WASHINGTON STATE'S aim to develop a deep-threat receiving option this season is going to be a bit more challenging than anticipated. The fastest member of the wideout corps, senior-to-be Johnny Forzani, ran into academic trouble and is now planning to try and head to the CFL this summer, according to sources close to the program.
DOES IT EVER STOP????? DOES IT EVER FREAKING STOP????!??!?!??!!?
(via Cougfan.com)
almost 2 years ago
Jeff Nusser
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Take a deep breath...
It is not a big deal. Sure dude was fast but it is not like he lit the world on fire last season. He had ONE awesome play last year! We have some good WR prospects coming in for Fall camp and another year of Simone and Karsetter. Someone WILL step up and replace the Canadian.
Nope, he had two awsesome plays
Two of our (about) four big plays last season. Look at his yards per catch. Sure, he only had nine catches, but when you’ve got a threat like that on the outside, the rest of the defense simply must prepare for it.
Sorry to interrupt your deep breath, but this is a big deal.
by Jeff Nusser on Mar 16, 2010 10:13 AM PDT up reply actions
What an odd situation
He arrived with three years to play three, lost one, and now is dashing out before his final year. Does anyone have any idea how this will affect WSU’s APR?
Seems like it would have a negative impact.
If he was declared academically ineligible, he was almost certainly not on track to graduate when he left.
CougCenter WSU's second main blog
by Craig Powers on Mar 16, 2010 10:23 AM PDT up reply actions
Yup.
But the only time it’s a big deal is when you get lots of them stacking up. Doesn’t seem like that has been the case over the last year.
by Jeff Nusser on Mar 16, 2010 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions
Jeff normally i'm with ya...
But come on! Obviously losing players always hurts but look at the Freshman we have coming in this year. The Blair Bomber guy they say is supposedly pretty fast. Or that kid from Cali whats his name Jiles or something? All i’m saying is we can get over losing a guy who had 9 catches last year. I think the reason most of our WR’s had such crappy numbers last year is because we had like NO line! Give the QB more time to find his guy and i think all of our WR’s should see an improvement. Losing CFL talent hurts but shouldn’t we be aiming a bit higher than that? It’s not like he was all Pac-10 or something…..
by LakeUnionCoug on Mar 16, 2010 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions
I know we hope that all of our receivers see improvement
But the reality was that Forzani was physical and fast, in a way that nobody else on the roster was. He was the fastest guy on the team. There’s a possibility that the guys coming in are great, but methinks you might be expecting a little much of our freshmen.
You did see how our freshman played last year in both football and basketball, right?
by Jeff Nusser on Mar 16, 2010 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions
Some of our Freshman played when they shouldn't have.
We can thank Doba for that one. I think this will be the year that we can finally see what kind of system Wulff is gonna run. I have a feeling we will be using more TE set’s anyways with Dunn coming in next year. Our WR’s can be physical and fast and it’s not going to matter unless we can get a running game going. Look on the bright side at least we don’t have problems like Oregon this offseason!
by LakeUnionCoug on Mar 16, 2010 11:48 AM PDT up reply actions
So, you think these freshmen are going to be more game ready than the last ones?
It’s an honest question. Personally, I don’t think the vast majority of them will be any more prepared to contribute right away than last year’s crop. Remember how much we thought Simone and Long were going to contribute? Long started well, but predictably tired; Simone never really got going.
Maybe that says more, as I think you’re arguing, about what was going on around them. I guess we’ll find out.
by Jeff Nusser on Mar 16, 2010 12:38 PM PDT up reply actions
As much as we talk about it
There seems to really be a physical and mental freshman wall. College is a lot more work then they are used to. The game is bigger, faster, stronger on the field and more mentally taxing off the field. Think about how much time goes into film study, positional meetings, practice, etc. Add that to classes and you’re talking about a tough mental adjustment.
