WSU solid in middle

Editor’s note: This is the seventh of nine position outlooks on the 2008 Washington State Cougars. Today we examine the linebackers. Coming Wednesday: defensive backs.

PULLMAN – Of all the new Washington State University assistant football coaches, Travis Niekamp may have had the best deal.

The 33-year-old linebackers coach walked into his Bohler Athletic Complex office with two kings and an ace in his hand. That’s just another way of saying he had three returning senior starters at the linebacking spots.

“They have experience, they’ve played, they’ve been in the trenches,” said Niekamp of middle linebacker Greg Trent and outside backers Kendrick Dunn and Cory Evans. “They know what it’s going to be like Saturday afternoon, how hard it’s going to be in the fourth quarter.

“That’s the benefit.”

But that experience all came in a different system, and that’s why Niekamp hasn’t been able to play his best hand just yet.

“I think no matter how old you are, when there’s a transition and there’s a change defensively, anything schematically,” he said, “whether it’s a whole coaching staff or whether it’s a coordinator change, you kind of all start at ground zero.”

Two weeks into fall camp, the trio has begun to assert itself, though Evans’ preseason has paused for a few days due to torn ligaments in his right thumb. Still, Niekamp is seeing the first inklings of what is possible when the chips are in the pot.

“I think we are kind of at that point with the older guys now, this is Cory and Greg and Ken,” Niekamp said, “that they are comfortable with what they are doing now defensive-wise and call-wise and those kind of things. It’s just huge. And the more comfortable they are the better they’re going to play, the faster they’re going to play.”

The starters: The ace of the group is Trent, a four-year starter who, with another year like last season when he had 89 tackles, will end up in the Cougars’ career top 10 in that statistic.

“He’s a beast,” Niekamp said. “He’s exactly what you would like to have in a middle linebacker. I mean, he’s got great leadership skills, he’s at the point where he’s very comfortable with what we’re doing defensively, he’s really having a great camp and I think he’s going to have a great year coming up.

“He’s just a great kid. I would throw my keys to him and say ‘watch my house.’ I just trust him.”

Trent and his partners already own the keys to Cougar defense, with pre-snap duties that rival a quarterback.

“We have a lot of responsibilities as far as getting guys lined up, setting the front, making a lot of checks,” Niekamp said of the linebackers. “So our guys got to be able to think, they’ve got to know, they’ve got to be able to react to things and see different formations.”

However, once the ball is snapped, life is a lot easier for the group than it was in the past. That’s the biggest difference they see with the new defense.

“You get a chance to run,” Evans said. “It’s an eight-man front so you get a chance to just get downhill and hit.”

“You get to play fast, really,” Dunn added. “You really have one gap to be responsible for. You don’t really have to worry about too much. Just get your gap and play hard.”

“You get to attack the line of scrimmage (rather) than shuffle,” Trent said.

It’s not only different than the trio played last year, but at any time in their football careers. None have played so free and loose before.

Do they like it?

“Yes, sir,” Dunn said.

“I love it,” Evans answered.

“You can cut loose a little more,” Trent added.

The reserves: Sophomore Hallston Higgins, who has moved into Evans’ spot while the senior mends, is the only returning player who has hung on to his backup spot. True freshmen Louis Bland, Mike Ledgerwood and Cory Mackay have moved up the depth chart quickly.

“The nice thing about bringing in freshmen, you’ve got a chance to mold them they way you want to mold them,” Niekamp said. “You get a chance to let them grow up the way you want them to grow up in the program. The bad thing is they’re freshmen.

“They’re still going to have some good days and some bad days and hopefully the bad days ain’t too bad. But they’ve got to grow up.”

But, with the seniors on the front line, they don’t have to grow up today. Which is crucial for WSU’s chances.

“Sometimes those bad days get really, really bad and sometimes those good days are really, really good,” Niekamp said of the young players. “It’s just a rollercoaster ride with those guys sometimes.”

The outlook: Even with the senior-laden group, there has been an adjustment phase. Which was what Niekamp expected.

“Knowing the defense, understanding those types of things, there is always going to be a growth period,” he said.

But that period can’t last too long.

“We’re going to see a lot of different looks and we’ve got to be able to handle all those things,” Niekamp said. “So there is a lot of added pressure. It’s pretty important. If (the linebackers) can’t get lined up then our defense can’t get lined up, so then we have some issues.”