Cougars Scrape Off The Rust Spring Football Drills Open With Few Positions Locked Up

Washington State’s first day of spring football wasn’t exactly flawless.

In fact, Cougars coach Mike Price’s assessment was void of any hyperbole.

“We didn’t look real sharp,” he said. “A little ragged.”

But that’s to be expected. The first-team offense wasn’t going against the first-team defense. Some players were new. Others were just trying to stay warm. And all of them were trying to scrape the rust off their games that have been in hibernation since November. “It feels good to get out there and compete the first day and get rid of all the jitters and butterflies and get all the cobwebs off you,” said freshman quarterback candidate Jason Gesser.

Of course, the real cobwebs will get knocked out of the players in a few days, when they don pads and start hitting.

But, at the moment, the only battles on the field are for positions.

With 17 starters returning, many of the starting jobs have already been penciled in by the coaching staff. Erasers could be at the ready, though. Remember those 17 starters led the Cougars to no victories in the Pacific-10 Conference last season and a 3-8 overall record.

“Everybody out here is going to be battling for a spot,” said cornerback LeJuan Gibbons, who missed most of last season with a knee injury. “I look at it and I’ve got a bunch of guys I’m trying to beat for this spot. In this secondary, nobody is safe except for maybe (junior All-America candidate) Lamont Thompson.”

As for the rest of the defense, the coaching staff will be taking long looks at the linebacking corps. With returning starters Steve Gleason and Brad Philley seeing limited practice time because of baseball duties and Raonall Smith and James Price recuperating from off-season surgeries, players such as junior college transfer Curtis Holden and sophomore Tupo Tuupo will get a chance to prove their abilities.

“It is great for the kids who are out here because they are getting the opportunity to get a lot of reps,” said Price. “At the first here, everyone is going to get a chance.”

Ing Aleaga seems to be making the most of his. The sophomore defensive lineman was forced to sit out last year as a partial qualifier, but he continued to impress his position coach Mike Walker on Tuesday.

“He is just ready to explode out there,” said Walker. “He’s perfect for that nose tackle position that he plays. He’s quick and he uses his hands well. He’ll be a great nose tackle down the road.”

The 6-2 Aleaga has also trimmed down to 290 pounds and improved his quickness and muscle mass.

Defensive end Mark Hedeen may turn out to be one of the top surprises of the spring. After being forced into action as a freshman last season because of player departures and injuries, the 6-6 Hedeen turned in a solid performance in the weight room over the winter.

The 258-pounder recently ran a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash.

“That’s one of fastest times, probably ever for a D-lineman at that size,” said Walker. “He’s going to be our playmaker out there.”

Right now, everybody is trying to make plays and pushing maybe just a little too hard.

But Gibbons, who is participating in his fourth spring practice, says that’s the way it should be.

“You got to be out and you have got to take reps,” he said. “We had a miserable year last year and we don’t want to go there again.

“Good things should start to happen. We should get better every week.”

Notes

Former Washington kicker Nick Lentz has joined the Cougars. Lentz left the Huskies last season after not receiving a scholarship he claimed former coach Jim Lambright had promised him. Lentz will have to sit out a year before he is eligible to play for the Cougars.

Wide receiver Jerry Roquemore was not at practice. The 5-11, 180-pound senior, who caught 14 passes for 219 yards last year, is getting his school work in order before he returns to the field. Price expects him to be back in practice soon.

The four players who were suspended by Price, Jason Pringle, Milton Wynn, DeAndre Douglas and Curtis Nettles, should also return to practice in the next two weeks.