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After a signing day that, for the most part, only had positive surprises, WSU will bring in one its highest rated classes since Mike Leach arrived in Pullman. The biggest surprise, the commitment of four-star receiver Jamire Calvin, gave the Cougs a nice boost up the rankings on the first day of February.
There was some disagreement among the three major services on the quality of Wazzu’s 2017 class. Scout thought the highest of the class, ranking it 39th in the country, while the 247 composite ranking has it 44th. Rivals wasn’t as impressed and thinks it’s the 50th best class in the country.
One interesting thing to note is that WSU’s rank in average star rating is considerably lower than their overall ranks. This is even more apparent when looking at the Pac-12 class rankings. 247 has the Cougs’ class as the ninth best in the conference, but gives them the lowest average rating. You can see similar differences from the other services in the table below. (247 didn’t let me sort nationally by average star).
WSU 2017 Recruiting Class Rankings
| Service | National rank | National rank by average star | Pac-12 rank | Pac-12 rank by average star |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service | National rank | National rank by average star | Pac-12 rank | Pac-12 rank by average star |
| Scout | 39 | 45 | 8 | T-10 |
| 247 | 44 | N/A | 9 | 12 |
| Rivals | 50 | 58 | 10 | 12 |
Only in 2015 did Leach bring in a higher rated class (41st according to 247), and the Cougs have already gotten significant production from multiple players in that class. However, WSU continues to lag behind their competition in the rankings each year and will have a hard time becoming an elite team before they can catch up.
The top of the conference looked like it usually does when it comes to recruiting rankings. USC and Stanford put together classes loaded with four and five stars, while Oregon and UCLA weren’t far behind.
WSU’s becoming a place where former local prep quarterbacks find good homes on defense | The Seattle Times
From Newport's Isaac Dotson to Bellevue's Justus Rogers, Federal Way's D'Jimon Jones and now, River Ridge's Kelle Sanders, the Cougars stockpile former prep quarterbacks and groom them to become contributors on defense.
Grip on Sports: Every signing day is just like the one before except for the players who achieve their dream | The Spokesman-Review
One Pac-12 coach was quoted as saying he got every kid he wanted. Another talked about the players that signed are his schools’ “guys.” One school had a “perfect” day. Would you expect anything else out of signing day?
Men's Basketball:
USC Seeks Rare Conference Road Sweep At Washington State - University of Southern California Official Athletic Site
The USC Trojans (19-4, 6-4) will play at the Washington State Cougars (11-11, 4-6) at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Wash. on Feb. 4 at 5:00 p.m. USC last won at Washington and at Washington State in the same season during the 2002 campaign.
Women's Soccer:
Peninsula players sign college commitments | Peninsula Clarion
Rachel Thompson, a 2015 Nikiski graduate, also announced she will be leaving Highline College (Washington) after two years there to play soccer with the Washington State Cougars.
Volleyball:
Jen Greeny and WSU Agree to Restructured Contract - WSUCougars.com | Washington State University Athletics
Washington State University and Women's Head Volleyball Coach Jen Greeny have agreed to a restructured contract, Cougars Director of Athletics Bill Moos announced Wednesday. The agreement will run through June of 2022.