WSU Football Recruiting: A Look Ahead To 2013
by Kyle Rancourt on Feb 20, 2012 4:30 PM PST
in 2012 WSU Football Recruiting News
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PrintMike Leach's first recruiting class at Washington State University was pretty remarkable when you consider the fact that he only had roughly two months to recruit. We missed out on high profile guys like Kenny Lawler and Cedric Dozier (damn you, California Golden Blogs) but the mere fact that we were even in the conversation speaks volumes to Leach and his staff's ability to recruit.
After talking with a buddy of mine who works for the University of Florida Rivals site about recruiting*, I figured I'd make a preliminary list of guys who we should keep an eye on, some who are realistic, and some who are simply not coming to WSU.
*This past weekend, Florida picked up their 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th commits of the 2013 class. Signing Day was like, three weeks ago. And they have eight commits. I'm baffled.
I want to make it clear that this is simply me tempering expectations. I'm not saying anything is impossible. I never thought we'd be in the running for Dozier, so I'm excited to see what Leach does with an entire year. However, let's all just relax a little. We still went 4-8 last year, and we still have a really bad defense. It's not like we're going undefeated and winning the National Title now with Leach at the helm.
I've divided the guys into three separate categories: No Chance, Probably Not But Maybe, and Realistic. Those in the Probably Not, But Maybe category are guys we normally wouldn't have a chance at, but play a position that would fit in Leach's system well (hey there WRs!) or have some connection with Leach.
No Chance:
Max Browne, QB, Skyline HS (Sammamish, WA) [Scout: ✯✯✯✯, Rivals: ✯✯✯✯✯]
I know everyone wants to think we have a shot at Browne because he's a local QB and Mike Leach's offense would make him look like Superman. It's not happening, guys. Browne is currently Rival's #2 overall QB (although there's a chance it changes when more evaluations are done) and he's holding offers from Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma, and Washington, amongst others. We haven't even offered him yet. That's a big deal. I think he winds up at USC eventually, but that's just my gut feeling right now.
Su'a Cravens, S, Vista Murrieta HS (Murrieta, CA) [Scout: ✯✯✯✯✯, Rivals: ✯✯✯✯✯]
We offered Cravens a few weeks ago, and it made the rounds on twitter and the Cougar message boards. Cravens holds offers from 25 different schools right now, and it's February. I've seen guys with upwards of 20 offers before, but never this early. Of those 25 offers, only Hawaii and Utah State aren't BCS offers. (I'm counting Boise State as a BCS offer) Sorry guys, I know you wanted to be excited we were in early on a huge prospect, but this one ain't happenin'.
Riley Sorenson, OT, Santa Margarita Catholic HS (Santa Margarita, CA) [Scout: ✯✯✯✯, Rivals: NR]
The only reason I say we have no chance on Sorenson is because I think he'll stay in California. So far, he's been offered by SMU, UW, and us. He's on a lot of team's radars, so I wouldn't be surprised if he hit double digit BCS offers before it's all said and done. Sorenson is different from Browne and Cravens in the fact that he's not elite (though he is very good), but I just think he'll pick another school.
Probably Not, But Maybe?
Demorea Stringfellow, WR, Rancho Verde HS (Moreno Valley, CA) [Scout: NR, Rivals: ✯✯✯✯]
If we didn't have Mike Leach, Stringfellow would be a No Chance. But we do have Mike Leach. So basically, every WR in the country is at worst a Probably Not, But Maybe. Stringfellow (great name, by the way) is the big outside receiver that we missed out on this class. I'd expect to see two or three bigger guys in this class.
Joe Mathis, DE, Upland HS (Upland, CA) [Scout: NR, Rivals: ✯✯✯✯]
Mathis goes to the same school Kenny Lawler went to, and Lawler's parents seem to have a hand in everything down there. Even though Lawler went to Cal, his parents loved Leach and staff. Normally I'd say we don't really have a shot when a guy has offers from places like Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, UCLA, USC, and UW. However, Leach has now had some time to make inroads and relationships with high school coaches. I still think Mathis winds up at USC or some big national power, but I think we might be in the conversation at least a little.
