Cougs Off To Fast Start For 2001

Mike Price managed to hook more than just a couple of big fish this summer.

The Washington State coach also reeled in a handful of key recruits for the fall of 2001 and one player for this year’s team.

That player, Michael Freeman, could have an immediate impact on the Cougars’ secondary. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound defensive back should add some depth to what is a talented, but thin, unit. Freeman, a JC Gridwire All-American, is transferring to WSU from Oklahoma. He transferred to Oklahoma out of junior college in January and participated in spring practice with the Sooners.

But after the spring, Freeman decided to transfer again and went with WSU, which had been his second choice all along.

Freeman should get playing time behind Marcus Trufant and Chris Martin.

As for the recruiting class of 2001, the player who could make the biggest impact in years to come is Jimmy Wilson, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound all-state running back from Phoenix, who committed after a summer visit to Pullman. As a junior for Phoenix Christian, he rushed for 2,000-plus yards and scored 26 touchdowns.

The Cougars got another running back in Roger Smith (5-11, 210) from Beverly Hills, Calif. They also secured commitments from three linebackers: Pullman’s Trent Bray (6-1, 205, Pullman), the son of former Cougars secondary coach Craig Bray; Okanagan’s Will Derting (6-1, 210), a two-way player who helped take his team to the state championship; and Forks’ Pat Bennett (6-1, 215), who had 78 tackles last season.

Safe at home

Price has already figured out the first duty for the school’s new baseball coach.

“I’m going to send Jason Gesser to him and have him teach Jason how to slide,” Price said.

In the past, the sophomore QB has displayed a penchant for scrambling and trying to squeeze every yard out of the play rather than throwing the ball away.

In fact, had he stepped out of bounds while scrambling last year against Arizona he might of avoided the thumb injury that kept him sidelined most of the season. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Gesser also injured his knee in the season finale against Hawaii. The knee required surgery.

Summer school

Every scholarship player but one remained in Pullman to work out this summer.

“That’s the first time we’ve had all the scholarship players in Pullman all summer,” said Price. The one guy who didn’t stick around was punter Alan Cox. Cox went back to Utah to be with his family. But he didn’t leave before getting instruction and the coach’s blessing.

“I just told him to go back and practice kicking really high and really far,” Price said.

Not so academic

The Cougars are not expecting to lose any more starters or second stringers to academic shortcomings this year. (Middle linebacker Curtis Holden was declared academically ineligible back in May). But they did receive some bad news about their incoming freshman class.

Five players did not qualify academically. They are running backs Damon Johnson (Los Alamitos, Calif.) and Chris Bruhn (Woodland, Calif.), linebacker Lance Mitchell (Los Banos, Calif.), defensive back Ronald Nunn (Mountain View, Calif.) and defensive tackle Norvell Holmes (Bellflower, Calif.).