All recruits signed by 8 AM. Did Dickert tell them get it in today early or were moving on? Or did he start working on coordinator replacements weeks ago, and those kids know what the public doesn’t? All the kids had other viable options and a good portion had 1+ other power or “bigger” program out there. Just find it interesting there was 1 flip to UW and that’s it.
Signing day
- Thread starter chugspig
- Start date
A TE, Timmons like 2 days ago. So WSU offered Idaho TE commit out of Portland and flipped them.
Also of note - Arbuckle flipped Oklahoma States QB commit last night to Oklahoma.
With all of them stronger/ more successful than you were coming out of high school so, that’s an upgrade, yes?
The offers are actually worse. If you are signing two 6’2” OL, you are not anywhere near top of any conference other than a d2 league.
Good that DickTurd got 75 DBs again tho!
For once I will agree with Biggsy. 4 OL and 6 DB's seems a little off.
Did Dickert bang you girlfriend, or remind you of someone who did? Ever see the little guy from the Lillyputins...we will never make it, we are doomed.
Four years ago you liked 6 2 Dieu...and yes I know you can't have a whole host of guys like that, but two.....interesting. We have five guys coming back and the younger kids either push them or get out...
We'd better be getting more linemen in the portal. 4 OL, 2 DL? Unless it's a miracle class and they are all starter quality, that's not enough.
I haven't watched the videos, but just looking at the raw numbers I'd say at least 2 of the OL kids need a solid year in the gym. The 2 shorter ones may be candidates for C/G, or might be better on the other side of the ball. Both of the edge recruits also need time in the gym, unless they've got great speed.
We also need LBs, but there are only 2 in this class, and they look undersized.
I'm kind of OK with having 6 DB recruits, since we haven't proved to be very good at finding quality ones recently, and maybe 1-2 of them can become LBs. But I agree, our DBs should not outnumber our OL, and our TEs shouldn't equal our LBs.
Looks like a relatively typical class, although we usually have at least one standout that seems to be missing from this group.
I haven't watched the videos, but just looking at the raw numbers I'd say at least 2 of the OL kids need a solid year in the gym. The 2 shorter ones may be candidates for C/G, or might be better on the other side of the ball. Both of the edge recruits also need time in the gym, unless they've got great speed.
We also need LBs, but there are only 2 in this class, and they look undersized.
I'm kind of OK with having 6 DB recruits, since we haven't proved to be very good at finding quality ones recently, and maybe 1-2 of them can become LBs. But I agree, our DBs should not outnumber our OL, and our TEs shouldn't equal our LBs.
Looks like a relatively typical class, although we usually have at least one standout that seems to be missing from this group.
Judging from what I saw of Biggs the one time I met him - 15-20 years ago (?) - and projecting that many years of belly growth, I don't think I'd be bragging about banging his GF.
And where the F have you been? Rotting in some prison in Panama?
I’d bang his girlfriend just to get his expert analysis on how poorly I banged. How I used inside leverage when I shoulda used outside leverage. How I was in the wrong position. That I should have recruited guys on my banging team who have more length and play with a lower center of gravity.
I have no idea how good this class is but I’ll say this…considering we lost our two coordinators right before signing day and didn’t end up with a bunch of flips, then I don’t think we lost impactful recruiters. And Dickert has his fingerprints on these recruits FWIW. That’s a good thing. Now we will see how this class shapes up and in agreement that big bodies on both lines are a priority for filling in holes. I also don’t mind the haul of DBs, we need them.
I’m totally shocked that you omitted the 6-5 and 6-7 guys from your rant. Totally.
Although I think the hand-wringing over the number of OL players is usually over the top...I would prefer a 5th guy based on our current OL play. That said, we aren't winning championships starting a freshman on the OL anyway...so I don't really care if all of them look like they aren't ready for at least a year. I agree with the notion that we need to get a couple OL through the portal if possible.
As far as the quality of the class, it's a pretty standard WSU recruiting class except it doesn't have the extra 1 or 2 guys that are a little higher rated. Funny thing is, most of those guys didn't seem to have an outsized impact, so I'm not worried. For those that think that they "know" about this class, Wayshawn Parker was a under looked 3 star who was the #110 RB in last year's class and 90th ranked player in his state but he's probably going to be able to chase a bag of cash if he's so inclined.
Here are our Rivals class rankings from recent years with Scout rankings in parentheses:
2020: #57 (#59)
2021: #52 (#62)
2022: #63 (#60)
2023: #60 (#71)
2024: #57 (#80)
2025: #63 (#69)
That tells us that this a pretty typical WSU class overall. Scout says that Dickert's three classes are not good as the ones before him.
As far as the quality of the class, it's a pretty standard WSU recruiting class except it doesn't have the extra 1 or 2 guys that are a little higher rated. Funny thing is, most of those guys didn't seem to have an outsized impact, so I'm not worried. For those that think that they "know" about this class, Wayshawn Parker was a under looked 3 star who was the #110 RB in last year's class and 90th ranked player in his state but he's probably going to be able to chase a bag of cash if he's so inclined.
Here are our Rivals class rankings from recent years with Scout rankings in parentheses:
2020: #57 (#59)
2021: #52 (#62)
2022: #63 (#60)
2023: #60 (#71)
2024: #57 (#80)
2025: #63 (#69)
That tells us that this a pretty typical WSU class overall. Scout says that Dickert's three classes are not good as the ones before him.
Good analysis. Per usual for WSU key is keeping most of these guys in school and getting them ready for their RS soph/junior years to contribute. Leach was better than anyone at that.