Sean Constantine, LB, Bellevue HS (Bellevue, WA) [Scout: NR, Rivals: ✯✯✯✯]
It's not that Constantine is so amazing that he'd never consider WSU, it's that we have yet to offer while UW and UCLA already have. Being so close to Montlake, I just sort of assume anyone they want from Bellevue is theirs for the taking. We haven't even offered him yet, so that's another strike. Probably winds up at UW.
Sammie Long, WR, Lakes HS (Lakewood, WA) [Scout: NR, Rivals: NR]
I like Long a lot, and he plays at the same high school that Cedric Dozier did. He's another big WR, and while I don't think he'll be a 4 or 5 star guy, I still think he goes elsewhere. He's currently sitting on one offer, and it's from UW. I think there's a chance Leach can persuade him to play outside in his offense, but I don't think it's a slam dunk either. Perhaps he's in-between Probably Not, But Maybe and Realistic.
Realistic:
Ty Slanina, QB, East Bernard HS (East Bernard, TX) [Scout: ✯✯✯✯, Rivals: NR]
Slanina is a bit small for QB, and Rivals lists him as an ATH. He's super quick and reportedly runs a 4.4 in the 40 yard dash. The schools knocking on his door right now are Baylor, Houston, Texas Tech, and us. I wonder, what do all those schools have in common ...
I actually think it's possible some of those schools see him as a slot WR and not a QB (he's 6'1, 185).
Danny Mattingly, TE/DE, Mead HS (Spokane, WA) [Scout: NR, Rivals: NR]
Mattingly is the little brother of former Coug and frying pan aficionado Andy Mattingly. Like his brother before him, he will play a different position in college. He's mainly a TE at Mead right now, but if he suits up for the Cougs, it'll be at DE. If he has his heart set on playing TE, schools like Oregon State, UCLA, and UW are probably a better fit. While I think he's a solid player and a nice addition if we could get him, I'm not as high on him as others are.
Isaac Savaiinaea, LB, Punahou School (Honolulu, HI) [Scout: NR, Rivals: ✯✯✯✯]
First of all, I want to sign him solely based on watching Mike Leach attempt to pronounce his last name. Second, Joe Salave'a has been working the islands and making inroads with all the coaches. Savaiinaea is a really big 'backer (6'3, 230) and I think they could beef him up a little and make him that OLB/DE hybrid. Yes, I just said beef.
Sefo Liufau, QB, Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, WA) [Scout: NR, Rivals: ✯✯✯✯]
Liufau has been mentored by Cougar legend Jack Thompson for the past year. He has great size (6'4, 219) and a strong, accurate arm. He's big on academics as well, so let's just hope Stanford and Cal stay away. I think he'd be a great candidate to push the rest of the QBs for playing time, if nothing else. I think we have as good a shot as anyone to sign him, but that doesn't mean we're the frontrunner and he's ours to lose.
Jeremy Tabuyo, WR, St. Louis HS (Honolulu, HI) [Scout: NR, Rivals: NR]
Tabuyo comes from storied St. Louis high school in Hawaii, a school that produced Cougar great Jason Gesser. Tabuyo is a speedster in every sense of the word, and is the fastest player I've ever evaluated. He tore his ACL in October, cutting his season short, and his recovery might scare off some potential schools. He told me he was 100% ready to go, and is even getting ready for track season. While he already holds offers from Hawaii and Utah, his top two schools are Oregon and WSU. His former teammate at St. Louis, Marcus Mariota, is now a QB at Oregon, and he'd love to play with him again. He remains very interested in WSU, however, and Mike Leach's offense is a big reason why. Tabuyo is a guy WSU fans should keep an eye on, he could be a steal come Signing Day.
