ESPN College Football

Washington State defensive coordinator Mike Breske took a few minutes out of his busy recruiting schedule to answer some questions about WSU's transition to a new coach, a new scheme, some personnel questions and the challenges of facing Mike Leach's offense every day in practice. Here's part two of the two-part Q&A.

In the past you've talked about the ball being in the air 70-75 percent of the time in Mike Leach's offense. Is that going to affect how you guys practice as a defense -- especially when you have to prepare for ground-based teams?

MB: Certainly. On defense, we're going to manufacture in terms of the run game and what we're going to see. For example, the power play. And tight ends -- Stanford, USC -- teams that are multiple and we'll have to do a great job manufacturing that with our scout team. We're going to have to coach up the young kids and teach them to run the power and split zone and some traditional two-back plays and get the offensive line to where they are not in a vertical setting, they're not going backwards, but coming forward. That's going to be a challenge for us on defense. But that's what it is and that's what we've got to do so we're effective on defense. Coaches are aware of that and we've talked about it and we've got a plan in place once our young people get here.

It's no surprise that you need good cornerbacks in this conference. Have Damante [Horton] and Daniel [Simmons] locked in the two spots at cornerback?

MB: Not yet. We're going to go through two-a-days and talk to all the kids in the back end. We had our exit meetings after spring ball and told them the competition isn't over. We really only had three cornerbacks this spring. Those two and Tracy Clark this spring. [ Nolan] Washington, I never saw this spring. He was hurt. Wasn't cleared to practice other than every-day drills. Never did any seven-on-seven, 11-on-11 or one-on-one situations so I'm excited to see him when he gets going. We'll have some competition at least through the first scrimmage then we'll see where we are at.

Are you where you want to be depth-wise on the defensive line or do think you could see some true freshmen coming in and making an impact?

MB: As long as I've been in this game, it's tough for true freshmen at that position to come in and make an impact. I don't care if you're talking the FCS or the FBS level, it's difficult. There is such a difference between a D-lineman and a corner. I'm hoping that we get healthy. We had some injuries up front during the spring. We had some physical practices. Hopefully we get everybody back and then take a look at the freshmen coming in. We've got one JC kid that will be playing, but we've got two kids coming from Samoa. One was a tight end in high school and now he's going to be a 300-pound biscuit at defensive end. The other kids is another D-lineman who will be a big-sized kid. But where they are at skill level, they are going to be behind. We'll see where they are at during two-a-days. Ideally, we want to redshirt them. If we can't, we can't. The future is now.

Plus, I don't think I've ever heard a coach say they are satisfied with depth.

MB: Very true. Through recruiting, we're going to need to develop more depth -- especially up front. And with the switch to 3-4, we're going to need to develop more depth at the linebacker position.

Last question. I love hearing back stories and how coaches adopted their philosophies. Where does yours come from? What made you buy into the 3-4 and that it was the best defense and the one you want run?

MB: I'll probably give away my age here. Way back when, I was always around the 5-2 angle. We called it a drop-down end and a rush-end. All it was was a 3-4 defense and then someone came up with "outside linebacker" term because that sounded more modern than a rush-end and a drop-end. So back when I was playing in the Midwest, offenses we saw were the veer offense and some type of option football. Teams didn't throw the ball unless they had to throw ball. So you loaded up the box with the angle defense, the 5-2, played cover-3, got eight in the box and played football. As the game evolved, people had to come up with different things front-wise and cover-wise and different type of athletes. Now with the spread offense, it's so much one-on-one tackling from a defensive point of view, we're not looking at great size. We're looking at great agility. Great tackling. Great one-on-one. Because if you miss that tackle, bam, it's a big play. That atypical 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4 kid, you know what, if a guy is 6-0 and he has great hips and he can run, he's going to play. That's evolved to what we used to see. And the Pac-12 is evolving -- whatever you want to call the schemes, 3-4, 4-3, 3-3-5, the defenses in this league are becoming more multiple and that's going to require offenses to adjust too. And it's going to make for a much more exciting Pac-12. But we have to be solid against the run. Always our commitment is to stop the run and get people to throw the ball. That's never going to change and hopefully we're going to be effective at it.

