Since the season is a disaster and we’ll probably lose out, I thought I’d focus on recruiting right now…….
Well, Jonathan Stewart did NOT commit to WSU. It was widely rumored that he would give Bill Doba his pledge on Saturday night at dinner at Doba’s home, but he did not. Stewart is very tight-lipped right now about his future plans, and while he likes WSU and many close to him have said he has WSU at the top, the inside word is he and his mother have decided it’s important to take his visits and keep an open mind. He will be headed for USC on 11/20 (scary) and also will go to Tennessee in December. He still has Oregon listed as a potential place to visit. Who knows how the UW coaching change goes over, maybe a rock-star type will swoop in and nab a kid like that, but then again, all indications are he’s got a great head on his shoulders and wouldn’t be swooned over like that. HOWEVER, can’t forget these are high-school seniors who probably change their minds as the wind blows.
There are some good things out there, though, as Arkelon Hall, the WSU verbal QB from Fresno hung with Stewart for most of the trip. Hall was quoted as saying “Jonathan had a REAL, REAL good time and it was a great trip. I think he’ll come to WSU. In fact I’d be real surprised if he doesn’t come to WSU now.” So that’s a good thing, when one of his buddies is talking like that.
STILL, it’s just recruiting! Hell, Paul Arnold was going to win a Heisman trophy as a tailback, and he ended up being a slot receiver. So who the hell knows.
All other recruits did well over the weekend, and we nabbed an all-state D-lineman from Moses Lake. He’s a 6-5, 300lb ultra athletic kid named Wilson Holman that many feel could be special. Big run-stuffing d-tackle, very athletic, motor runs huge.
Another kid who is highly touted and has Cal as his leader, Jesse Canada, had a great visit as well. He was surprised by Pullman and how great the atmosphere was, and didn’t really care that the game itself was such a blowout. He really liked the family feel, etc. He would be a gigantic “get”, a 6-3, 190 lb WR that runs a 4.42 40. A true 4-star recruit regarded as a top-25 WR in the nation.
Some direct quotes from various players:
Stewart: The highlight of the weekend visit to Washington State
“I ate a lot,” Stewart said with a laugh.
On talking with coach Bill Doba this weekend”That was pretty cool. He’s very down to earth.”
On which assistant coaches he spent some time with this weekend
“We talked with everybody.”
On meeting Wilson Holman and Jesse Canada for the first time
“They were really good guys. Really down to earth, too.”
STEWART SAID he had no leaders but he did say Washington State is among the schools he’s strongly considering. Stewart has visits scheduled with USC on Nov 20 and with Tennessee on Dec 10.
Wilson Holman:
“I told coach (Robin) Pflugrad,” said the senior from Moses Lake, adding that Pflu was thrilled he would be coming to WSU. “Pflugrad then announced it to all the recruits that were down there on their official visits.” The place erupted with cheers.
Asked if he had a message to give to the Cougar Nation, the newest verbal had this to say: “I’m just proud I’m going to be playing there…I’m going to work hard.”
Jesse Canada:
Canada had a lot of questions he hoped to get answers for — on the campus, how friendly the people are, if Pullman is a real football town..”It was exactly like they said, it was a real college town. It’s not big on all the city-type of stuff and all of those things. It was just a real nice, down home kind of place…Everybody was real nice, real friendly. I felt very welcome there. I got a real good feeling.”
Going in to this weekend, Canada had a top three of Washington State, Cal and Oregon State. How he feels coming out of the WSU visit:”I would say definitely that its still the same, that Washington State is still definitely in that top group. I can easily say more so now that its even more narrowed down as far as the feel I got — Its a school where I can definitely see myself being…It definitely answered my questions, having not ever been there in (the state of Washington) so it definitely helped a whole lot and answered a lot of the questions that I had.”
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