2014 ATH Ronald Monroe
Let’s first address the 2014 find, Ronald Monroe from Sugar Land, TX. This kid is a 6’3, 180 pound high school quarterback with terrific stats (3,312 yards, 41 touchdowns, 5 interceptions). So immediately you think, OK looks like Leach is stockpiling one more time at QB after picking up Peyton Bender earlier this season, possibly with a guy who can avoid those costly interceptions.
However that’s not the case here because the WSU staff is more interested in his rushing stats – 819 yards, 14 touchdowns and athletic ability in the passing game. Monroe (no relation to WSU MLB Darryl Monroe we don’t think) is coming in to compete at outside wide receiver and immediately becomes WSU’s tallest receiver, along with Vince Mayle.
You can bet because of that size he’ll compete for immediate playing time out there on the outside, much like River Cracraft came in and did, but it doesn’t look all that likely that he’d be put into the lineup in 2014. Monroe will be competing against a corps that returns literally everybody, including junior to-be Brett Bartolone, who missed most of the 2013 campaign after week 3 with what we can only surmise was an undisclosed and pretty significant injury.
Monroe could therefore become a valuable redshirt product while transitioning over to a new position and compete in 2015 after Mayle and Kristoff Williams are both graduated, but another option presents itself also. Monroe could grayshirt (which technically doesn’t exist anymore), or sign his intent to play in 2015, which would allow him to still be recruited even though chances are unlikely he would be. It would also give him a chance to hone his new craft a little before coming in and save the redshirt year possibility for 2015. The “grayshirt” option would only be necessary if WSU over-signs in this class, but that actually looks like a strong possibility right now.
Monroe is the #68 ranked quarterback in the 2014 class and a 3-star prospect according to scout and the #22 ranked quarterback according to ESPN. He had been committed to Texas State before his Wazzu official visit and held other offers from Houston, UNLV, NMSU, SJSU and perhaps most notably Utah. So this is another Pac-12 recruiting battle won by Leach and the boys. He said he wants a bigger challenge and Washington State presents that opportunity.
Let’s continue on to a really big-time get by Wazzu!