Washington State has confirmed previous reports that cornerback Aire Justin has been ruled ineligible for the 2011 season for violating the NCAA’s banned substance policy, which ends the redshirt senior's career.

Though listed at No. 2 on the post-spring depth chart, Justin was a returning starter and perhaps the Cougars' best cornerback. Damante Horton and Daniel Simmons are the top candidates to replace him.

“Aire made a big mistake by not following the guidelines our athletic department has in place,” coach Paul Wulff said in a statement. “This is not the way we want our team to operate. This is an issue I take very seriously and will continue to educate our student-athletes on proper nutrition and strongly reinforce to all our student-athletes the importance of following departmental procedures.”

Washington State opens preseason camp today. Here's a quick look.

Who's back: Eight starters on offense, six starters on defense and both specialists.

Big names: Quarterback Jeff Tuel, defensive end Travis Long, receiver Jared Karstetter and punter Reid Forrest.

What's new: Coach Paul Wulff made two coaching changes. He hired veteran offensive line coach Steve Morton, who's coached five Pac-10 Morris Trophy winners, and special teams/running backs coach Dave Ungerer.

Key competition: The only two "ORs" on the depth chart are on the offensive line between Wade Jacobson and Micah Hannam at left tackle, and David Gonzalez and Hannam at right tackle. The pecking order at running back probably still remains open, too.

Breaking out: Long, a sophomore, and senior Kevin Kooyman should give the Cougars a solid tandem at defensive end. Junior college transfer Brandon Rankin was impressive during the spring. Cornerback Daniel Simmons has all-conference ability, and safety LeAndre Daniels and linebacker Alex Hoffman-Ellis also will lead the defense.

Quote: Kooyman on the Cougars being picked 10th: “The last two season’s have been really rough. You just kind of have to ignore it. We are going to shock some people ... this season. We don’t really care about the rankings. It is more of a distraction.”

Notes: James Montgomery is back in position to start at running back after a harrowing battle with illness and injury. He required emergency surgery last year for acute compartment syndrome -- which can be life-threatening -- and then missed spring practice because of micro-fracture surgery on his right knee ... Speedy linebacker Louis Bland continues to struggle with a knee problem. He might end up redshirting ... Former Cougars star Chad Eaton is serving as a graduate assistant working with the defensive line ... Backup defensive tackle Dan Spitz will be ineligible for the first nine games because he violated NCAA policy on banned substances. The Cougars previously lost senior defensive tackles Toby Turpin and Josh Luapo because of academic issues ... Redshirt freshman linebacker Andre Barrington is academically ineligible.

The good news for all those big-name Pac-10 quarterbacks? Every conference team has questions at cornerback.

And, for the first time in Pac-10 blog history, no one earns a "Great shape" tag.

Only one cornerback who earned All-Pac-honors is back: Arizona's second-teamer Trevin Wade. Only one other returning corner, Washington's Desmond Trufant, even earned honorable mention.

Three teams welcome back both starting corners from 2009: Oregon, Stanford and Washington. But the Ducks have moved Javes Lewis to rover, and a pair of true freshmen -- Terrance Mitchell and Avery Patterson -- are battling for the starting job opposite Talmadge Jackson. Stanford and Washington? They ranked eighth and ninth in the conference in pass efficiency defense last season.

USC and Arizona State are replacing both starting cornerbacks, but both actually look fairly strong at the position with plenty of returning experience and athleticism.

A number of teams might end up pretty good at the position. But no one looks like a sure-thing during the preseason. (Heck, we thought California was a sure thing in 2009 and things didn't exactly go according to plan).

So how do things stack up?

Great shape

• No one.

