Apr. 6—PULLMAN — Last offseason, when Tyson Durant was looking to leave Akron out of the transfer portal, he took a visit to Washington State. He had a connection in WSU strength coach Ben Iannacchione, who worked with the Zips a season prior, but when the defensive back finally made it to Pullman, he felt compelled.
He met the team, saw the stadium and experienced the culture the Cougars had fostered.
“It’s unheard of from where I came from,” Durant said. “I felt like this was the perfect spot for me. High-level, talented ball, great coaches. It was a godsend for me.”
The more Durant shines during WSU’s spring practices, including intercepting a pass during Saturday’s scrimmage at Gesa Field, the more it becomes clear that Durant might be a godsend for the Cougs, too.
“He’s been a really big bright spot,” WSU coach Jake Dickert said after the scrimmage, the team’s sixth practice this spring, which included interceptions from quarterbacks John Mateer and Zevi Eckhaus. “I don’t wanna heap too much praise because it’s a long journey, but there’s not a moment so far that’s been too big for him. He’s learning a new defense, even a new position, and he’s just really adapted to everything that we’ve had.”
Durant, a 5-foot-10 cornerback who is learning the safety spot at Washington State, has had one of the top individual performances during spring. He’s had several interceptions and pass breakups during practice, and as he fills a need at safety, he’s starting to stand out.
WSU needs it more than ever. Following the departures of two safeties, Sam Lockett III (graduation) and Jaden Hicks (NFL draft), the Cougs are thin at that spot. They’re also working to establish depth at the cornerback position, where the exits of Chau Smith-Wade and Cam Lampkin (NFL draft) have opened up opportunities.
If Saturday’s scrimmage was any…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/wsus-first-spring-scrimmage-secondary-020100255.html
Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
Publish date : 2024-04-07 02:01:00
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