Washington State growing confident in options at receiver

Nick Rolovich was asked how many wide receivers he intends to play this season, and though he hasn’t settled on an exact number yet, the second-year Washington State football coach rattled off the names of 10 pass-catchers he feels “confident going into a game” with.

“There’s some nice depth there,” Rolovich said after a practice last week at Rogers Field. “How we do it, I can’t answer that right now, but it’ll be good to have that luxury when we get into a game.”

It appears the receiver position has suddenly developed into one of WSU’s most stable groups. Before fall camp kicked off, the feeling wasn’t quite as optimistic.

Prolific senior Renard Bell announced last month that he’d torn his ACL, and would miss the year. Two other 2020 starters – Jamire Calvin and Lucas Bacon – transferred out of the program in the offseason.

But concerns are beginning to dissipate as the Sept. 4 opener draws near.

Several new targets boasting high ceilings have emerged during camp, particularly at outside receiver.

On the inside, two veterans seem to be locked into starting roles.

Rolovich indicated that he has considered expanding the depth chart at receiver. The Cougs’ first-team offense had about a dozen of them alternating in various 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills last week.

“I think in the era of COVID, you just gotta open that up a little bit more and not be stubborn with it,” Rolovich said.

Settling on a corps of game-ready receivers has been a difficult “thought process,” he noted.

“It’s not that you just have depth. You’ve got good connections between multiple guys,” Rolovich said. “Guys have been in and out, guys have gotten reps with other people. There’s a nice symmetry with a bunch of the receivers.”

Offensive coordinator Brian Smith acknowledged Saturday that the rotation might broaden this year to prevent injuries and overworking.

Some wideouts have been put on fixed “rep counts” throughout camp, and “that could continue early into the season,” Smith said, “to make sure our guys are healthy.

“We run so much of our receivers. We’re playing with four all the time. We throw the ball a lot. We’re running vertical a lot. So, it’s just making sure they aren’t getting overloaded.”

Inside receivers

Wily senior slot man Travell Harris has accumulated 1,185 yards receiving and eight touchdowns since 2018, plus a pair of rushing scores last year. He was tabbed last month to the watch list for the Paul Hornung Award , which recognizes the nation’s most versatile player.

So it comes as no surprise that everyone in the Pac-12 and on the Palouse expects Harris to be the Cougs’ No. 1 target for the second straight season in Rolovich’s pass-dominant run-and-shoot offense.

Harris has been limited at practices recently as he works through an unspecified minor injury. Rolovich said there’s no cause for concern – the three-year starter is being held back intentionally.

“He’s got a good grasp of the offense, and this gives us an opportunity to get some other guys some reps,” Rolovich said.

Grad student Calvin Jackson Jr., the other presumed starter inside, was a full participant Saturday after a week in sweats on the sideline.

Jackson Jr. flipped from outside to inside recently to fill the void left by Bell’s injury. Considering his refined route-running and rapid acceleration, it figures to be a smooth transition.

“I love it. It’s a little bit different, a lot more things I need to learn,” he said. “But where I come from, I played a lot of slot. I got great guys around me helping me learn it (Harris and Bell, especially).”

Jackson Jr. is seeking a breakthrough in his third season at Wazzu. An injury derailed his 2020 campaign. For now, pencil Jackson Jr. in as the second look in the passing game.

Three more inside receivers were mentioned when Rolovich listed “trustworthy” alternatives.

Hawaii transfer Lincoln Victor, a junior, is well-versed in the run-and-shoot, having spent a season as a reserve under Rolovich with the Rainbow Warriors in 2019.

Victor, who enrolled at WSU in January, was given the green light late last week to return to full participation. He’d been rehabbing with strength coaches on the sideline earlier in camp.

The West Camas, Washington, product exhibited quickness and extended his body for a couple of exceptional snags on Friday and Saturday.

But Victor’s physical tools perhaps aren’t his most distinguishing characteristics.

“He’s got such great leadership qualities, but also the knowledge of the offense really made him a good teacher for the other guys,” Rolovich said.

Sophomore Joey Hobert has been a camp standout. He’s got a real shot at vying for reps.

Hobert racked up 52 yards on two hitch receptions during the scrimmage portion of Saturday’s practice, turning and racing upfield for about 30 yards after catch.

“He came in at a high level,” Rolovich said. “Joey could probably play both sides of the ball for us. He’s dependable. He’s gonna have a role on special teams.”

Junior walk-on Drake Owen, a transfer from Division II Central Washington, is the wild card here. He’s been greatly productive at camp – over a three-day stretch of team periods last week, Owen totaled more than 20 receptions – but it’s up in the air whether there will be room in the inside rotation, which is littered with significantly more bodies than the outside.

“We have a lot of slots that are really good football players,” grad transfer quarterback Jarrett Guarantano said. “We’ve been working them in. We’ve been having a big rotation with those guys.”

Outside receivers

Two newcomers and a third-year Coug are in the mix for the two starting posts outside.

“We’re just loving the competition between everybody,” said C.J. Moore, a 6-foot-4 juco transfer who began his career at Oklahoma State.

“We’re taking it day by day, and may the best man win.”

Moore’s taken plentiful reps with WSU’s first-team offense. His rangy wing span makes for jump-ball opportunities, but Moore was plagued by dropped balls last week.

He was ranked the No. 3 junior college receiver in the country by 247Sports.com after completing his 2020 season at Iowa Central.

Rolovich handed the informal “pleasant surprise of fall camp award” to 6-3 sophomore Donovan Ollie, a special-teamer last year who slimmed down and boosted his athleticism over the offseason.

“He’s really had a good camp,” Rolovich said of Ollie, who recorded two touchdowns in WSU’s first scrimmage two weeks ago – he showed off his speed with a 70-yard score down the sideline, then made an acrobatic, turning grab above a defender’s head for an 11-yarder.

“He’s got a high level of comfort in the offense.”

Ollie said he benefited from practicing alongside former Coug stars Dezmon Patmon and Easop Winston Jr. as a redshirt in 2019.

“It was a lot of learning,” he said. “Now, I feel like I’m older, I’m mature. My game has changed.”

True freshman De’Zhaun Stribling turned heads at fall camp, too. The 6-2 Hawaiian – a top-100 prep wideout nationally last year and a top-20 recruit in his class, per 247Sports.com – brings to the table equal parts speed, leaping ability and separation strength.

WSU players and staffers alike have offered high praise for the potential rookie sensation.

“I thought he was great for us in the spring, and he just continued to get better,” Smith said. “His confidence has grown a lot the more work he’s got with us.”

Jackson Jr. was impressed with Stribling’s desire to learn in the spring.

“I knew he was gonna be good,” Jackson Jr. said. “He always asked me questions. He always watched extra film. … Now seeing him flourish out here, I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Junior Mitchell Quinn, a walk-on from Hawaii, earned a scholarship recently – probably because of his showings in team drills the past two weeks. Quinn excels on fly routes. He seems to consistently get a step on his defenders.

Rolovich said 6-5 junior Brandon Gray “is showing he can compete” as well.

“At this point, we feel like we can count on a bunch of guys,” Rolovich said. “As we get into game prep a little more and get guys kind of full speed, we can have a better idea about (who and how many will play).”