Good shape

• Arizona: Wade is an All-American candidate, and Marcus Benjamin showed he can play with a good performance against USC in 2009. And Mike Stoops always has good cornerbacks, so we won't dwell on the questionable depth.
• Oregon: Probably not a lot of worry here for the Ducks. Injuries in 2009 earned young players experience, and Oregon did rank third in the Pac-10 in pass efficiency defense. Still, it remains uncertain who will start opposite Jackson, with the freshmen outplaying the more experienced Cliff Harris and Anthony Gildon during the spring.
• Arizona State: On the one hand, both starters are gone from a unit that ranked second in the conference in pass efficiency defense. On the other, Omar Bolden would have been a starter if he didn't get hurt, and Deveron Carr, Osahon Irabor and LeQuan Lewis give the Sun Devils a nice mix of talent and experience.
• USC: Shareece Wright was academically ineligible last season, but he might end up first-team All-Pac-10. He might, in fact, be the conference's best cover cornerback. Torin Harris and T.J. Bryant are battling for the other spot in a secondary replacing all four 2009 starters.
• Washington: Trufant is an up-and-comer, Quinton Richardson is experienced, and backups Vonzell McDowell and Adam Long have starting experience, so the Huskies should be much improved here in 2010. The operative word, though, is "should."
• UCLA: It isn't easy to replace an Alterraun Verner. Sheldon Price returns at left cornerback after a good freshman season as a starter, and Aaron Hester has potential on the opposite side. Undersized junior Courtney Viney is an experienced third option.
• Oregon State: James Dockery is solid and new starter Brandon Hardin is big -- 6-2, 215 pounds. There's respectable depth. But the Beavers gave up 23 touchdown passes in 2009, tied for the most in the conference. Of course, the Beavers cornerbacks suffered last season because of an anemic pass rush. That might change in 2010.

We'll see

• Stanford: If the Cardinal is going to take another step forward, it must get better in pass coverage. Three players who started last seaon are back: Richard Sherman (who's a sure-thing at left corner), Corey Gatewood and Johnson Bademosi. But opponents completed 63 percent of their passes with 23 touchdowns against those guys. Might redshirt freshman Terrence Brown make a move?
• California: Syd'Quan Thompson is gone; is Darian Hagan back? As in the 2008 version, not the one who lost his job and got buried on the depth chart in 2009. After being touted as one of the best secondaries in the country, the Bears finished 111th in the nation in pass defense in 2009. Bryant Nnabufie, who started four games in 2009, is listed No. 1 opposite Hagan, but Josh Hill (a five-game starter) and Marc Anthony and redshirt freshman Steve Williams are in the mix.
• Washington State: The Cougars feel pretty good about junior Aire Justin and sophomore Daniel Simmons, who was the defense's best cover corner before he got hurt midway through last season. But it's hard to ignore that the Cougars ranked 112th in the nation in pass efficiency defense with opponents completing nearly 67 percent -- 67 percent! -- of their passes.

It's hard to say which Washington State Cougars defense was worse.

In 2008, the Cougars surrendered 44 points per game, ranking 118th in the nation. They again ranked 118th in in 2009, but they gave up "just" 38.5 points per game.

Of course, the 2009 unit ranked last in the nation in total defense, yielding an astounding 512 yards per game, which was 69 more than 2008.

Yes, those numbers will stress out a defensive coordinator.

Fact is the Cougars have been out manned the past two seasons on both sides of the ball but most glaringly on defense. They started out lacking talent and then suffered epidemic injuries. Not a good combination. That forced the Cougars to use young players before they were physically or mentally ready.

Thus the numbers.

Ah, but there is reason for hope heading into 2010. For one, those young players may have graduated the school of hard knocks and are ready to give back some of the rude treatment they received.

For the first time since Paul Wulff took over in 2008, there's legitimate competition for starting spots. Coaches are so bold to even use the term "depth."

