shirt freshman
Chris Jordan. Darling was
his usual amazing self and showed everyone that he will be the go-to-guy at wide
out. Jordan on the other hand could
play an opposite role; he quietly pulled down anything and everything thrown his
direction including a forty-yard bomb that he nabbed in double coverage.
Newcomer
Jason Hill has the size and the ability to make an impact on the team in
his first year. The 6- 2, 190 pound
true freshman looks as if he’s been in Pullman all along and may be one of the
most skilled out of his 2003 class.
At the
tight end position, the talent-cup runneth over with Troy Bienemann, Jesse
Taylor and Adam West.
Bienemann played solid all day catching a few short passes as well as
helping with the run block.
Jermaine
Green may
have to start looking over his shoulder with the arrival of Chris
Bruhn. Bruhn comes in with not
only size, but also one of the quickest steps on the team, exploding between the
big boys up front for positive yardage every carry.
Defensively,
you may have heard of a couple of guys named Isaac Brown and D.D.
Acholonu, you know those two slightly undersized defensive ends from last
years Rose Bowl squad. Well, they’re not so undersized anymore. Both sackmasters look as if they have
put on a good fifteen or twenty pounds in the off-season. Acholonu spent a good portion of Sunday
afternoon running offensive lineman through, while Brown chose to dance around
them.
That
dynamic duo should each get a chance to take breathers here and there in the
upcoming season with the rotation of Adam Braidwood and Mkristo
Bruce, both thus far having strong camps. Just a bit farther down the road
stands a quiet, young Reyshawn Bobo. The sub two hundred pound freshman may
need some time to fill out his frame, but has the foot speed to play linebacker
and the motivation to one day be an excellent defensive player. (Bobo banged up
what appeared to be his knee today, but the extent of the injury is not yet
known.)
If size
is what you want, look no further than the interior D-line. Standing along side redshirt senior
Jeremey Williams is a trim 320 pound Tai Tupai. The powerful Tupai destroyed everything
in his path Sunday and is shaping to pick up right where Outland Trophy winner
and current Tennessee Titan Rien Long left off.
The
battle for the lead middle linebacker spot remains heated. Don Jackson
took care of business today, passing out brain seizures to anyone who dared to
run between the tackles. Brian
Hall and Aaron Wagner made some noise of their own. Hall, AKA “the monster in the middle,”
is having a solid fall camp and looks to be a future contributor – of course,
future might mean August 30 in his case.
Wagner, fresh off of his two-year Mormon Church mission, is in great
playing shape and has bulked up to a solid two hundred and forty-eight pounds.
He spent most of practice enjoying the long awaited feeling of helmet-to-helmet
contact. If you want to
witness the true definition of unloading on somebody, keep an eye on number ten,
and we’re not talking about Drew Dunning.
SIDE LINES
*Sundays
practice was not quite as intense as a typical first day of padded
practice. Coach Doba made it fairly
clear that the team would ease into things and by doing so kept players from
getting banged up and injured.
*Most of
the newcomers and practice squad members worked out separately from the rest of
the team. Freshman quarterback
Alex Brink showed Jason Gesser like leadership skills with his
young offense and looks to be a talented young passer.
*Look
forward to vocal sideline this year.
With the additions of running backs coach Kelly Skipper and
hoss-boss George Yarno, the Cougar Football coaching staff has potential
to become the loudest in the Pac-10.
The intensity level has raised ten fold from last year’s squad and has
done nothing but good for team moral.
Jake Morris is Senior at Washington State University
majoring in Communications with an emphasis in Sports
Broadcast.