redshirt
Wazzu keeps redshirt in one place: 3 stories so far. The section currently leads with “Cougs just landed TCU guard RJ Jones. Welcome back to the Big 12”, “WSU dips back into Australia for a 6-7 wing named Stathis”, and “For the Leaupepetele brothers, Sunday dinner looks a lot different now”. RJ Jones is a Coug. The Cougs are going back to the well Down Under. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every redshirt story on Wazzu, newest first.
Cougs just landed TCU guard RJ Jones. Welcome back to the Big 12
RJ Jones is a Coug. The TCU guard committed to Washington State after an official visit last weekend, giving David Riley another piece for a roster that needed about a dozen of them. Jones is a 6-foot-2 guard who started at Kansas State, spent two seasons at TCU, and has a four-star pedigree. He also has a 14-point night against Florida A&M on his résumé, which is more than most of us have. The highlight of his TCU career came last November. That matters because last season, he barely played, nine games total, averaging 2.6 points. He redshirted this past year. So Riley is betting on the talent that once drew offers from USC, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame. That is a bet worth making when you have lost 12 players, including 10 to the portal and your best freshman to the SEC. Jones joins Central Missouri transfer Lazerek Houston and Manhattan transfer Fraser Roxburgh as Riley's third addition. The Cougars are essentially building a new team from scratch. Only two players return from last season: Dominik Robinson, who redshirted, and walk-on Dio Blakely. Jones is a scorer who needs a stage. Pullman is a good place to find one. Welcome back to the Big 12, kid. For more on how Riley is stacking the roster, check out our story on the 6-8 forward who likes to score. Go Cougs.
WSU dips back into Australia for a 6-7 wing named Stathis
The Cougs are going back to the well Down Under. Washington State signed Roman Stathis, a 6-7 wing from Sydney, Australia, making him the tenth addition to a roster that barely resembles last year's team. Stathis spent last season at Golden State Prep in Napa, and the scouting report is pretty straightforward: he can knock down catch-and-shoot threes and attack closeouts. That's about all we know, which is fine. Sometimes you trust the tape and the pipeline. David Riley has been clear that this roster has more talent walking in than walking out, and if you've been paying attention, that's a bet worth taking. Stathis might redshirt his first season, given the depth Riley has stacked up. The Cougs now have 12 players locked in, with one more expected next week. That's a lot of new faces, but it beats the alternative of watching half the roster hit the portal every spring. For a deeper look at how Riley is shaping this squad, check out our story on what he said about next year's talent level. It fits right alongside the news that the Cougs will also face Duke in Palm Springs this November. That's a November to circle. For now, we've got an Australian who can shoot, a coach who can recruit, and a roster that might actually surprise some people. Go Cougs.
For the Leaupepetele brothers, Sunday dinner looks a lot different now
Jirah Leaupepetele called his brother Jonah this week, not to talk trash for once, but to fish for intel. Jonah, Fresno State's starting right guard, wasn't giving anything up. Fair enough. The problem? Jonah's listed as questionable and isn't expected to play Saturday when the Cougs host the Bulldogs. So the first-ever on-field matchup between these two brothers will have to wait. That doesn't mean this weekend is meaningless. Far from it. Their parents, Tony and Rhonda, are driving up from Apple Valley with the other five kids and a whole mess of grandparents, nieces, and nephews. Jirah made it clear what colors they better be wearing. The Leaupepetele family has earned this moment. Jirah transferred in from Eastern Washington and has become a force on the interior of WSU's defensive line, notching his first sack as a Coug last week against Arizona. Jonah earned the starting job at Fresno State as a redshirt freshman before the injury. Even if they don't line up across from each other, they'll share the same field. That's enough for a family that watched these boys grow up sharing a bedroom, one yelling at video games, the other trying to sleep. This is the kind of story that reminds you why Cougar football matters beyond the score. For more on how this weekend is shaping up, check out our piece on how the Cougs stared down the Dawgs and didn't flinch. Go Cougs.