Washington State Football Spring Enrollees 2014: WR Sebastian LaRue
By Josh Davis
January 4, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Team Nitro wide receiver Sebastian LaRue (1) during the first half at the Under Armour All-America high school Game at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Name: Sebastian LaRue
School: Santa Monica HS – Santa Monica, CA
Position: Wide Receiver
Vitals: 5’11, 195 lbs, 4.4 40 yd
Rank:
- Rivals: #24
- Scout: #44
- ESPN: #9
- 247Sports: n/a
FBS Offers: Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, Texas A&M, Cal, Colorado, Florida State, Hawaii, Houston, Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi State, Nebraska, NMSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, SDSU, Oregon State, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington and WSU
Player Type: Explosive Game Changer
Best Attributes: Hands, Burst, Breakaway Speed, Change of Direction
Prediction and Early Impact:
Pretty easy to predict Sebastian LaRue’s freshman impact. The NCAA transfer rules won’t allow LaRue to play until the 2015 season, when he’ll be a redshirt sophomore. The option is still there to appeal that rule and request an exception, but the early indication is that LaRue will not pursue that option. Chances are he wouldn’t get much, if any consideration anyway.
However the fact that he cannot play isn’t the most important factor here. Most importantly, LaRue brings more viability to Washington State’s recruiting efforts. The Cougars basically get a vote of approval that you can only get when an elite player joins your program. Vince Mayle gave the Cougars the same thing last season, but in a more minor way.
4-star WR’s coming from A&M just carry a different kind of stamp with them. Gabe Marks did it in 2012 in Mike Leach’s first season when he flipped from SMU, then the emergence of freshmen Brett Bartolone and River Cracraft have left receivers feeling good about the chances of playing early if you can make a significant difference on the field in Pullman.
Take a look at these highlights. This is what 4.4 speed looks like on a high school football field. Once he’s by you, you can forget it, even if you have “4.4” speed yourself.
“Freshman Impact Potential” Grade: 0
Highlights: