- 2003 – 16 signees, including Brink and Jason Hill. But only 7 are even in the program anymore.
- 2004 – Collins, Harrison, Bumpus and Brackenridge. But out of 28, only 13 are still in the program(!). That 2004 class is this year’s true senior class.
- 2005 – 21 signees, but only 10 are left. This is the biggest failure of any of them. Just 10 players left from a class signed two-plus years ago? BRUTAL.
Withers also points out the dreadful special teams – zero touchbacks this year, while the rest of the Pac-10 has 34. I was touting Drew Dunning’s excellence for bailing us out, time and again, and a huge part of our successful run (does anyone shudder at the thought of trotting Romeen out there, trying to make field goals against USC in that amazing 2002 game?? How frustrating would that have been??). Did you know that WSU kickers are 34 for 60 since Dunning graduated!?!? DOH.
This is the most powerful statement yet: “So of the 65 players added from 2003-05, only 30 remain. Of those who left, 12 were JC recruits who yielded mixed results, leaving 23 who simply washed out of the program.”
We’re a program that’s traditionally thin anyway, even under Price. But to have less than 50% of the players you signed from 2003-2005 that are still even on the roster?? Is there any doubt now as to why we are where we are!??
We are exhibit A of why recruiting makes you – or breaks you. I challenge anyone to argue against this point. Before you want to throw Brink under the bus, yet again, for “just not being clutch” or whatever else you can come up with, you must consider that less than half the players signed from 2003-2005 are even in the program.
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