While spring practices ended last weekend with some bad news -- defensive tackles Bernard Wolfgramm and Josh Luapo are both struggling to remain academically eligible -- Wulff called the 15 practices "by far the best spring we have had since we’ve been here."

So we decided to check in with Chris Ball, the Cougars assistant head coach who co-coordinates the defense with Jody Sears.

Give me a general assessment of spring practices: Where did you guys get better?

Chris Ball: I think we got better up front. Our defensive line probably was the biggest improvement. We got some good competition going on there.

Give me some players who showed a lot of improvement?

CB: End Kevin Kooyman, tackle Brandon Rankin, the kid we got in here in January. End Travis Long, tackle Justin Clayton. They all had a great spring.

How concerned are you about the academic status of tackles Bernard Wolfgramm and Josh Luapo? What's the pecking order behind them?

CB: We've got Rankin and Anthony Laurenzi, who played quite a bit last year. We feel pretty good about Wolfgramm. Luapo we're waiting to see.

Tell me about tackle Brandon Rankin. Sounds like he may live up to high expectations.

CB: He had a good spring. He's still got to get stronger. He needs to have a good three months here this summer to get stronger and continue to grow. But he ended up about what we expected him to be. He sat out last year so he was a little rusty at the beginning of spring. But he did a good job of coming on. He's got to keep working. He's got a lot of work to do in the weight room this summer.

What about sophomore end Travis Long. Is he a potential All-Conference player?

CB: I'd like to think so. But it also goes back to him still being young, physically. He's got to have a good next three months. He did a good job through the winter lifting, but these next three months are big for him as far as his strength is concerned.

Tell me about the secondary: Who has stepped up back there?

CB: Safety Tyree Toomer, who started as a freshman for us and then got hurt, he had a great spring. Safety Chima Nwachukwu had a great spring. Safety LeAndre Daniels had a great spring. We had two freshmen safeties who did really well: Casey Locker and Jamal Atofau. So at the safety position we've got a heck of a battle going on. At corner, Daniel Simmons has done a great job. And there's Anthony Carpenter and Aire Justin. We've got some good competition going on there, too. We're pretty pleased with the ways those guys are playing. We've got more speed back there right now than we've had in the past.

And at linebacker?

CB: We got a few injuries late and pulled some guys out, but Alex Hoffman-Ellis was doing well before he sprained his ankle. Myron Beck did a great job at SAM [strongside linebacker]. We've got Andre Barrington. He's a redshirt freshman, who had a really good spring. Arthur Burns at WILL [weakside linebacker] had a really good spring also.

What's linebacker Louis Bland's status [he's trying to come back after microfracture surgery]?

CB: He's getting better. He's ahead of schedule. Hopefully ... I'm sure he'll be ready to play come August.

The past two seasons have been a struggle for the entire program. What was it like for you in terms of trying to stop people?

CB: It was tough. The last two years we've been bitten by the injury bug and haven't really been able to get into what you really want to do defensively. It's been tough. Our depth has been poor. We've not had much competition going on at positions. But we finally, for the first time in two years -- going into our third year -- we've got a lot of competition going on on the D-line and at the safety spot and linebacker spot, which makes everybody step up and makes everybody better. We had to play a lot of young players the last couple of years. That's almost a good thing right now because we've now got a lot of guys who have actually played. They weren't necessarily ready to play [the last two years] but they got some game experience. We're still going to be young but we're a young group that has played some snaps in the Pac-10.

What's the most important thing for you guys to improve on in 2010?

CB: We've got to stay healthy. The boat feels like it's finally moving. The kids can feel it. They can feel they are getting better. But these next three months, we've got to keep the momentum we've gained in spring ball. The next three months are very, very crucial to how we start out. We've got to come into camp feeling really good about ourselves, with a little bit of swagger. The kids of done a great job with their enthusiasm in practice. Our chemistry is really good. We've worked hard. We've had good competition at numerous spots. We've got to keep this momentum the next three months. If we can keep it and stay healthy, we have a chance to make some big, big strides.

