The most important questions facing WSU football as spring practice begins

Mar. 25—PULLMAN — Four months after a wonky season, a promising start followed by a forgettable finish, Washington State football is ready to return.

Sort of. The Cougars start spring practice on Tuesday, a 15-practice slate featuring three scrimmages, concluding with the spring game on April 27.

As WSU enters a new era, joining the Mountain West next season as part of a temporary scheduling agreement, here are a few questions the Cougs need to try to answer this spring — at least as much as spring ball allows.

Who separates themselves at quarterback?

For the first time in three years, WSU will enter a new season with a quarterback battle. Former QB Cam Ward is off to Miami, opening the door for incumbent backup John Mateer to take the reins, but coach Jake Dickert isn’t ready to hand him the job just yet. He wants competition.

That’s where quarterbacks like Evans Chuba (true freshman), Zevi Eckhaus (transfer) and Jaxon Potter (redshirt freshman) enter the fray. Mateer has the most experience of all, playing last season as a backup/speed option quarterback

“We have someone in house that we feel very strongly about,” Dickert said, “that has the intangible ability to go out there and execute our offense, maybe to a higher degree than even we’ve been the last couple of years.”

But Dickert also likes his other three options. Chuba, a Canada native who enrolled early, will compete for playing time, as will Eckhaus, a transfer from Bryant.

“Even talking to Coach (Ben) Arbuckle, it’s a different room,” Dickert said. “Zevi is a professional in everything he does. I mean, he is quick, he’s sharp, he’s articulate, he understands protections. And Evans Chuba, coming in as a mid-year enrollee, you see him run around in some of the lines and you think he’s a defensive end with how athletic he is. Yet he can really sling the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/most-important-questions-facing-wsu-035900093.html

Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.

Publish date : 2024-03-26 03:59:00

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