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The turmoil in the Washington State Cougars receiving corps continues between the end of the regular and postseason. The Spokesman-Review’s Theo Lawson was the first to report this morning on the dismissal of junior wide out Tavares Martin, Jr.
A WSU spokesman told Lawson that it was for a “violation of team rules” and, as is par for the course with Mike Leach, we will likely never truly find out what that violation is.
Martin was the team’s leading receiver in 2017 with 831 yards on 70 catches, including nine for touchdowns. He picked up nearly a quarter of those yards and fully a third of his touchdowns against the Oregon State Beavers, going for a career high 194 yards and three trips to the end zone.
Martin’s dismissal comes about two months after his suspension for the homecoming game against the Colorado Buffaloes. Martin had reportedly missed a practice and/or lost his temper with his teammates and coaches following the 37-3 drubbing in Berkeley.
For his part, Martin claims it was not a rule violation that caused his dismissal, but rather asking for his release:
I was dismissed from the team because I asked for my release. I never knew me asking for my release was a violation of the team rules.
— Tavares Martin Jr (@ASAP_561) December 10, 2017
This is all happening same week the team continues to deal with the departure of Isaiah Johnson-Mack, though Leach was mum on his status with the team yesterday other than not expecting him to play in the Holiday Bowl. Johnson-Mack tweeted last week that Leach had denied his request for his release from his scholarship, though he deleted it.
Whatever the case, Washington State will be without their first and third leading receivers for their trip to San Diego and beyond. Tay Martin and Dezmon Patmon figure to slide into the top spot on the depth chart at X and Z respectively though the depth at those positions is now precariously thin. The good news is Washington State figures to have quite a haul of wide receivers in the 2018 recruiting class, including Army All-American and soon-to-be East Valley grad Rodrick Fisher. A number of the receivers looked like real threats to play right away and they may now have to whether the coaching staff wants them to or not.