So there you have it, folks. I realize football season is a long ways away, but I hope you found a few prospects to salivate over for the next few months.
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As you said Browne is obviously the top pick but I really like Liufau.
First, he has a great name. I mean the Throwin’ Samoan is an awesome nickname but Jack Thompson doesn’t sound terribly Samoan to me. I love his size and I’m hoping Jack is regaling him of the awesome WSU days whenever he tutors him (within NCAA regs of course).
I thought he was a bit of a pipe dream myself as he is a 4* on the west side, so this actually increases my excitement.
Mattlingly has offers from a third of the Pac 12 already, hopefully those Cougar ties are strong! It’s painful to see good guys from Spokane not come our way because unless the Tri-Cities or Othello start pumping out players its pretty much the only good sized city we have a clear advantage in.
I think the ties are pretty strong
I knew Andy and another Mattingly sibling who went to Wazzu.
by WinOrLoseCougsBooze on Feb 20, 2012 5:45 PM PST up reply actions
Isn't this list really an indictment on Sterk since CMP left?
This is simply crazy that we can even talk about these guys at all. For years we have been told that top level talent cannot come to Ptown and I for one believed it (and still do with regard to bball). But obviously a name coach does quite a bit. It is sad that it took us this long to figure it out.
Note: I understand the new TV money, etc., but if you really believe football is the driving force behind your athletics program, we should have been slitting our wrists on the other sports and giving more money to football. Let’s remember we were paying $1mil to TB, which could have gone to football.
Great to be in the conversation for these guys. Hopes that Dozier and Lawler RS, and then elect to transfer!!
it isn't a chicken or egg scenario
Seriously- this is the first time in the history of WSU that there has been anything that even remotely resembles that kind of cash flow the that TV deal brought into the coffers. The shoulda, coulda revisionism is utterly mythical. WSU couldn’t afford it before. Period. Yeah, TB got some serious dollars (by WSU standards) he was WSU’s first million dollar man. He started at $350K- went 26-8; then got a bump to $800K and extended seven years— Sterk did that BTW. Rumors swirled and recruits wavered as he was courted by Indiana. He opted to stay, when following another 26-8 got bumped to $1 million- unprecedented success, back to back NCAA tourney runs— so unprecedented money. The move to raise the dollars to keep him happened ONLY because he won. A mediocre NIT year w/o a team of seasoned 4 year vets- some trouble with upgrades and charter flights, and then skeeeeeedadled- for $1.7 mil at UVA. The money went to hoop because WSU saw that huge success and bought in… when they really couldn’t afford it. The Leach scenario isn’t anywhere near the same— they are dropping big bucks up front on a promise of something… they aren’t paying to keep a guy for the first time ever. Comparing Moos to Sterk is like comparing the Mariner GM to the Yankees GM— it simply doesn’t equate.
If you can't Go Cougs... don't go.
by hollyweirdcoug on Feb 20, 2012 11:56 PM PST up reply actions 4 recs
Again I recognize the cash flow, but the Sterk admin
is night and day different in how it handled money. Sterk never went out on a ledge. This was proven with Price. He wanted more money for his assistants, Sterk refused. Talk about unprecedented success, how about the end of the Price era!
The fact is, Moos has shown a willingness to go big. Sure we have more money, but let’s remember that many bloggers, including this site I believe was talking a pay scale around $1.2mil to $2mil for the head job. Not only did he go over the top of that range, but he went over the top for money for assistants.
Again, the money is nice, but I don’t think it changed the personality of the AD. We simply haven’t had a guy willing to go in the red to make a splash.
by ptowncoug3012 on Feb 21, 2012 8:26 AM PST up reply actions
The fallout from the Price negotiations had more to do with Victory Lane than Sterk.
