Washington State Football: Will Chester Su’a Realize His 4-Star Potential in 2014?

The Washington State linebacking corps was all set to be pretty solid going into the Spring and now heading into Fall-ball, but LB coach Ken Wilson was hoping for a certain someone to step back up into the limelight he once stood in as a freshman; Chester Su’a.

So much has happened that you may not remember him, but at the end of the 2011 season the true-freshman Su’a was the defender that Cougs were most excited about moving forward. It wasn’t unexpected either, as he was one of, if not the highest rated prospect the Cougs had commit out of high school.

After the coaching change, however, the former four-star prospect was phased out little by little and eventually became but an afterthought on the Cougar roster. A couple junior college transfers were brought in to compete and after about mid-season in 2012, that was that for Chester.

It got to a point where it was so rare to see him last Spring that many thought he was transferring out, but apparently undisclosed injuries just took their toll. Su’a is back and after an outstanding Spring session is right in the mix to be the fourth linebacker this Fall. For awhile he was looking like a candidate to spell Darryl Monroe at MIK throughout the season, but over the last five or six practices of the Spring, Su’a showed a real flash out at WIL, where he and Tana Pritchard will likely share time and perhaps starts.

The Cougars would be well off with Su’a playing at a high level, allowing coach Wilson to keep players in their spots when backups come in. In recent years, WSU has had to mix and match at LB, resulting in mixed efficiency and most often crucial missed assignments.

But more importantly for Su’a himself, it would be nice for him to be able to once again realize his potential and put it all together. It’s one of those stories where you want to see the kid succeed because he’s been so gracious in the face of a whole lot of attrition and stuck it out. He certainly deserves to be part of a positive outcome and a winning team. Hopefully he can help not only himself, but also his team to reach the next level in 2014.