Bumpus becomes top target

PULLMAN – With experience comes expectation, and suddenly when Michael Bumpus looks around, he sees no one with more of either.

Jason Hill has graduated and moved on, and with his departure Bumpus becomes the Washington State Cougars’ most veteran wide receiver, the player who will be counted on most to get open for quarterback Alex Brink this fall.

Entering his senior season, Bumpus said he relishes the opportunity to be a leader in the Washington State locker room as well as a go-to guy on the field.

“It’s a lot more fun because I know this is my last shot here and I’m a lot more of a mentor to the guys here,” Bumpus said. “I’m expected to come out and work hard every day.

“Last year it was Jason and coach (Mike Levenseller) expects me – even off the field – to make sure guys are doing the right thing. I do have to take on more of a leadership role.”

Although he’s capable of playing one of the two outside spots in the WSU three-wideout offense, it’s more likely that Bumpus will again play out of the slot, catching shorter passes over the middle of the field.

It’s a role that Bumpus excelled in last season, and one that he’s already hoping to tutor younger teammates for with an eye toward the future.

The senior said redshirt freshman Keith Rosenberg has become a project, especially since Rosenberg is of a similar stature and plays the same position.

“His routes are getting better, he’s improved so much,” Bumpus said.

Stripling regains strength

Linebacker Jason Stripling appears to have returned to full strength after missing last season because of shoulder surgery.

Head coach Bill Doba, who is also coaching linebackers this season, complimented Stripling on his first week of practice in a year, and the redshirt sophomore has been working with the first unit at outside linebacker.

“It wasn’t so much that he missed (last year), I was just worried about his shoulder holding up,” Doba said. “Shoulder surgery is something, those are hard. … He went in there (Wednesday) and laid the wood on somebody, knocked the fullback back and made the tackle. So I don’t think he’s worried about the shoulder.”

Stripling, Cory Evans and Mead’s Andy Mattingly are competing for the two starting spots at outside linebacker, but Doba said Stripling would be the first option behind Greg Trent at middle linebacker should something happen to the junior.

Injury sidelines Lopina

Doba confirmed that quarterback Kevin Lopina will miss the rest of the spring because of a hamstring pull, an injury that the Kansas State transfer had not previously suffered.

The Cougars don’t want to rush Lopina back, although they had been hoping to take a good look at the signal-caller this spring after he spent all of last fall working on the scout team.

The injury means that Cole Morgan may retain third-string duties heading into the fall behind Brink and Gary Rogers.

Notes

First-year running backs coach Steve Broussard has missed the last two practices and is not expected back until Monday at the earliest while he attends to his mother, who is ill and in the hospital. Graduate assistant Pete Sterbick has taken over Broussard’s coaching duties. … Defensive tackle Aaron Johnson is sitting out practices with a bruised hip and sore back, but Doba said he should be back soon.