Washington State planning to use redshirt on inside receiver Easop Winston

PULLMAN – Easop Winston may have the best hands on the team, but the inside receiver still needs to develop his speed, strength and stamina, so a redshirt season could make sense for the junior college transfer from California.

Leach hinted at it during his weekly radio show last Thursday, then reaffirmed those plans this afternoon, two days after the receiver didn’t appear in the season opener against Montana State.

“You let things unfold a little bit, if we need him we won’t hesitate to pull it off,” Leach said. “I’d like to redshirt him.”

A transfer from City College of San Francisco, Winston caught nearly every ball thrown his way during spring camp and Luke Falk praised him, saying Winston “has the best hands I’ve ever seen.”

Leach agreed that the 5-11, 189-pound Winston is as proficient as anyone on the team from that standpoint, but it may take awhile before the rest of his game catches up.

“He just needs to develop I think,” Leach said. “He needs to develop, he’s been in and out. I think he’s got to get in shape. He’s got great hands, might have the best hands on the team.”

In other inside receiver news, Renard Bell was listed as the team’s starter at “H” receiver today when the week two depth chart was released. Robert Lewis, who’s been a limited practice participant for nearly three weeks, didn’t dress for the season opener but was listed above Bell when the first depth chart came out last Monday. Redshirt sophomore Brandon Arconado now becomes Bell’s backup at “H.”