We have no way of knowing what Sterk would’ve done with unprecedented money and an upper campus that understands the value of a strong athletics department.
reply to ptown coug3012..I think you are wrong
No WSU athletic director has ever had this kind of money to offer…and I’ve been following WSU since about 1965. Not even close. I think this revisionist criticism of Sterk is unwarranted. Dont get me wrong;; he made some bad hires: Doba, whoever the BB coach was (Farrington?). He also went out and got Dick Bennett and did give TB a series of nice raises to try to keep him. . The money to TB was well spent: it has been WSU’s last success story and going to the NCAA Sweet 16 was great. To say the money that Sterk gave to TB should have gone to football instead is ludicrous.
—As I remember it, the real issue was Price began to make more and more demands, in spite of the fact that he had gotten a good salary increase. Let’s not forget that Price was a .500 coach at WSU, and he[‘s still a career .500 coach. It’s not like he’s an elite D1` coach. Finally, the job of an administrator is to be prudent with money and balance the budget., not “go in the red and make a splash.’” Moos is working with money no one at WSU has ever had before.
by bpcoug53 on Feb 21, 2012 6:55 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Don't be too baffled
Its the Junior Day bump. Happened at Florida and Texas and Michigan. Just how things work for them.
Speaking of which, ours is this weekend!
by Brian Floyd on Feb 20, 2012 10:41 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Yeah but I figured they'd get a few, not eight.
Michigan got eleven. That’s a ton.
by Kyle Rancourt on Feb 20, 2012 10:53 PM PST up reply actions
Most of which, I believe, were four stars
Then again, verbal offers and early commits, so … Y’know
by Brian Floyd on Feb 20, 2012 11:03 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Oh c'mon, Brian.
We all know when a guy verbally commits, he’s a 100% lock to go to that school.
by Kyle Rancourt on Feb 21, 2012 1:53 AM PST up reply actions
/SMU sobs in the corner.
CougCenter In Reid We Trust, Twitter!
by Craig Powers on Feb 21, 2012 6:21 AM PST up reply actions
Yeah, well,
They are Michigan.
The schools you mentioned are CFB royalty.
I miss *REAL* Four Loko
by B-Lot tailgater on Feb 21, 2012 2:15 PM PST up reply actions
Even though I’m a pretty avid fan recruiting has me pretty uninterested at this point. Between the last few years with early verbals and the huge unknowns of this season. Leach has me really intrigued with what his style of offense can do with the existing players. I really think it will boil down to the teams record with swaying a lot of the 4 or dare dream a 5 star recruit. If the team makes a bowl and really a better one than a 6-6 team can get into is what it will take. WSU just doesn’t have the football history of a michigan, alabama, auburn, etc…
Please remember to use the subject line. Thanks!
"If you want your dreams to come true, don't sleep in."
by kelly20210 on Feb 21, 2012 11:49 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Please remember to use the reply button!
Awesome thanks!
Attractive, Intelligent, Smart A**
by Neil Vincent Roberts on Feb 21, 2012 2:17 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Browne also has an offer from USC ...
… and I agree that the stars are lining up for him down there. UW will be in the mix as the reality of not playing in front of friends and family sets in assuming the relationships are strong.
WIth that, I wonder. You said that Browne is a local. Is that really true or is the prospect of a Seattleite playing in Pullman basically the same as the prospect of playing in Salt Lake or in LA? Don’t you have the same challenge trying to pluck a Seattleite out of Seattle as someone from Tuscon or SF would?
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon
"Local" is probably an overstatement,
but asking your family to make a 4.5 hour drive from Bellevue 5 times per year to watch you playing football isn’t a big deal.
It’s comparable to Oregon/Oregon State, though, as far as being “local.”
#CougHarmonyOnTwitter #teamnopants
by TiltingRight on Feb 21, 2012 2:05 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah, that's probably right.
