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WSU vs. Auburn: Cougars release Week 1 depth chart

The depth chart for the Auburn game is out and there are a couple of surprises.

By Mark Sandritter
James Snook-US PRESSWIRE

Depth charts in college football don't necessarily mean much. If they weren't required to put them out, few if any, coaches would do so. Some coaches don't even handle the depth chart and it's instead a manager or someone in sports information throwing it together.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at WSU' two-deep for Auburn which was released on Tuesday.

Offense:

QB: Connor Halliday, Austin Apodaca

RB: Teondray Caldwell, Marcus Mason

X receiver: Isiah Myers, Dom Williams or Vince Mayle

Y receiver: River Cracraft, Bobby Ratliff

Z receiver: Gabe Marks, Kristoff Williams

H receiver: Brett Bartolone, Rickey Galvin

LT: Gunnar Eklund, Pierson Villarrubia

LG: Joe Dahl, Matt Goetz

C: Elliot Bosch, Zach Brevick

RG: John Fullington, Riley Sorenson

RT: Rico Forbes, Eduardo Middleton

  • The first thing that jumps out to me is Isiah Myers starting at X. Myers spent last season at Z, but he and Kristoff Williams swapped positions recently. Myers is currently listed ahead of Dom Williams, so it may be wise to pump the brakes a bit on the Dom Williams and Vince Mayle hype. They will likely still play, but Myers is the starter ... at least on paper.
  • True freshman River Cracraft is going to play and he's listed as the starting Y receiver. From all accounts, Cracraft had a great camp and consistently earned praise from Mike Leach and others. Bobby Ratliff is listed as the backup with Robert Lewis not on the depth chart.
  • The offensive line is essentially what we expected it would be. Riley Sorenson is the only true freshman in the two-deep and he's currently slotted as the No. 2 right guard. He spent time at left and right tackle during camp. Of the 10 offensive linemen listed, five have never played a snap for WSU in a game.

Defense:

DT: Toni Pole, Darryl Paulo

NT: Ioane Gauta, Robert Barber

DE: Xavier Cooper, Matthew Bock

BUCK: Destiny Vaeao, Kache Palacio

SAM: Cyrus Coen or Eric Oertel

MIKE: Darryl Monroe, Jared Byers

WILL: Justin Sagote, Tana Pritchard

CB: Damante Horton, Daquawn Brown

CB: Nolan Washington, Tracy Clark, Charleston White

SS: Deone Bucannon, Anthony Carpenter

FS: Taylor Taliulu, Casey Locker

  • This is almost exactly what we've expected throughout fall camp. So no real surprises.
  • Jared Byers, at least for now, has held onto the No. 2 job at middle linebacker. Freshman Peyton Pelluer and sophomore Jeremiah Allison have yet to unseat him.
  • Only two true freshman are listed in the defensive two-deep with Daquawn Brown and Charleston White both likely to be in the mix at cornerback.
  • Logan Mayes is probably the most notable name missing. He moved to defensive end this offseason, but isn't listed on the depth chart. That doesn't mean he won't play, but he may at least start the season in more of a situational role.
  • BUCK linebacker Ivan McLennan is also absent with Destiny Vaeao and Kache Palacio the two BUCK linebackers. As Mayle and McLennan show, it's hard for junior college transfers to make an immediate impact.

Special Teams:

K: Andrew Furney, Mike Bowlin

P: Mike Bowlin, Wes Concepcion

KR: Teondray Caldwell, Marcus Mason

PR: Leon Brooks, Brett Bartolone

  • This is essentially identical to WSU's depth chart last season.
  • Leon Brooks continues to hold down the punt return job, despite WSU trying multiple players there this offseason. In 2013, there will be fair catches.

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