And with that, we bid adieu to Anthony Laurenzi, according to a report from Cougfan. Laurenzi was arrested for shoplifting on Sunday evening, after allegedly taking a pair of headphones from Walmart, and has been in limbo since. Head coach Mike Leach returned from Pac-12 Media Day on Wednesday night and reportedly met with Laurenzi on Thursday.
It's no surprise at all that Laurenzi was let go. Theft -- no matter the type -- is one of Leach's third-rail rules, along with drugs and hitting women. Stealing leads to a lack of trust, and trust is a big foundation of Leach's programs.
As for the implications of the dismissal, it leaves the Cougars with some depth issues along the defensive line. Laurenzi was set to be a starter heading into fall camp on a line that's already relatively thin. While his talent-level can probably be replaced, the loss of a body is problematic -- even more so if injuries come into play. It's not as though losing Laurenzi is akin to losing a cornerstone, but it certainly does hurt.
Fall camp starts in a week and the Cougars can ill-afford any more legal troubles. Make it to the start of camp and the team -- knock on wood -- should be good. And I probably just jinxed everything.
Edit: Confirmed
Anthony Laurenzi has been dismissed from the WSU football team, the school confirms.
— Christian Caple (@ChristianCaple) July 26, 2012