Washington State Football Recruiting Nuggets: (Other) Top Ten Prospects of Interest

Merry Christmas Friends! I’m sure everybody is up and about their Christmas business (or party right?) by this time, and we hope you are having a blast. Normally I don’t work on a day like today, but heck like most kids (I’m only 30) I didn’t sleep all that tight last night and wanted to put my energy somewhere. Coug Recruiting News was just the thing to do that with.

We’ve gone over a few WR’s of interest, so we won’t include those prospects in this list, but of course there are even more players the Cougars are after. We were going to do individual positions, but the Cougs already have 24 known commits to the class, so it’s not too many more that they will take (maybe up to 29 if they can secure 5 more commits). Also, WSU doesn’t offer just anybody, so there really aren’t a whole lot of offers towards any one position remaining.

A very important commitment just hit the (verbal) books in Paulo Lepua for the D-line, so the Cougs are very close to set there. The O-line is still a position of need and the D-backfield is a big area of concern as well. Not to say that Leach isn’t still looking at the D-line though, if WSU can reel in a big name there or at linebacker they will take that as well, but we’re really close to being set in those positions.

Of course these aren’t all the names that could end up committing, nor is it a list of the top ten offers. Rather it’s some of the more intriguing remaining (uncommitted) prospects that we at ACU are looking at and actually have a decent chance to make the WSU commitment before signing day is over. You could call it a bit of a Christmas Wish List, if you will. In no specific order:

1. JC OL Mitchell Bell is a huge 6’4″ 320 protector of the qb from Navarro, TX and had committed to Arkansas a couple months back. However he’s since put WSU in the mix, saying that both were dead-even after John L. Smith’s coaching status was up in the air. He’s been pretty silent since then, but he tripped on the 14th to WSU. The feeling from the coaching staff here is that he could start at Guard for the Cougs in his first season, which is appealing to the big guy.
2. DT Rod Crayton is the 6’1″ 305 lbs prospect we’ve talked about before, and he’s really the big DL target remaining on the board at this point. He really likes the coaching staff and knows he could become an immediate impact player. Paulo Lepua just committed to the Cougs and Kyle Peko decided on Oregon State just recently.
3. DE/OL Jack Powers is a really good looking 6’6″ 260 athlete out of Salinas, CA. This kid has OT ability, but would really rather be on defense.  He is really high on Utah and WSU and is sure to have a visit with the Cougs (assuming he hasn’t already taken it which we do not have knowledge of). One more really athletic DE wouldn’t hurt.
4. CB Chidobe Awuzie is a little bit unheralded but definitely fits the mold of a really good Pac-12 DB. At 5’11” 178 lbs out of San Jose, he holds some interesting offers down the coast, but WSU was first and he says that means a lot to him. He’ll be tripping here soon and could compete for time early, especially since the Cougs only see two committed CB’s on the current list so that could really factor into his decision.
5. D-ATH Keishawn Bierria is an intriguing prospect who has a bunch of versatility and talent. At 6’1″ 210 lbs he played MLB at Narbonne High, but has been viewed at all 3 LB positions and free safety by different staffs. He has no top 5 right now but he does have several offers. I have to think that the commitment of highly touted defensive teammate Paulo Lepua to WSU just a couple days ago could factor in majorly with this decision before it’s all said and done. It would be really nice to see this kid in Crimson.
6. DT Vita Vea is another big defensive guy at 6’3″ 280 lbs that the Cougs are going after. From Milpitas, CA he has a lot of offers, not too much in the way of news. Ranked in the top 10 DT’s in the West by Scout.
7. DT Sam Smith has been on the rise throughout the season up and down the West Coast and at 6’4″ 265 lbs he’s very athletic. He is also shown as a TE recruit by Scout but as we know, Mr. Leach doesn’t use one of those. Kid is out of Elk Grove, CA
8. DT Reggie Meant is another big D-Tackle that we’ve talked about all ready. The problem at this point is that he has Iowa State number 1 right now and has yet to take that visit. But Wazzu is right up there and it would be a nice pickup, even though he is severely underrated.
9. DB Jamerson Blount has a Safety type body (6’2″ 175 lbs) and is somewhat underrated out of Tallahassee, FL. He’s coming off of a serious injury his junior year but had a nice senior year after recovery and Leach loves his ranginess. A big DB is something the Cougs haven’t had for a while now and Blount could certainly add 10-15 and become a major force with his size. He’s not highly sought after so this could be a hidden gem for Leach.
10. WR Hunter Jarmon is a great looking 6’1″ 185 lbs WR from Texas who has been rising in the recruiting land and has something like 15 offers right now. He is very high on Leach and his staff, and could be one of those guys that quietly has a nice career at Wazzu, if he decides to jump on board. WSU is in his top 7.