WSU spring football: Players to watch

Isaac Dotson, sophomore, safety – One of WSU’s most physically imposing defensive backs, Dotson (6-foot-2, 218) was primed for a starting role before losing last season to injury.

Luke Falk, sophomore, quarterback – Falk filled in ably after Connor Halliday was injured, leading the Cougars to a win at Oregon State in his first start. Does WSU have its starting quarterback for the next three years or will someone else emerge?

Calvin Green, sophomore, wide receiver – The Cougars couldn’t keep the true freshman off the field last fall. Now, the speedy receiver has some game experience to fall back on and WSU has plenty of inside receiver reps available.

Hercules Mata’afa, redshirt freshman, defensive end – A one-man wrecking ball during scrimmages in the fall, WSU’s defense will need Mata’afa to dominate opponents like he dominated the young Cougars offensive linemen.

Ngalu Tapa, redshirt freshman, defensive tackle – Was arguably WSU’s strongest player as a true freshman. The Cougars would love it if Tapa could plug the hole in the middle of the defense left by the graduation of Kalafitoni Pole.

Andre Dillard, redshirt freshman, offensive lineman – WSU returns all five starters along the offensive line. That doesn’t mean those five players will start next season, however, and Dillard is a good bet to unseat an incumbent.

Sebastian LaRue, sophomore, cornerback – LaRue likely would have played extensively for the Cougars last season had he won his appeal after transferring from Texas A&M. He may also see time on offense.

Sulaiman Hameed, sophomore, safety – Could Hameed be the nickelback that defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is looking for? Hameed started and was impressive last season before injury derailed his true freshman season.

Charleston White, sophomore, cornerback – White showed good closing speed and big-play ability before he, too, was injured. He’ll have even more responsibility this year after the dismissal of Daquawn Brown.

Frankie Luvu, sophomore, linebacker – The Cougars couldn’t keep Luvu off the field as a freshman, moving him to Buck linebacker, where he played well in limited action. Grinch and his staff might continue to use Luvu as a pass-rusher, or they could move him back to the other linebacker positions.