Dare I say- we’re so back?
Good evening, Cougs! Fall camp is in full swing for our guys in Pullman, and it’s been great to see football content back on the Twitter feed as everyone brings the juice. From Coach Dickert to the players, both new and familiar faces on the team are getting into the swing of things and shaking off the new season jitters. The vibes definitely seem like they’re in a good place for kicking off practice as we count down to the very first CFS (Only 3 more football-less Saturdays to go!), so let’s dive into an overall vibe check of fall camp so far, and see how everyone’s feeling heading into the debut game of the 2024 Cougar football season.
Starting off with WSU’s newest quarterback of the people, John Mateer— The first thing I can’t help but notice when watching his interviews is this man is giving Gardner Minshew ENERGY, y’all. The aura? There. The hair? There. The endearing attitude, smile and presence as a leader? Yup, all there. I’m really excited to see how Mateer’s leadership skills shine this season, as this kid truly just seems like an all-around great guy who’s excited to be back at practice with his teammates.
I was already excited for Cougar football to be back, but John Mateer has gotten me even MORE excited that Cougar football is back. This guy makes me fully ready to push aside the lingering anxiety from last season, break out the 200 Coug-themed friendship bracelets I made last year, slap on a face tattoo and scream-sing “Back Home” in Martin Stadium. LFG, Go Cougs, Cougs by 50, so on and so forth.
Next up, as always, Jake Dickert is certainly bringing the vibes at the start of fall camp. I mean, who knew he was a secret inflatable jousting ring champ? There’s nobody out there like Coach Dickert and it’s no surprise that he’s bringing the heat for another season, serving as the perfect guy to get his staff, players and fans alike hyped up for the upcoming games. I also love to see Coach standing on business, ensuring that the guys are 100% committed to the program and its mission— In his own words, we want people who want to be here, and I love seeing Dickert making sure his team is filled with guys who believe in what we’re doing here at Washington State. 10/10 would run through a brick wall for Coach— Nothing has changed there!
Other guys I’m excited to see hyped up about camp and the upcoming season include redshirt senior Kyle Thornton, quarterback Zevi Eckhaus, and Utah Tech transfer Syrus Webster, who’s getting used to his new life and new team here in Pullman. It’s incredibly heartening to see the message and culture that Coach Dickert is working hard to build resonate across the entire team— When you watch interviews with these guys, you can’t help but feel like they really, honestly care. Sure, you want to believe that every roster is passionate about where they’re at and what they’re building year to year, but these guys are truly making it feel real as we count down the days to August 31st.
Are you hyped for the upcoming football season? For me, it can’t come soon enough! But, I’m also thoroughly enjoying the excitement, anticipation and blind optimism that comes with fall camp— Gotta have time to build up those delusions prior to the season starting, am I right? See you soon in Martin Stadium!