WSU Recruiting: Could Brett Rypien Choosing Blue Be Anything but Bad for Cougars?

Nov 30, 2013; Boise, ID, USA; Boise State Broncos take the field prior to kick off of first half of play verses the New Mexico Lobos at Bronco Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

The news of local QB Brett Rypien deciding to go to Boise State was a surprise to a lot of Washington State fans. Rypien, who is out of Shadle Park High School in Spokane, Washington, was the 6th ranked quarterback in the nation (ESPN and Scout) and was looked at as a huge possible addition to the Cougars in 2015. Rypien’s uncle, Mark, was a former Coug from ’82-’86 and was taken in the 6th round of the 1986 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins.

Rypien announced on Saturday that he had committed to the Broncos instead of the Cougars and at first glance this doesn’t look all too well for the Cougars. After looking more into this, is “losing” the 6th ranked quarterback a bad thing for the Cougars?

No. The Cougars are loaded with talent at the quarterback position and it is only looking up from here for the team. With the Cougars having  quarterbacks Connor Halliday, Tyler Bruggman, Peyton Bender, Luke Falk, Domenic Rockey, Erik Anderson, Connor Ennis, and Cory Hutchison on the roster right now, it shows how loaded the position is. Connor Halliday would have been gone by the time that Rypien arrived on campus making his competition mainly Bruggman and Bender depending on who comes out on top in that battle in the coming years.

Quarterback Austin Apodaca left the team earlier this off-season because of the lack of playing time that he saw in his future. One can only wonder if Rypien saw the same thing in his future as a Coug. If this is the reason of Rypien’s choice that can only mean good things for the Cougars. Rypien saw players that are currently on or will be on the team that were a threat to his playing time that could start and play over him for a few years.

Rypien would come in during Bruggman’s RS Sophomore year and the first year without Halliday meaning there is no clear cut winner for the starting job in 2015. Bruggman and Bender will both be competing and will have both had a year (or two in Bruggman’s case) that they will have been practicing with the team. Rypien likely would have taken a redshirt year and not have seen the field until both Bruggman and Bender have game experience making it hard for him to know that he will be seeing the field early and often in his career.

Cougar faithful need to not worry about this one. As nice as it would have been to have another Rypien playing for the Cougars it is a good sign that the players that are currently on the roster were a threat to such a good young quarterback.