WSU picks up a pair of verbal commitments on bye week

Bye weeks often prove to be excellent times to host official visits since the coaches and players have lots of time on their hands, and this one yielded a pair of verbal commitments to the Washington State Cougars’ 2020 class.

First, offensive lineman James McNorton, out of Brentwood, California, announced his commitment via Twitter, then defensive lineman Justin Lohrenz, out of Littleton, Colorado, followed suit just a short time later, also announcing via Twitter.

Both are rated as low-three-star recruits by the 247Sports composite; McNorton also holds an offer from the Oregon State Beavers, while WSU is the only Power 5 offer for Lohrenz.

McNorton fits the profile of most of the offensive linemen recruited by coach Mason Miller: At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, he’s got a frame that can pack on weight to get up to Pac-12 size — that’s him on the left:

Check out some of his senior highlights:

Lohrenz is listed as a defensive end at 6-4 and 230 pounds; he received his offer from WSU just two days ago. Like McNorton, he certainly seems like a candidate to add some weight — and perhaps become an interior player. You can check out his highlights here:

That brings WSU’s 2020 class up to 15 commits. You can check out the entire class here. One notable development: WSU’s quarterback commit, Jayden de Laura, has picked up an offer from the USC Trojans following the decommitment of five-star prospect Bryce Young. He is the highest rated member of the Cougs’ class.