Washington State Football Recruiting: Interview With Denzell Dotson

Kyle Rancourt of SB Nation’s excellent Washington State site, Coug Center, recently had a chance to sit down with Cougar commitment Denzell Dotson. Dotson is an offensive linemen out of Arizona, and both the Wildcats and the Sun Devils saw fit to offer him. Most services regard Dotson as a two or three-star recruit. He seems to fit the mold of wide offensive linemen that new Cougar coach Mike Leach used at Texas Tech. Dotson is an early entrant as well.

Take it away, Kyle:

What did Coach Leach and McGuire say to you during the phone call?

“They had seen my tape. Coach Leach said he liked how I was able to run block as well as pass block. You know, that I was pretty good at both. They said they’d love to have me in Pullman. That’s really all it took.”

Watching tape of your high school team, it seems as if you ran some variation of a four wide receiver, air it out, spread-type offense.

“Yeah we played in the spread. We didn’t just throw the ball; we ran it a bunch, too. But I’ve basically been playing in an offense similar to what Coach Leach wants to do for my entire football career. That’s why he thinks I’m a good fit for his offense.”

What position do you think you’ll play in college?

“You know, I’ve played guard basically my whole life, but I also played some center, too. As a guard, I knew everyone’s assignments, and I made sure everyone did their jobs. After talking to Coach McGuire, I think center is probably the best position for me. I’m really quick off the ball.”

You took your official visit to Pullman for the UNLV game. That was also the official visit for Dalen Jones, Sam Flor, and Eduardo Middleton. All four of you committed to WSU. What happened on that visit?

“Well, we had some good laughs, and some good moments. Dalen was already committed. I talked to Sam and Eduardo, and we all just liked the place. When I got off the plane, it was nothing like Arizona. No mountains, just wheat fields for days. I was worried at first, it seemed like a super small town with like, 100 people. But then I met everyone, and I’ve never been around so many genuinely nice people. We all talked after the game, and we realized we just loved Wazzu. We loved everything about it. They asked me what I thought we should do, and I just said ‘This is the place for me’. One thing I’m gonna have to get used to, though, is the snow.”

With your new found love of Pullman, have you used your powers of persuasion to lure any potential recruits to Wazzu?

“Hah actually, yeah, I’ve tried. There are some great players in this state, and I’m trying to talk them up, trying to get them on board. At the end of the day, they’re gonna choose who they’re gonna choose, but I’m trying to push Wazzu because I know how good it looks going forward.”

With WSU having such a poor record in the past few years, what made you consider them, and ultimately want to visit?

“They had a bad record, but it sounded like a great place. Plus, they were the first to offer me, and I liked them because of that. I wanted to check it out myself, and see what all the talk was about. I went on a lot of other visits, and they were nice, but didn’t quite feel right. With Washington State, it just felt right.”

What are your numbers in the weight room looking like these days?

”Great. I bench 380, clean 315, and squat 605. Really, I have to thank the people at Athletic Republic. Specifically Dr. Kristopher Birkeland, and Mike Birkeland. They helped me a lot with footwork, agility training, and just getting better in general. I’ve been training with them since my freshman year, and wouldn’t be where I am now without them.”

That’s only about a third of the great interview Kyle got from Dotson.

Make sure to check out the rest at Coug Center.