Wulff makes quick work of his first class

Published 11:41 pm Wednesday, February 6, 2008

PULLMAN — Paul Wulff has only been the head coach at Washington State for 58 days.

He seemingly hasn’t wasted any of them.

Wulff and the Cougars announced a group of 24 players who signed national letters-of-intent Wednesday, after inheriting just three committed high school seniors when he took over from former coach Bill Doba on Dec. 11.

“We talked with kids who were truly interested in us and spent time with those guys, and then we went and found guys who we think are going to develop, under-the-radar type of players,” said Wulff of the process he and his staff have followed the past few weeks. “I think what (the staff) did in a short amount of time is remarkable, finding players in cracks where we had to find them. We did that.”

Wulff’s first recruiting class, overseen by new recruiting coordinator Rich Rasmussen, includes a trio of highly prized junior college defensive linemen — part of a total of seven JC players — and nine players who prepped in the state. Wulff said there may still be one or two more recruits, and some of the players announced may grayshirt, starting the WSU enrollment next spring.

The defensive line trio includes end Bernard Wolfgramm, a 6-foot-3, 270-pounder from the College of San Mateo, the Cougars’ only recruit rated four-stars by online scouting service Scout.com. Jessy Sanchez, 6-2, 265-pounds from West L.A. College, an end, and Josh Luapo, a 6-foot, 295-pound tackle from L.A. Harbor College, round out the trio.

Besides Luapo and Sanchez, other recruits who earned three stars from Scout.com include Kevin Frank, a 5-10 defensive back, Ferris High receiver Jared Karstetter, running back Chantz Staden, Zack Williams, a 6-3, 285-pound offensive lineman and walk-on safety Myron Beck, who is already in school.

Wulff mentioned Frank as a freshman who could play extended time next season as well as Cory Mackay, a 6-4 wide receiver from Eastlake High in Redmond who originally committed to the Huskies, and safety Jay Matthews.

, from Lake Oswego, Ore.

Mead High’s Dan Spitz, a 605, 245-pound tight end/defensive end, joined the 6-4, 195-pound Karstetter as Greater Spokane League recruits.

The Cougars also announced the re-signing of tight end Tyson Pencer, who was practiced with the team for three days last season before being declared ineligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse. The 6-6, 260-pound tight end from British Columbia, is still attempting to have his eligibility restored.

Receiver coach Mike Levenseller’s son, J.T., who graduated from Pullman High in 2007, enrolled in school this semester and will be available for spring practice.

The Cougars will begin the Wulff era Aug. 30 when they host Oklahoma State at Qwest Field in Seattle.

By then Wulff figures he’ll have a better idea how his 2008 recruiting class stands. And he’ll be well on his way on the 2009 class and beyond.

“Tomorrow starts our next year’s recruiting class,” Wulff said Wednesday. “Now we’re in a position to start creating contacts. One thing about this staff, which you’ll see over the next few years, is they are phenomenal recruiters.”