As the offseason continues, so does offseason content. Positional reviews and team rankings are two of the offseason staples and today we have both.
Yahoo! Sports continued their countdown of their preseason rankings Monday with Nos. 61-65. Washington State checked in at No. 63 on their countdown, one of the highest preseason rankings I've seen. Here is a bit from Yahoo's season projection:
The opener at BYU will be interesting, and not just because Leach is a BYU grad. If Washington State can win that game, a 4-0 start becomes eminently possible. Still, a questionable defense will put a lot of pressure on the offense to perform, and the Cougars likely will need to pull an upset or two if they are to qualify for the postseason.
Over at the ESPN Pac-12 blog, Ted Miller began preseason position reviews with quarterbacks. Washington State was one of four teams considered to be in "great shape" joining USC, Washington and Oregon State.
Finally, in recruiting news, recent WSU verbal commit Peyton Pelluer went from unranked to a 4-star prospect with an 80 grade on ESPN's recruiting site.
Footballso remember when I said I thought Peyton Pelluer would be more than a 3 star? Yeah. ESPN now lists him as a 4 star ILB, #25 in the nation
— Kyle Rancourt (@KyleRancourt) June 26, 2012
Preseason position reviews: Quarterback - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
Washington State: For one, if Mike Leach is your coach, you can count on good quarterback play. But having the talent and experience of Jeff Tuel is big. Further, backup Connor Halliday shined when he played last year.
Preseason 1-124 countdown: Nos. 61-65 - Yahoo! Sports
The projection: Leach's hiring was a coup and makes the Cougars nationally relevant. Of course, they have to win to remain relevant, but the pieces look to be in place for a potent offense.