Will have lots more from my visit to Washington State, which starts spring practices Thursday, but here are some notes from a conversation with coach Paul Wulff.

• The Cougars are much healthier this spring than last: 24 players missed offseason workouts last year. This year, just four will sit out spring practices: running back James Montgomery (knee, calf), defensive tackle Josh Luapo (knee), linebacker Louis Bland (knee) and cornerback Anthony Houston (knee).
• As for Montgomery, he had knee surgery in addition to his scary episode with "acute compartment syndrome" with his calf. Wulff said he won't be cleared to start full-speed running until June. As for the depth at running back Wulff listed Marcus Richmond, Chantz Staden, Logwone Mitz, Carl Winston and Leon Brooks, a walk-on who's made a positive impression.
• Wulff said there's no hope for receiver Johnny Forzani returning to the program: "He's going to try to play in the CFL." The Cougars have four receivers back who caught at least 20 passes: Jared Karstetter, Gino Simone, Jeffrey Solomon and Daniel Blackledge. Wulff said he expects JC transfer Isiah Barton and perhaps a couple of the four incoming freshmen receivers to contribute, most particularly Marquess Wilson. "Most everybody in the Pac-10 was trying to go on him," Wulff said. "He's a big-time, big-time player."
• Offensive lineman Brian Danaher, a 12-game starter over the past three seasons, won't be back because of recurrent concussions.
• Starting defensive tackle Toby Turpin's status is questionable due to an academic dispute, which Wulff said should be resolved -- positively or negatively -- within the next week or two. Turpin will be allowed to practice until his case is resolved.
• Wulff, perhaps surprisingly, said he believes the offensive line will be the strength off the offense. Andrew Roxas, who missed all of last season due to illness, will step in to fill the void at center due to the departure of stalwart Kenny Alfred. B.J. Guerra, Zack Williams and Steven Ayers will compete at guard. At tackle, two JC transfers will be in the mix this spring -- David Gonzales and Wade Jacobson -- along with Micah Hannam, Tyson Pencer and Alex Reitnouer. Wulff also said the he thinks incoming true freshman John Fullington might be ready to immediately contribute. "I think he was one of the best [high school] offensive linemen in the country," he said.
• Tight end Zach Tatman was granted a sixth year of eligibility, which means the Cougs will have three experienced tight ends with Skylar Stormo and Andrei Lintz.
• Redshirt freshman Sekope Kaufusi will see time as a hybrid outside linebacker-defensive end. Wulff said he's been impressed by redshirt freshman end Jordan Pu'u Robinson during the off-season.
• Touted JC transfer Brandon Rankin -- he was offered a scholarship by Alabama -- will play both end and tackle.
• Defensive tackle Bernard Wolfgramm continues to struggle with back problems, but Wulff said he was "moving around and participating in drills better since his back surgery. So that's promising." Still, it's likely his action will be limited this spring.
• Depth at defensive tackle is a question, but sophomore Dan Spitz, who started five games at tackle and end last year, redshirt freshman Justin Clayton and sophomore Anthony Laurenzi are promising prospects.
• Wulff said the defense will be much faster at linebacker. When he's healthy in the fall, Bland will move to middle linebacker. Mike Ledgerwood also is a top candidate in the middle, along with redshirt freshman Darren Markle. Alex Hoffman-Ellis will move from middle to weakside linebacker. Arthur Burns will move from running back to "Will" linebacker. Myron Beck and Andre Barrington will man the strongside. Incoming recruit C.J. Mizell also could be in the mix.
• The secondary, hit hard by injuries a year ago, should be much improved with LeAndre Daniels, Tyree Toomer, Chima Nwachukwu, Jay Matthews and redshirt freshman Anthony Carpenter, Casey Locker -- Jake's cousin -- and Jamal Atofau competing at safety and Daniel Simmons, Aire Justin, Terrance Hayward and promising redshirt freshman Nolan Washington at corner.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Some injury notes based on news reports.

