Washington State Football: Commit Darius Lemora From Texas Brings More Physicality to Safety Position

Darius Lemora is a kid who verbally committed some time ago to the Cougs, but we haven’t had a chance to talk about him at all. The coaching staff seems to like what Lemora brings to the table in terms of size (6’0″ 185 lbs), range and physicality. He is from Port Arthur, TX and his coach is very high on him:

"He is a very physical kid who can run. Very athletic, very aggressive. I think it’s a great fit. He’s a high character kid and they’re getting one heck of a football player."

Sep 14, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UNLV Rebels running back Bradley Randle (28) is hit by Washington State Cougars safety Casey Locker (22) during the second quarter at Sam Boyd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

If you’re looking for a player comparison, I’d probably go with Casey Locker. Lemora may be slightly more athletic and play the pass a little bit better, but he has a nose for the ball in front of him and loves to come up and lay down some punishment, ala Locker. Every secondary needs a safety like this who can play up in the box and Lemora is just that guy. He also played a lot of Linebacker as a senior so he is used to being in the box anyway.

With Locker back in the rotation as a senior in 2013, Lemora should get a redshirt year, which will give him a chance to continue to heal and get stronger on a leg that he broke in two places near the end of his junior year in high school. It will also give him a chance to learn a specific scheme for someone of his talents from mature players as the Cougars will return 3 senior playmakers at Safety next season.