WSU should be taking 5 -O lineman a year. Most anything less will lead us down a path I particularly don’t want to go down.
As WSU inks 23 players in early signing period, Cougs’ priorities — and changes — become clear
Dec. 4, 2024 Updated Wed., Dec. 4, 2024 at 5:29 p.m.Ore. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Revew)
PULLMAN – When it comes to Washington State’s approach to signing day, times are changing.
On Wednesday’s early signing day, when the Cougars signed 23 players to National Letters of Intent, the trends became clear. WSU placed its priorities on defensive backs, inking a class-high six at that position, and offensive linemen, with four signees.
The biggest sign of change, though, came in the number of early enrollees – nine, the most in program history.
The names include quarterback Steele Pizzella, linebacker Jovan Clark, wide receivers Sean Embree Jr. and Jack Foley, defensive backs Ishmael Gibbs, Aiden Knapke, Kyle Peterson and Jamarey Smith, and offensive lineman Liam Vaughan.
All will enroll in January and participate in spring practices.
“Immediate impact and those types of opportunities are there,” WSU head coach Jake Dickert said.
Dickert also made one thing clear : He doesn’t like the date of the early signing period, the earliest , moving up three weeks from years past. That’s why the WSU class doesn’t include any transfer or junior college players – the transfer portal doesn’t open until Dec. 9.
“I think we need to get to an NFL model,” Dickert said. “We need to stop being tied to an academic calendar. That’s what causes all these problems. I look at the NFL – they don’t finish the regular season, then have the draft before the playoffs, then do unlimited free agency before the playoffs. Because they would say, ‘Oh, that’s chaos.’ They don’t have coaching turnover before the playoffs, but we do, because we’re tied to an academic calendar. So we gotta figure this out.”
The Cougs did well to hang on to Pizzella, who might have considered flipping to another school when news broke Monday that offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle was leaving WSU for the same job at Oklahoma. A three-star prospect from the Los Angeles area, Pizzella is a dual-threat quarterback, much in the same mold as Cougars quarterback John Mateer.
Instead, Pizzella honored his commitment to WSU , perhaps signaling a change among Cougars quarterbacks – like Mateer, they don’t have to be the pocket passer model for which the program has become known.
“We love dual-threat quarterbacks,” Dickert said. “I think that’ll be our target as we continue to go through these classes – that’s who and what we want in that position. I think John shows that to the highest fashion this year. I don’t like comparing anyone to John, but Steele has been very impressive. He’s a 10.6 (seconds) 100-meter kid as a junior.”
WSU coaches also paid extra attention to the defensive back position, which Dickert said is “a must in today’s college football landscape. You gotta run and cover with speed.” It’s a key reason they sought out Gibbs, from Los Angeles, and Knapke, from the Denver area. Kennewick native David Kuku caught WSU coaches’ eyes as a junior and fellow DB Gaylon McNeal Jr. did so just this year.
The Cougars will likely return their top three cornerbacks – Steve Hall, Ethan O’Connor and Jamorri Colson – but they’re losing more at other spots in the secondary. Nickelbacks Kapena Gushiken and Jerrae Williams and safety Tyson Durant are all graduating and moving on, meaning WSU will have some vacancies at those spots.
It’s also clear WSU wanted reinforcement on the offensive line, where coaches will have to replace left tackle Esa Pole after this season and four others after next season – guards Brock Dieu and Christian Hilborn, center Devin Kylany and Fa’alili Fa’amoe are due to run out of eligibility after the 2025 season.
Cougars coaches went to the furthest reaches of their footprint to find new offensive linemen.
Turner Bertrand, a 6-foot-7 prospect, hails from Kearney, Nebraska. Liam Vaughan, a 6-2 player, comes from the Detroit area, becoming WSU’s first Michigan recruit since the class of 2018.
“It’s not just looking at lists,” Dickert said of finding players from farther away. “It’s looking at fit. It’s finding guys that can really work, who’s rising as a senior.
“I love that piece of it. So we find guys that don’t just put together really fancy highlights. We make cut-ups of all these kids. Coach (Rob) Schlaeger (general manager) does a good job of good, bad and ugly, and we kind of sort through what these guys are.”
On the offensive side, WSU inked receivers Embree , Noah Westbrook and Foley, whom the Cougars flipped from Wake Forest. Foley and Embree stand 6-4, according to official listings, and Westbrook has some size at 6-1.
In terms of numbers, though, the biggest come courtesy of linebacker AJ Tuitele, a product of North Las Vegas’ Mojave High, where he piled up 167 tackles (46 solo) in 13 games, including 37 for loss and four sacks. He doesn’t play in the state’s top division – at 3A, Mojave is two notches down from 5A – but the stats resonated with Dickert all the same.
“Schematically, we gotta be more multiple, and we gotta make sure that we’re attacking people,” Dickert said. “And I think AJ just really embodies that.”
Plus, just as programs can put on weight, it's been documented that they can also put on 2-3" in height! That's all I have to say about that
I do like the taller WR prospects instead of all these slot 5-8" to 5-10" types. Taihtsat
Hell, I will take one for the team and do the lord's work if I didn't have to see the eyesore of the last 3 games.
I probably should be in a prison somewhere down here...but I think they like my bar tab too much haha
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FWIW, kids can grow after high school. I grew 2" taller in college and my son grew around another inch taller as a freshman.
We signed 4 OL, 4 DL, and a well thought of QB and RB. The class seems to be on par with most WSU classes, with the difference being that we are lining up against more similarly matched programs.
Who we hire as OC / DC is going to determine how we perform over the next 2 years.
Who we hire as OC / DC is going to determine how we perform over the next 2 years.
