Mike Leach is an entertaining presence in the world of college football, but to this point, he has been largely unable to push the Washington State Cougars into the national spotlight. The presence of star quarterback Luke Falk certainly helps when discussing Leach's squad, but on Monday evening, the enigmatic head coach landed a big-time recruit in the form of four-star wide receiver Anthony White Jr.
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White Jr. (6-foot-1, 160 pounds, Miami, FL) ranks as a four-star prospect for Rivals, though his overall profile is a bit lower according to other ranking services. Still, Washington State was able to go into Miami to snatch White, and Leach was able to garner a commitment despite the fact that White Jr. has never visited Pullman.
The rising senior wide receiver spoke to Rob Cassidy of Rivals after announcing the commitment, and he was clear that Leach was the biggest selling point for his decision:
"It was just Coach [Mike] Leach," White said. "He was really interested in me. And the receiver coach is a great dude. He had two guys with over 1,00 yards last year. It was system and the pace. I fit well in that system."
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It will be intriguing to see if Leach and the Cougars are able to build on this pledge in terms of recruiting momentum, but regardless, Washington State has secured an important commitment for the 2017 class.