It’s very tough to expect a freshman, unless he is a five star stud, to come in right away and be able to sustain a high level of play on the field through the entire season.
by Brian Floyd on Mar 16, 2010 12:43 PM PDT up reply actions
The reality is that if you haven't known someone on a varsity team
You can’t possibly understand the demands placed on them.
by Jeff Nusser on Mar 16, 2010 12:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Forzani was a one-trick pony
and I’m on the side that doesn’t see this as a huge loss. Sure it hurts to lose your fastest player on offense, but by no means is he our best receiver. I had a hard time envisioning him catching more than 25 passes last year. I don’t know how effective he would have been as a decoy even. And while that 99 yd catch was impressive it was basically just a major f-up by the corner.
Being a cougar fan is so difficult.
You would think that with the end of basketball our hearts would get a break from the pain. Yet almost weekly we deal with news like this. Sure Forzani wasn’t amazing but he had the potential to really make a huge jump by next season. I think Barton is actually really good after watching his video and I like our incoming frosh but still losing depth at any position is depressing. Here’s to praying that we have no more casualties this off-season.
by Cougars Hunt and Kill on Mar 16, 2010 11:48 AM PDT up reply actions
Anyone that says the losing of talent isn't a big deal
must not have watched any games last year. I don’t care how highly you think of Forzani, we simply cannot afford to lose talent. While, no, we’re not losing DeSean Jackson, we were so inept on offense last year that taking away the fastest guy on the team will hurt.
He also takes away depth and experience. He could have sat out, got his affairs in order, and attempted to come back next year. I can’t really fault him for going back home in an attempt to make money, but this hurts us.
He only had two years to play two.
He did not have the option to sit out and come back.
CougCenter WSU's second main blog
by Craig Powers on Mar 16, 2010 10:29 AM PDT up reply actions
Yup.
If he really was academically ineligible, there’s really no reason for him to stay, football-wise. He could have remained on scholarship for this year, I imagine. But it would be like someone else deciding to stay for their sophomore year, because that’s where he’s at academically.
by Jeff Nusser on Mar 16, 2010 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions
Isiah Barton will take his place…
Cougar Patrick
Check out my blog at boarderwars.blogspot.com
by Cougar_Patrick on Mar 16, 2010 10:46 AM PDT reply actions
Well this ruins some plans for the "Great White Hope" receiving corps
So much for a trio of Karstetter, Simone, and Forzaini all at the same time.
Forzani/Barton
Forzani was a great physical talent. However his football experience and ability to absorb what the PAC10 required weren’t showing last year. On the two BIG plays last year it was him on a burner route. Who knows what could’ve been this year with a (hopefully) improved line that will give more time to develop routes. We will never know.
With Barton we are still unsure because no matter how good a JuCo player he was, it still isn’t the PAC. However, his overall longer time in HS and JuCo playing football and the implied football IQ tends to trend towards a quicker study. The promises for this year of implementing a much larger chunk of the play book will be closer to day one for all the receivers. The only thing I can’t remember right now is whether or not Barton is on campus and ready to go for spring ball. I for one am disappointed due to prospect we had of putting Barton on oneside (4.4 40) and Forzani on the other. But no sense in fretting over things that might have been
I was thinking that, too
Either he ran into trouble the first semester and is still in that trouble, or he’s throwing in the towel and he decided school wasn’t for him, but the CFL opportunity was. Grippi has a post up about it saying he talked to him a few weeks ago and everything seemed normal, too.
Yup, these things do happen
He said “both (school and workout) were tough but ok” which now you can maybe read as “I can’t handle it all”.
It’s too bad but not everyone is cut out for college and D1 athletics. It’s a huge commitment and one that not everyone can make. It’s not as easy as we like to make it out to be.
Barton now becomes even bigger in the fall.
I did too
Draft’s the week after the NFL draft, I think, and I’m pretty sure the deadline is around now so good call.
As a side note, apparently Joe Eppelle is shining at pre-draft workouts. Something I found while scouring for the dates.
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