Catching up on fall camp

There are now just two non-football Saturdays remaining until Washington State takes the field against Utah State in the 2021 season opener. The Cougars officially crossed the halfway point of fall camp over the weekend with just a handful of practices and one scrimmage remaining.

With that, it seems like a good time to reset and see where the Cougs stand.

The biggest question heading into fall camp was who was going to play quarterback. Eight practices later, the biggest question of fall camp remains who is going to play quarterback.

Jayden de Laura, Jarrett Guarantano and Cammon Cooper remain in competition for the starting job. And it’s hard to peg a leader in the clubhouse. After the scrimmage on Saturday, head coach Nick Rolovich alluded to as much himself, saying all three have had their moments.

“There’s days you’re like, ‘There’s Jarrett, he’s got it. Oh wait, no, there’s Cam, he does. Oh wait, here comes Jayden,’” Rolovich said.

Last season, three different quarterbacks attempted at least one pass for the Cougars. While de Laura got the bulk of the snaps a year ago, it’s possible we will see a rotation again this season.

It seems to be a similar story at safety where the Cougars have a lot of uncertainty. Defensive coordinator Jake Dickert said free safety is the biggest position battle. There are a handful of players in the mix there. Daniel Isom is currently playing strong safety, but could also play free safety depending on how things shake out. Injuries have also been an injury at the safety spot.

Safety has long plagued the Cougs in recent season with a revolving door of options getting a chance to play and no one really locking the positions down.

De’Zhaun Stribling may be the latest freshman wide receiver to make an impact in his first year as a Coug. His name has come up frequently in practice reports. Donovan Ollie has similarly drawn a lot of attention for his play during camp — including a 70-yard touchdown in the first scrimmage.

With less than three weeks to go, there is plenty to resolve on the Palouse.

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Football:

A Grip on Sports: The outlook for WSU's offense was a little cloudy after Saturday's first scrimmage | The Spokesman-Review
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Smoke can really ruin a late summer can’t it? As well as forest habitat, our lungs and college football preseason practice.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Vandals, Cougars hold scrimmages — of sorts | Coeur d'Alene Press
Quarterback Cammon Cooper threw a pair of touchdowns passes to Donovan Ollie (70, 7 yards) while going 6 of 7 for 110 yards as the Cougars held their first scrimmage of preseason camp Saturday, working through 70-plus plays at the Indoor Practice Facility.

Five compelling position battles at Washington State and who we're picking to win each spot this fall | Washington State University | khq.com
Five or six days before Washington State opens the 2021 season, the Cougars will release their first official depth chart of the fall. Most fans will skim over the positions where the Cougars return entrenched starters – Max Borghi at running back, Jahad Woods at weakside linebacker and Abe Lucas at right tackle – and focus on the spots with much less clarity.

Utah State Football: Three Bold Predictions for USU in 2021 | Mountain West Wire
Utah State will upset Washington State in the road opener

Admittedly, this is the type of prediction I’ve been making for years to no avail.