A new season and new era begin with Washington State football. How will Jake Dickert fare in his first season, and what can he get out of his new weapons?
It is the dawn of a new era on the Palouse. Out with the drama and distraction of the Nick Rolovich coaching tenure, in with defensive coordinator turned head coach Jake Dickert. After a season of resolve, Dickert has the full support of the program, his new staff, and his new ultimate weapons in quarterback Cameron Ward and Daiyan Henley.
With one of the most difficult schedules in the country, and a chance to (finally) win the Apple Cup in front of their home crowd for the first time in a decade, how will the Cougars fare this upcoming season?
In an important season for the program and university, we take a look at three bold predictions for the Washington State Cougars’ 2022 season.
1. Nevada transfer linebacker Daiyan Henley shines in Pullman
The former Nevada linebacker is one of the most underrated transfers in college football this offseason. After a stellar season in which he recorded over 100 tackles, four interceptions, and three fumble recoveries, the senior linebacker will join a veteran defense that was above average last season.
With edge rushers Brennan Jackson and Ron Stone Jr. causing havoc, there should be plenty of opportunities for Henley to feast, and create more pressure on the quarterback in Jake Dickert’s offense. Against playoff-contending teams like Wisconsin and Utah, don’t be surprised to see Henley come away with 15-plus tackles in those battles.
This season, Henley will record over 120 tackles and lead the Cougars to a top 20 ranked defense. Henley will not only be rewarded with PAC-12 all-conference honors, but he will be in the conversation for All-American honors.
2. Cameron Ward is a Heisman finalist
In what may be one of the best-kept secrets in all of college football, a star will burst onto the scene very soon. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet new Wazzu quarterback Cameron Ward.
After dominating for Incarnate Word at the FCS level the past two seasons, Ward and his former head coach turned offensive coordinator at WSU Eric Morris, decided to take their talents to Washington State. During his two seasons with Incarnate Word, Ward threw for nearly 7,000 yards and 71 touchdowns, while leading the Cardinals to a 10-3 campaign and the second round of the FCS playoffs. Now, the junior and his former coach are uniting with coach Dickert to form a perfect storm this season.
With news coming out of practice that Ward is looking like the real deal, I expect him to play like the star he has been. His talents will be put to the test as the Cougars’ offensive line is going through a complete overhaul. With new starters at every position, I expect Ward will have to use his mobility quite a bit more early in the season than he had to at the FCS level. While this will probably give him some nice-looking stats on the ground, hopefully, he can stay upright long enough to see this offense take off. I believe he will.
Cameron Ward will throw for 4,000 yards and over 40 touchdowns this season while making it all the way to New York as a Heisman Finalist. This will be the first time a Cougar has been a finalist for the prestigious award since Ryan Leaf finished third back in 1998.
3. The Cougars go 10-3 and win the Alamo Bowl
Let’s be real, Washington State University is not blind or deaf to all the noise they’ve heard this offseason, specifically about their uncertain future with the Pac-12. From Athletic Director Pat Chun to coach Dickert, there’s one real cure to these concerns — win. The Cougars need to build off of the moderate success they’ve experienced the past seven seasons, and need to kick it up a notch. The more successful seasons and higher level bowl games, the higher profile they can become.
That journey under Dickert begins this season as I have the Washington State Cougars going 9-3 in the regular season. The season will be decided by five crucial games this season, two on the road against Wisconsin and USC, and three at home against Oregon, Utah and Washington.
While I expect the games to be more competitive than what many national pundits may think, I do believe that the Cougars will fall to both Wisconsin and USC. I also believe Ward will bring an energy to the stadium that we haven’t seen since Minshew was playing, and the Cougars will win the three crucial home games. That’s right, I believe the Cougars will play a major role in knocking both Oregon and Utah out of the college football playoff discussions.
The Cougars will be on upset alert after such a big win against Utah, and I have a road game at Stanford picked as one to look out for.
In the end, and what many of you Cougs care about most, yes, I believe the Cougars will defeat the Washington Huskies in the 2022 Apple Cup, making it a winning streak against their hated rivals, and the first home Apple Cup victory in a decade.
While the Cougars miss out on the Pac-12 title game, I have them finishing third, and heading to the Alamo Bowl. Champs of the bowl game just a couple of years ago, Ward will lead them back to a San Antonio celebration as he outduels Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders and Washington State upset the Cowboys in a top 15 showdown.
With a record of 10-3, the Cougs finish top ten in rankings and celebrate one of the most successful seasons in program history.
The only thing left to wonder at the season’s end is how high will Cameron Ward go in the NFL draft.