Brennan Jackson poised for breakout season

Good morning, and welcome back to almost football season! Your Washington State Cougars concluded their second session of preseason camp (NOT FALL CAMP I WILL DIE ON THIS SLIGHTLY RAISED MOUND) on Saturday, with one of the two opening day absentees (receiver C.J. Moore) present. For some reason, running back Deon McIntosh didn’t practice again, so hopefully we see him when practice resumes on Monday.

Since the proverbial bullets aren’t really flying yet, there isn’t much news on the quarterback derby, though Theo Lawson wrote that Cammon Cooper seemed to have the best day in 7-on-7 drills. Lawson also reported that the newly-arrived Moore dropped a couple passes, which I suspect we will be seeing more often than we want over the next few months. A few folks have mentioned that Moore has great physical tools, but sometimes has mental lapses that lead to inconsistency. Hopefully he rounds in to form as he gets more familiar with the new system.Lawson also wrote about some other camp tidbits of note, which you’ll see below.

Saturday’s feature was on Edge rusher Brennan Jackson, who is poised to assert himself in 2021 after owning the weight room over the past few years. Lawson had a great story on Jackson’s background, who I had never noticed until he was constantly disrupting Oregon State’s offense in the 2020 opener. The article focuses on Jackson’s tireless weight training, and the huge influence that his mom, Amy, has had. One thing that surprised me was that, even though Jackson looks like Mr. Universe these days, he is only listed three pounds heavier than he was on the 2019 roster (252 vs. 255). That’s a pretty good indication that he’s been able to maintain a disciplined lifestyle in terms of diet.

Aside from the stunning side-by-side photo in the article, this is a pretty good example of how guys can develop during their late teens and early 20s if they have the proper guidance.

On Saturday, after WSU’s second practice of fall camp, Jackson estimated he arrived to campus with a 240-pound bench press. His latest PR came at 380. Jackson’s power clean, once 260 pounds, is in the range of 350-370 these days.

So to recap, here’s the math I’ve worked out: Waking up before sunrise + raw egg protein shakes x broccoli = All Pac-12 defensive end. Well, let’s hope that’s how it equates. If Jackson stays healthy throughout the season, I’m confident that we’ll see that gigantic frame in opposing backfields quite a bit.

Football

A look at what's ahead for the Pac-12 with realignment set to shake up college football once again - CBSSports.com
Will USC stay put? Will the Pac-12 add teams? Anything is possible.

2021 Pac-12 Quarterback Rankings - AthlonSports.com | Expert Predictions, Picks, and Previews
A complete and normal offseason to break in the run-and-shoot attack should help Washington State’s offense show marked improvement in coach Nick Rolovich’s second year at the helm.

Cammon Cooper and Donovan Ollie in sync during 7-on-7 period: Notes and observations from Day 2 of Washington State camp | The Spokesman-Review
Through two days, no wide receiver has been more impressive than De’Zhaun Stribling, a big 6-foot-2 freshman Kapolei, Hawaii.

Chicken, broccoli and 3 a.m. pump sessions with mom: Inside the formula that helped Washington State edge rusher Brennan Jackson transform his body | The Spokesman-Review
When Brennan was 12 years old, the family moved to Temecula and he began tagging along when his mom would train at EōS. Instructors and employees who still work there are floored to see how much progress he’s made since Jackson’s visits to the Southern California-based gym.

This Week in Parenting

Just another week at the salt mine for these two, whose visit with the Spokane cousins, aunt, uncle and grandparents concluded on Sunday. Among the adventures were kayaking and tubing on Lake Pend Orielle, the Silverwood theme park (highly recommend Panic Plunge), go karts, shooting guns and cannons, innumerable amounts of pool time, caffeine-free frappuccinos, and more of Nana Kendall’s renowned mud pie (they call it cookie pie) than any human should be allowed to consume.

Now it’s back to the home of the other grandparents in Indiana for one final week of kid-friendly debauchery. Top Golf - aka greatest place ever - is atop the agenda, followed by more pool time and God knows what else. The 12 year-old starts football upon our return, and after four straight weeks of little else than ice cream and burgers, his life is gonna suck during conditioning. They squeezed in a 4-day baseball camp in Spokane as well. On the bright side, their tablets got much less use over those two weeks than they ever have, which is definitely a good thing.

On the “boys never change” humor front, the nine year-old exited the bathroom earlier this week and said, “Do not go in there. I pooped something that looks like a chocolate chip cookie with chocolate chunks.” You’re all welcome.

You Suck If...

I’ve been in quite a few airports since I rejoined GenPop about a month ago, and boy do I have some opinions. I’m sure many of you have noticed as well, and I guess it’s possible that the pandemic has exacerbated things just a bit, even though they’re probably not new. First up is clothing. I don’t know if everyone who began working from home just decided to carry over their dress habits into the public, but the attire that some people think passes for presentable these days is stunning, such as guys in sleeveless shirts and women in yoga pants plus something resembling a sports bra. Is it too much to ask for my fellow flyers to don a shirt with sleeves? Maybe some closed-toed shoes? Have a little self-respect for crying out loud. If I see you in an airport and I can’t tell whether you’re boarding a flight or just arriving from a pilates session, you suck. Stop sucking.

Now on to baggage claim, where apparently 90% of people think if they stand right next to the carousel, that will somehow result in their bag showing up first. Narrator: “it didn’t.” What it does is force me to wade through a phalanx of hayseeds (h/t John Kendall, Sr.) in order to retrieve my bag(s) when I spot them coming down the belt. If you are one of those people who insist on maintaining constant contact with the metal carousel until your suitcase rambles off the belt, at the expense of others who are doing things correctly, you suck. Take it away, George.

Stop sucking, and move back.

Non-Sports

The strange 19th-Century sport that was cooler than football - BBC Future
Pedestrianism was a sport of epic rivalries, eyewatering salaries, feverish nationalism, eccentric personalities and six-day, 450-mile walks.

They Were the Nice, Older Couple Next Door. Then the First Body Turned Up. - The New York Times
An Iranian couple has confessed to murdering and dismembering their son, years after killing a daughter and her husband. They are not sorry.