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Rich Rasmussen

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Chat with football recruiting coordinator/tight ends coach Rich Rasmussen on Monday, October 6 at Noon PT.

Moderator: Good morning Cougar fans and thank you for visiting wsucougars.com and today's chat with recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach Rich Rasmussen. Rich, thanks for joining us today.

Rich Rasmussen: Thanks for having me. We really appreciate everyone's patience and support. I know it's been as rough on our fans and the Cougar Faithful as it has on our players and staff, but please understand, we are working harder than anyone in the Pac-10 to get this turned around.

Moderator: We have a lot of questions to go through in a short amount of time, so let's get right to it.

manti utah: hey i believe you should use that number 80 tight end great kid he can catch the ball give him a chance ok

Anthony Hansen: Hey Coach seeing that you are the tight ends coach you know Devin Frischknecht, well he is from my high school (Manti High)how much of a chance does he have to make it to the NFL and what team do you think he would fit into.

Moderator: Rich will combine the answer to Manti's and Anthony's questions.

Rich Rasmussen: Devin is finally back to being somewhere between 90 to 100 percent from a health standpoint. He had a hamstring that was bothering him most of August and was limited in the Oklahoma State game, even though he took quite a few snaps. We did not know up until game time how many snaps he would be able to take...it all depended upon his warm-up and how he was feeling at the time. Against Cal, he took a helmet to the lower back that prevented him from playing against Baylor and finally worked itself out by Thursday prior to the Portland State game. Now that he is healthy, it is important for Devin and us that he plays with a high level of consistency. He has the physical tools that they are looking for at the NFL level from a route-running and pass-catching standpoint. Now he needs to demonstrate on video that he can be a physical blocker on a consistent basis. All of the scouts that have been by that have evaluated Devin to this point in time, and will continue to do so throughout the rest of the season. It really depends on the specific needs of each team, and where they see him potentially fitting into their plans.

John from Mill Creek: Coach Rasmussen--As you look to this years recruiting, are you looking to add some JC players or go after high school players only. Also, which tight ends that are redshirting have impressed you?

Rich Rasmussen: John, we are very deep into this year's recruiting cycle, which is an ongoing process. I cannot comment specifically on recruiting due to NCAA rules; however, I can tell you I think it is going fairly well at this point. We have to keep the verbal commitments that we have already received and continue to do an outstanding job recruiting the other individuals on our board. It is a constant process as prospective student-athletes begin to make decisions. Someone who was number 4 or 5 on our list a week ago could be up to 2 or 3 this week depending on what someone else chooses to do. We have some needs to fill on the offensive and defensive lines, but we are looking to improve depth and competition at some other spots. We are continuously evaluating individuals as video comes in this fall. We will look to JC ranks to fill some needs; however, that majority of this class will consist of high school prospects. The new NCAA rule changes have made it more stringent for JC transfers academically; therefore, we need to make sure during the evaluation process that they are going to make it academically. As far as the TE's that are redshirting, Skylar Stormo is making tremendous strides on a weekly basis. I'm really happy with the progress he is making from a technique standpoint. A great off-season with Coach Lovat, our new strength coach, will also really help his development as we head into spring practice. Andre Lintz is on campus; however, he broke a bone in his leg this summer and just a little over a week ago he had pins removed. Andre has been in the meetings and is picking up the offense mentally, but has several more weeks to go before he will be able to start running again. We moved Dan Spitz to DE during camp in August and he is having a great fall. We are excited about the progress he is making and is another one of our younger guys that need to become best friends with Coach Lovat.

Jerry from Everett: Coach--on Paul Wulff's coaches show he said the the freshmen that are redshirting are lifting 4 times a week at 5:30 am. Are they also involved as scout team players during practice or could you explain what those redshirt players do during a redshirt year. I really appreicate the way your coaching staff is building this program.

Rich Rasmussen: Great question Jerry. The first year is always the toughest on guys who are redshirting. In a short time, they go from being the best guy on their team, or an all-league/all-state selection, to having to be on a scout team, which can be rough. As Coach Wulff indicated, their day typically begins at 5:30 a.m. in the weight room. Then it is off to class, grab lunch, and get over to the training room if they need any type of treatment prior to practice. They will then meet with the graduate assistants about 15 minutes prior to practice to walk through the looks they need to provide during practice. Then, after practice, head over to dinner. Most of our redshirts are also required to get in up to 10 hours study table time during the course of the week so we can make sure they start off on the right foot. Friday's are an off day for them other than lifting, which gives them a great opportunity to catch up academically or run home for the weekend if we happen to be on the road that week.

Ken Portland OR: Is Kevin Freitag redshirting?

Rich Rasmussen: Ken, Kevin redshirted last year. He is continuing to work hard and is making progress.

Moderator: Okay, that's all the time we have. Rich, thank you once again for joining us today.

Rich Rasmussen: Thank you. Keep supporting the kids in this program; they are working really hard and are beginning to understand the expectations that we have as a staff. Progress is being made. It may not be coming as fast as some people hoped, but we will get there.

Moderator: A big thank you to everyone for your questions. Remember, to get all the information about WSU Athletics, go no further than wsucougars.com, the official website of Cougar Athletics. Please check back to wsucougars.com for future online chats.