I was more speaking to what the fanbase sees. They see a kid from in state and consider him local. If he were from Spokane, different story altogether. I think WSU will always have trouble pulling in the Seattle kids because some just don’t want to be that far from everything. It’s one of the built in disadvantages. On the other hand, some kids will love coming to Pullman because it’s far enough away from home to be on your own, but not so far that the family can’t drive a few hours to see them play.
by Kyle Rancourt on Feb 21, 2012 2:51 PM PST up reply actions
some perspective
For as long as I can remember, basically any in-state player who has grown up wanting to play for UW and gets a scholarship offer from them , will go to UW. Jim Sweeney thought that winning 2 consecutive Apple Cups in ‘72 and ’73 would change things and get in-state kids to go to WSU. Later he admitted it didn’t make any difference. Cougar fans can whine and cry and stand on their heads, but it’s the truth. The GSL from Spokane doesn’t produce that many D1 players; the ones they do go to UW or Cal or Stanford or Notre Dame, not WSU. .
—In spite of the fact that Leach replaced 9 of Wulff’’s commits with what I think are better players, (and basically none of those Wulff commits have gotten offers from BCS schools, which tells you something))., Leach’s recruiting class is still rated quite low. We hope Leach can pull in recruits who never would have considered WSU before. We don;’t know that. Nothing is proven yet. Our delusional WSU fans (God bless them) are making unwarranted assumptions.
What happned Kyle??????
You said Browne was a lock during the signing day chat
Wrong.
I said Max Power was a lock. And boy is he ever
by Kyle Rancourt on Feb 21, 2012 2:51 PM PST up reply actions
Browne
I don’t see why Browne would want to go to UW. They recruited 2 top 10 QBs last year. Its going to be a struggle for him to get PT there.
Hometown kid, lifelong Husky perhaps?
If he’s a true #1 QB he doesn’t care about competition. I think its less likely because he seems to have every school in the country after him, wonder how many letters a day Saban writes him? Over/under is 105.
I honestly think every top recruit in the nation disregards depth chart.
They all think they’re the more talented players anyway. I’m not sure I’d want a kid who didn’t believe he could push the starter for playing time right away. I’m not saying every kid should think he is the starter from Day 1, but a kid like Browne has to believe he’s better than Miles and Lindquist.
by Kyle Rancourt on Feb 21, 2012 2:55 PM PST up reply actions
Lets not read too much into "being in the conversation"
Doba was in the conversation a lot in 2003, 3004, and even 2005 and we all know how well that turned out.
I miss *REAL* Four Loko
by B-Lot tailgater on Feb 21, 2012 2:13 PM PST reply actions
Yes Doba was in on the convo in 3004
He also was in on it in 3008, too bad he was 2000 and late.
I miss *REAL* Four Loko
by B-Lot tailgater on Feb 21, 2012 2:17 PM PST up reply actions
Absolutely
Insert comment about counting chickens here.
I miss *REAL* Four Loko
by B-Lot tailgater on Feb 21, 2012 2:48 PM PST up reply actions
I definitely agree with this, but
as Nusser stated, it’s a different scenario. Leach isn’t putting all his eggs in one basket and then resorting to Juco guys to fill the void. Plus Leach’s name carries more weight than Doba’s did, even after three 10 win seasons.
by Kyle Rancourt on Feb 21, 2012 2:56 PM PST up reply actions
Agree completely
I miss *REAL* Four Loko
by B-Lot tailgater on Feb 21, 2012 3:11 PM PST up reply actions
I guess what I am saying is
I don’t really know what I am saying.
Doba was in on the conversation but could not deliver. Leach is in on the conversation, we all believe he can deliver.
I miss *REAL* Four Loko
by B-Lot tailgater on Feb 21, 2012 3:12 PM PST up reply actions
It's a weird feeling.
Leach is like optimism steroids for the WSU fanbase
by Kyle Rancourt on Feb 21, 2012 3:28 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Doba being in the conversation with guys but not locking them up was more frustrating to me
…than Leach doing the same this year.
We were so close to parlaying the 3 top-10s into something meaningful and potentially lasting. At the time, losing those guys was disappointing.
