The WSU football team had the day off Saturday, meaning today is a little light on news. With nothing new to talk about, let's take a look back at something I wrote about a year ago.
Early on in my Hot Cougar Action days, I wrote this post, declaring the 2010 recruiting class as the best in WSU history. Most called it premature, others called it nonsense. Looking back it probably was nonsense, but let's see how it shapes up a year later.
Of the 24 member class, 18 remain on the roster. David Gonzalez and Isiah Barton departed to graduation after being impact players during their WSU careers. C.J. Mizell and Aaron Dunn departed, while two other players never made it to Pullman.
Of the 18 remaining, nine are projected to be starters in 2012. Five more are in line to be significant contributors, while just four find themselves buried on the depth chart. This class joined a bad roster with plenty of holes, but their contribution rate blows away any class in the previous decade. Of the 24 players in the class, 16 either have started or are projected to start this season.
One other thing the 2010 class has going for it that no other class can claim; Marquess Wilson. He's already the best wide receiver in school history and depending on what he does in 2012, it could be argued he's the best player in WSU history.
So is the 2010 recruiting class the best in WSU history? Probably not, at least not yet. They'll have to win a lot of games over the next two years if they are going to be in the discussion, but if WSU does win in 2012-13, the 2010 group will be a major reason why.
Football
WSU cornerbacks accept added pressure - Spokesman.com - Aug. 18, 2012
PULLMAN – There is more pressure this season on Nolan Washington, on Damante Horton, on all of Washington State’s cornerbacks than usual.
Who is this Gabe Marks guy?
The folks at CougCenter.com love this guy, and he is an intriguing prospect: a 4-star out of Los Angeles with a pretty good offer list. Oh, and he could spend the next four years catching passes in the Leach offense.
Cougars Notebook: Leach a popular figure nationally " Kitsap Sun
PULLMAN — Mike Leach has yet to coach a game in this isolated little college town, but the national spotlight has found little difficulty tracking Washington State's new football coach.
Washington State, Mike Leach prepare for higher expectations | Union-Bulletin
PULLMAN (AP) — Washington State has made some big changes, hiring a new coach and dramatically upgrading the stadium.
Washington State: Best-case, worst-case scenarios in 2012 - CBSSports.com
Nobody expects Mike Leach to turn Washington State into a national title contender this year, but Cougars fans are probably hoping for more than the four wins former coach Paul Wulff gave them in 2011. How well will WSU do under Leach? Here are the Cougars' best-case, worst-case and most likely scenarios for 2012.