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Ivan McLennan is that rarest of WSU recruits: A guy who was sought after by a significantly more successful program, but ended up coming to Pullman anyway.
As a consensus three-star recruit out of El Camino Junior College, McLennan was reportedly offered by both Oregon and Arkansas. But the Cougs had been on him since the beginning, and that apparently counted for something as McLennan ended up coming to WSU.
WSU fans have been down this road before with Brandon Rankin, who ultimately proved to be a solid (if unspectacular) player in his two years at WSU. What can we actually expect here?
Let's get to know Ivan McLennan.
McLennan's WSU Career
No career to speak of yet!
2012 Retrospective
McLennan was obviously at his junior college in 2012, but he enrolled at semester and was able to participate in spring practices. Thanks in part to Logan Mayes' injury, which kept Mayes out of spring practice altogether, McLennan got lots of run at the Buck position.
He wasn't able to push past Kache Palacio, however, as those who watched practices said McLennan was pretty clearly outplayed by the 6-2, 217-pound sophomore. But the athletic ability also was clear.
What to expect in 2013
Replacing Travis Long is a tall order. Mayes will sit at the top of the depth chart come fall, but like most positions, there's depth that hasn't been there the last couple of years. McLennan is part of that. Via Ted Miller:
The first question in 2013 is replacing Long. That's not going to happen with one guy. While Logan Mayes is the frontrunner to take over at "buck" linebacker, there's a reason he was one of five guys listed there on the post spring depth chart. Breske said Kache Palacio and Ivan McLennan had "great springs," adding, "There's going to be a lot of competition there."
While McLennan might not be the starter, it's expected he'll play plenty. Defensive coordinator Mike Breske will likely mix and match Mayes, Palacio and McLennan situationally based on their strengths, which are diverse. While Mayes and Palacio excel at rushing the passer, McLennan is the most pure linebacker out of the three. While I have no idea what that means in terms of how Breske will use him, I'm sure he'll figure something out!
All-Star tweet
I've been told it can get hot in Pullman.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>I'm taking a cold shower every 2 hours from now all the way till fall time</p>— Ivan McLennan (@Forever_Leisure) <a href="https://twitter.com/Forever_Leisure/statuses/351875657061502979">July 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
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That's one way to handle it.