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Basically ... Washington State will always be tough on D with the most fearsome blitzing schemes this side of Baton Rouge thanks to coordinator Robb Akey, but it might take a while to get things going with nine new starters entering the mix. Things should be fine if the young line develops quickly with enough veterans ready to step in at safety and linebacker to keep the defense strong. Plenty of mistakes will be made, but there will be tons of takeaways as well.
Star of the defense: Senior LB Will Derting
Player that has to step up and become a star: Sophomore DE Mkristo Bruce
Unsung star on the rise: Senior SS Jeremy Bohannon
Best pro prospect: Derting
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Derting, 2) CB Karl Paymah, 3) DT Steve Cook
Strength of the defense: Linebacker
Weakness of the defense: Proven pass rush from the line
Defensive Line
Projected Starters
- Defensive end Mkristo Bruce, Soph. - Bruce is a decent sized end at 6-5 and 249 pounds with good pass rush ability. He didn't see too much time as a redshirt freshman, but he made nine
tackles and two sacks with two quarterback hurried showing he'll be a disruptive force in a full-time role.
- Defensive tackle Steve Cook, Sr. - At 293 pounds, Cook is a big, active rock on the inside used as a strong reserve over the last few years. Now it's his time to shine after making 18 tackles
last year.
- Defensive tackle Ropai Pitoitua, RFr. - The redshirt, or grayshirt as Wazzu calls it, freshman spent last year getting bigger. Now he's up to 285 pounds on his 6-7 frame looking like a star
of the future on the inside. He still needs a ton of work, but he has too much potential and is too good to keep off the field.
- Defensive end Adam Braidwood, Jr. - Braidwood is one of the biggest starting ends the Cougars have used for a while. The 264-pound junior has the strength to play tackle if needed, but he'll
start out the season on the end after six tackles and four quarterback hurries in a reserve role.
Projected Backups
- DT Odell Howard, Soph. - The 272-pound sophomore will battle with Ropati Pitoitua for the starting right tackle job. He's a little more polished than Pitoitua but doesn't have quite the
potential.
- DE Adam West, Jr. - The athletic West moves to end after spending the last few years at tight end. He looks surprisingly strong at the position backing up Mkristo Bruce.
The Skinny: The line was outstanding last year helping to register 50 sacks and hold teams to 90.8 rushing yards per game. Now all four starters need to be replaced building around Steve
Cook in the middle. The ends are bigger than normal and there's little to no developed depth on the outside.
Player to keep an eye on: Mkristo Bruce ... Defensive Line Rating: 6.5
Linebackers
Projected Starters
- Pat Bennett, Sr. - Bennett has been a spot starter over the last few years making 17 tackles, a sacks, and a very big interception against Arizona State returning it for a touchdown. He'll
start on the weakside where he'll be a guided missile getting to the quarterback.
- Will Derting, Jr. - One of the toughest linebackers in America, the 237-pound Butkus Award candidate will move from the outside to the middle coming off an 86 tackle season making 7.5 sacks
and 12 tackles for loss. He's an active player who always finds a way to get around the ball and always finds ways to disrupt things.
- Scott Davis, Soph. - Mostly a special teamer as a freshman, Davis also got a few starts on defense finishing with 29 tackles and four tackles for loss with three fumble recoveries. He'll get
the nod on the strongside where he should grow into a top all-around defender.
Projected Backups
- Steve Dildine, Soph. - Originally considered for the strongside, Dildine will push for time on the weakside behind Pat Bennett. While not all that big at 212 pounds, he's tough and can run.
He made 16 tackles mostly on special teams.
- Brian Hall, Soph. - The top backup at both the middle and strongside spots, Hall is a versatile player who can both run and pop. He made 13 tackles last year.
The Skinny: It all starts with Will Derting who'll be among the best in the game. He'll be an anchor in the middle allowing speedsters Pat Bennett and Scott Davis to blitz and wreak
havoc on the outside. The backups aren't bad and there are more on the way with several good prospects coming in this fall.
Player to keep an eye on: Pat Bennett ... Linebacker Rating: 8
Secondary
Projected Starters
- Cornerback Karl Paymah, Sr. - Paymah is the new star in the secondary almost by default. As the only returning starter, the senior is the leader of the group and is poised and ready to
be the next great Cougar defensive back. He has good size and nice speed, but the key to his game is in his physical play making 55 tackles and breaking up ten passes.
- Strong safety Jeremy Bohannon, Sr. - A key player in nickel and dime packages so far, the very quick, very reliable Bohannon will take over a strong safety job after looking fantastic this
spring. He made 20 tackles last year and recovered two fumbles.
- Free safety Hamza Abdullah, Sr. - The 6-3, 209-pound Abdullah looks like the new star of the secondary. He's a big hitter with a good amount of experience making 21 tackles as a key
reserve.
- Cornerback Alex Teems, Jr. - Teems will combine with Don Turner for the right cornerback job. He's a quick defender who should grow into a big playmaker. He only made eight tackles last year,
but he has the look of a strong player.
Projected Backups
- CB Don Turner, Soph. - Turner will be a key player in the corner rotation if he doesn't end up taking over the job on the right side. He's a solid tackler and was a strong all-around defender
in his freshman season making 16 tackles and two interceptions.
- FS Eric Frampton, Soph. - Frampton will be one one of the keys to the future of the Cougar secondary already challenging for time at free safety. He isn't nearly as big as Hamza Abdullah, but
he can hit.
- CB Omowale Dada, Jr. - Dada is starting to come into his own after impressing the coaching staff this off-season. He won't challenge Karl Paymah for the starting spot on the left side, but
he'll be a big factor in the rotation.
The Skinny: The Washington State secondary has rarely been impenetrable and now it will have to deal with the loss of three starters including top playmakers Erik Coleman and Jason
David. The safeties should turn out to be fine as Jeremy Bohannon and Hamza Abdullah have enough experience to shine right away, while veteran Karl Paymah leads an athletic group of
corners.
Player to keep an eye on: Jeremy Bohannon ... Secondary Rating: 7.5
Special Teams
- Placekicker Graham Siderius. Jr. - Siderius has to replace one of the nation's best kickers, Wazzu all-time leading scorer Drew Dunning. He was a star high school player and should be fine
with his big, booming leg.
- Punter Kyle Basler, Jr. - Basler will again be on the short list for the Ray Guy Award coming off a monster season averaging 43.5 yards per kick putting 30 inside the five.
The Skinny: Graham Siderius won't be Drew Dunning, but he should turn out to be better than average. Punter Kyle Basler is a weapon who might be the team's best pro prospect. Tramaine
Murray will take over for Sammy Moore as the team's top kick and punt returner. The coverage units are strong.
Special Teams Rating: 8
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