Arizona
Guard Conan Amituanai sprained his knee against Washington. He won't play against Stanford. Defensive tackle Earl Mitchell was hurt in a freak accident on Oct. 9 -- he was knocked out by a door and required stitches -- and didn't play Saturday, but he might return this week. Receiver Bug Wright (knee), defensive end Brooks Reed (ankle), running back Nic Grigsby (shoulder), running back Keola Antolin and defensive end D'Aundre Reed (hand) are all questionable.

Arizona State
The Sun Devils got two player back at Washington State -- guard Garth Gerhart and safety Ryan McFoy -- and didn't suffer any additional injuries. Receiver Kerry Taylor (hamstring), guard Matt Hustad and cornerback Omar Bolden (knee) each missed the Washington State game and are questionable this week.

California
After taking the weekend off, the Bears may get guard Matt Summers-Gavin (shoulder), wide receiver Nyan Boateng (foot) and tight end Spencer Ladner back for the UCLA game. On the downside, receiver Verran Tucker is battling a calf injury and backup nose tackle Kendrick Payne, who didn't play against USC, is doubtful with plantar fasciitis.

Oregon
The Ducks only practice Wednesday and Friday during their bye week. It's unclear if quarterback Jeremiah Masoli (knee) or safety T.J. Ward (ankle) will be ready to participate. Offensive tackle C.E. Kaiser sat out all last week with a shin injury but he played against UCLA.

Oregon State
Offensive guard Gregg Peat bruised his knee against Stanford but he should be able to play after the bye week at USC. Running back Ryan McCants (knee) has yet to play this season but he is questionable for the USC game. Receiver Darrell Catchings (ankle) isn't expected to be ready by Oct. 24.

Stanford
Defensive end Erik Lorig didn't play at Oregon State because of a groin injury. Safety Delano Howell is nursing a quad injury. Both are questionable for the visit to Arizona.

UCLA
Linebacker Reggie Carter played through a sprained knee against Oregon but he's questionable for the Cal game. Tailback Johnathan Franklin and safety Glenn Love are both nursing sprained ankles. Defensive end Korey Bosworth bruised his ribs but is probable for Saturday.

USC
Receiver Ronald Johnson (collarbone) and defensive end Armond Armstead (foot) are expected to be cleared to play at Notre Dame.

Washington
Offensive guard Greg Christine broke his fibula against Arizona and is likely done for the year. He was replaced by sophomore Nick Wood. Running back Chris Polk played through a sprained shoulder against Arizona. Linebacker E.J. Savannah and defensive tackle Cameron Elisara are nursing stingers.

Washington State
It's good news and bad news for the Cougars. Cornerback Daniel Simmons may be done for the season after breaking his leg against Arizona State. On the plus side, guard Zack Williams (ankle) should be ready for the visit to California after the bye week. Tackle Steven Ayers (ankle) and guard B.J. Guerra (knee) are questionable, as are defensive tackle Bernard Wolfgramm (hip) and linebacker Alex Hoffman-Ellis (staph infection).

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Just published this list of Washington State injuries. Look at the number on defense.

DE Kevin Kooyman, knee, out
DT Dan Spitz, illness, out
S Eric Block, concussion, out
CB Aire Justin, quad, out
S Tyree Toomer, pec, questionable
LB Louis Bland, knee, questionable

The latest big hit is Kooyman. He, Justin and Bland are all starters.

The Cougars are not deep on defense as it is.

Junior Casey Hamlett will step in for Kooyman. Sophomore Alex Hoffman-Ellis will sub for Bland, if necessary. Freshman Daniel Simmons will replace Justin at corner.

The matchup with Hawaii at Seattle's Qwest Field today is a big one for the Cougars. So guys are going to have to step up.