But in retrospect, knowing now what kinda shape the program was in, my opinion has changed.
by Blackie1829 on Feb 21, 2012 4:26 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Holy Crap, you think Jeremy Tabayo is fast
Check out Tatum Taylor who Leach just offered. He reportedly runs a 4.28 40. Dang.
http://youtu.be/opi8U2cIYgI
http://youtu.be/9xXHdlELuyw
It is apparent that Leach is really going after speed. I don’t know if he always did that at TT, because his WRs were not always the fastest. Morris, Crabtree and Welker did not have blazing speed. I wonder in his time off he realized how important speed is from watching the likes of Oregon, USC and the SEC. You can’t teach speed.
CougCenter OG since 9/2/2008 | @TheSoCalCoug
Not to be a downer but I'm pretty sure Chris Johnson ran a 4.28, and he's one of if not the fastest guy in the entire NFL.
If Tatum here ran a legit 4.4 that is BLAZING fast. Usually only 5-10 guys run a sub 4.4 at the NFL combine every year.
He looks awfully small to me, but we do seem to specialize in that these days. How does he look to you Kyle?
Kinda tough to tell.
His videos are mostly as a RB, and from everything I’ve read, he’s projected as a CB in college (although I’m sure he could play RB in the right system). I think he’s a solid RB, but he’s listed at 158 which… yeah. That’s really small.
I also don’t believe he’s anywhere near 4.28. He looks fast, sure, but I’d venture a guess somewhere in the 4.45 range. Comparing him to Tabuyo, Tabuyo destroys him with breakaway speed. I want to see more video of Taylor, so perhaps we’ll get some better, more up-to-date stuff this fall.
by Kyle Rancourt on Feb 22, 2012 2:50 PM PST up reply actions
Wow.
I’d be really excited to land this kid.
I'm a glass half full kind of guy. My glass just happens to be half full of bourbon. And sitting next to several empty glasses.
This tweet by Scout.com's Scott Kennedy should be attached to every article about a recruit anywhere...
@ScottKennedy: Every HS Player I know tells me he runs 4.4. Avg. 40 at the 2011 #NFLCombine for the fastest position, CBs — 4.52, WRs 4.53
I watched this and thought of Spaceballs
“Ludicrous speed!”
He ran a 4.5 as a freshman at an Oregon track camp.
#CougHarmonyOnTwitter #teamnopants
by TiltingRight on Feb 22, 2012 4:21 PM PST up reply actions
I still like Jeremy Tabuyo
and I never said what I think of Taylor. I just said he is fast and that Leach is recruiting fast guys. He might not run a 4.28, but that is what I have to go by now because all prospects fudge their times. I bet he is under 4.4. To fudge something by more than .1 would be irresponsible. Also he is a track star, so his times are recorded all the time. You can’t hide your real time forever. I agree he is really small, but so is Robert Lewis. My point was Leach is really focusing on speed and I said nothing else. I really hope we get Tabuyo, I think he is a great prospect and is perfect for Leach’s system. By the way, Yes Tatum is that fast, really fast. Look him up. He currently the fastest in the nation. He is probably going to run track in college. He may be a Jeshua Anderson type. I know Tabuyo looks fast on tape, but it is always hard to tell actual game speed and by camera angles and the type of camera. I still think Tabuyo is fast.
http://www.northwestprepreport.com/tatum-taylor-sets-fastest-time-in-nation-as-schools-hover
http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/track-and-xc/post/_/id/1289/uw-invite-new-us1-for-tatum-taylor
CougCenter OG since 9/2/2008 | @TheSoCalCoug
A 6.79 60 meter is pretty dang fast.
Tabuyo’s youtube video says he ran a 10.84 100 meter, while this says Tatum’s personal best is a 10.68. So I guess in official track speed, Tatum is faster. Not that it’s really a big deal. They’re both very fast and I would love to have them both.
I am just curious
But where is my look ahead to 2014, Since we will have already won the Rose Bowl and Pac-12 Championship. kthnxbai
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