Three More Say They’Ll Be Cougars WSU Recruiting Class Of 2001 Hits 16, With Room For Highly Sought Kicker

Washington State University has pushed its number of oral commitments in football to 16.

Troy Bienemann, Wes Patterson and Jeremy Bohannon are the latest three commitments.

Bohannon, a 6-foot, 180-pound receiver/defensive back from Richland, could be the best athlete among those three. As a senior, he intercepted six passes, returning two for scores. On offense, he had more than 750 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. He was named to the Seattle Times’ All-State team.

Patterson is a 6-foot, 195-pound defensive back from Bellflower, Calif. His athletic ability may allow him to come in and compete for playing time right away. Patterson is considered to be one of the best defensive backfield prospects in California.

Bienemann is a 6-foot-5, 240-pound tight end from Mountain View, Calif. The Cougars got the oral commitment but could struggle to hold onto him. Bienemann is still scheduled to visit Oregon State and Northwestern.

Graham Siderius, one of the top kickers on the West Coast, is scheduled to visit WSU next weekend. The Cougars have been after the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Reno, Nev., product for a year. Siderius made 8 of 11 field-goal tries, including one from beyond 50 yards, this season. Four of his other kicks were from 40-plus yards. He is also said to have a 60 percent touchback rate on kickoffs. Siderius also played quarterback for McQueen High and led the team to the state title last weekend. But his future is as a kicker. He would immediately compete for the starting kicking job at WSU. He would also be counted on to punt following the departure of senior Alan Cox.

The Cougars are bringing 11 prospects to Pullman this weekend. Among them will be quarterback Chris Hurd, from Deer Valley, Calif. Hurd had 23 passing and five rushing touchdowns and only three interceptions this season. To get the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Hurd, the Cougars might have to beat out Washington, Arizona State and Colorado.

Also headed to the Palouse for a visit is Concord, Calif., star Demetrius Williams.

Williams, a second-team all-state pick at wide receiver for De La Salle High, will arrive Sunday night. But, like a lot of other prospects the Cougars are going after, the 6-foot-2, 170-pound Williams, is weighing his options among WSU, Washington, Oregon and Oregon State.

Pullman’s Trent Bray, along with Devan Long, the brother of current WSU player Rien Long, will also have their official visits this weekend. Bray, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker, has already committed to the Cougars. Long (6-4, 240) might be more athletic than his older brother and could play either defensive line or tight end.

The Cougars also appear on the verge of securing a commitment from Byran Boyer, a 6-4, 245-pound defensive lineman from Lapwai, Idaho. Boyer is seen by many as the best player in that state. A 4.0 student, Boyer seemingly did everything for the Lapwai team this season, including returning kicks.

The Cougars plan on signing 22 players this recruiting period. National letter of intent day is Feb. 7, 2001.

Shavies hits hardwoods

Josh Shavies, a tight end for the football team, has joined the basketball team. The 6-foot-6, 275-pound sophomore went through his first workout Thursday and there was some obvious rust. Shavies is not even close to being in basketball shape.

But he does have promising credentials. He was an all-state basketball player as a sophomore at Freemont High in Oakland, Calif. He led Freemont to the state title and was named MVP of the team his senior year.

Kendall Minor, a sophomore guard for the Cougars, was not at practice Thursday for what was said to be family reasons. He is expected to be back on campus for the game Saturday against Maryland-Eastern Shore.