HCA: Kassidy Woods making the most of his shot so far

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how erstwhile outside receiver Kassidy Woods had made the move inside, and how that might signal Mike Leach actually using a tight end-type receiver this fall with the Washington State Cougars.

So far, so good, for the 6-foot-4/220-pound pass catcher, who has impressed after making the move.

“He’s had a really good spring,” Leach said after practice on Thursday. “Needs to be more consistent. Huge target. Good body control. He’s very athletic. He’s going to get better and better, and also I think he’s going to get bigger and be able to do more than he can now.”

Woods looked really, really good in the practice I watched last week (you can hear more about that here if you haven’t already listened); he used his big body to secure a pair of red zone TDs during the 11-on-11 portion of practice, and he sprung at least one long run with a superior block. He followed that up with 120 yards and a TD in last Saturday’s scrimmage.

That run blocking part is the sneaky awesome part of this move; we’ve seen in the last couple of years what can happen in the Air Raid when you don’t get great blocking from the inside receivers. Last year was better, but Woods brings a different dimension as someone who can block a linebacker if teams want to try and defend the Cougars with faster big guys instead of extra DBs. Oh, and he can potentially destroy smaller DBs.

“We had two good guys on the outside, is one thing,” Leach said. “The other thing is, he doesn’t mind and does well with instructions and combat in there. Plus, he’s going to get bigger and bigger, so I think it’s going to be a really good spot for him. ...

“I’d be surprised if he doesn’t crack the (top) four (inside receivers). He’s going to be a hard guy to hold down.”

You can read more about Woods in this feature from Theo Lawson.

A move to inside receiver has been fortuitous for Kassidy Woods, Washington State | The Spokesman-Review
When spring camp opened, coaches ran an interesting concept by Kassidy Woods, an outside receiver who played sparingly on special teams in 2018, but preserved his redshirt by appearing in only four games. With the “X” and “Z” positions essentially clogged up, Woods got a trial run at the “Y” slot position.

Spring Game

If you’re headed over to Pullman for Saturday’s Crimson and Gray game (I am!), this is a good primer on what to expect.

Crimson and Gray Game Saturday at Martin Stadium - Washington State University Athletics
Game to start at 1 p.m. and will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks.

Interviews

Links

PHOTO BLITZ: The WSU assistant football coaches - Cougfan.com
Exclusive spring action by CF.C expert photographer Whittney Thornton

A spring storyline we didn’t expect: Coug WR Brandon Arconado - Cougfan.com
Inside receivers coach Dave Nichol lists six surprise players from the spring

Chu Finishes in Top-20 as Cougars Close out the Pac-12 Championships - Washington State University Athletics
The freshman Amy Chu finished the tournament tied for 18th.

Washington State Swings into Postseason Play - Washington State University Athletics
Men's golf concludes the regular season and start postseason play with the Pac-12 Championships.

Cougars to Host No. 13 Washington for Senior Day - Washington State University Athletics
WSU tennis is looking for second Top 15 victory this season. The match against UW starts at 11:45 a.m. with Senior Day recognition.

Cougars Fall in Series-Opener at USC - Washington State University Athletics
The baseball series continues Friday at 6 p.m.

T&F Competes in Multiple Meets Thursday - Washington State University Athletics
Cougars see top ten all-time WSU marks, broken meet records, and numerous PR's.