Sports - Local Colleges

POSTED: Saturday, Jun. 28, 2008

WWU FOOTBALL: Former WSU QB joins Western team

The quarterback competition at Western Washington University this fall got a whole lot more interesting on Friday.

Former Wa s h i n g t o n State University quarterback Cole Morgan will be wearing the Vikings’ blue and silver this fall after spending last season as a third string quarterback for the Cougars. He signed a scholarship offer to play for Western Friday morning.

Morgan was a Seattle Times’ Red Chip recruit out of Ballard High School in 2004, but delayed entry into WSU as a grayshirt freshman until January of 2005. After redshirting in 2005, he spent last season as the No. 3 quarterback on the Cougars’ depth chart but didn’t see any playing time. He played in one game in 2006.

“It’s great to have a player of Cole’s quality coming into the program,” WWU coach Robin Ross said. “The big thing for us is that, as a junior, he gives us a quarterback in each class now.”

Morgan will have two years of eligibility remaining at WWU and should challenge for playing time immediately. Senior Adam Perry returns this fall as the incumbent starter and former Lynden High School standout Chris Bolt is second on the depth chart.

The Vikings also added a linebacker on Friday, signing outside linebacker and strong safety Derek Diaz out of Los Madanos Junior College in California.

“I’ll be closer to home that’s one reason I decided to come to Western,” Morgan said in a phone interview. “But the big thing is I’ll have the opportunity to compete for a job. I’ll have the opportunity to see the field. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Morgan comes to a Vikings’ team that finished 2-7 last season and averaged just 17.4 points per game, but returns most of its starters on the offensive side of the ball. Morgan said he is familiar with the Vikings offensive schemes and is looking forward to playing in Western’s system.

“I think it’s tough at that position to come into fall camp and get playing time right away,” Ross said. “But when I talked to him he said all he wanted was a chance to compete and we give everybody a chance to compete for a spot.”

Morgan considered leaving Washington State before the start of last season, but decided to stay after the coaching staff that was then in place assured him he would have the opportunity to compete for playing time.

When head coach Bill Doba stepped down in November and Paul Wulff was hired in December, all bets were off for Morgan.

“It’s definitely something I’ve been thinking about for a while,” he said.

Morgan’s move to play at the NCAA Division II level is similar to that of another former WSU backup quarterback, Central Washington University standout quarterback Mike Reilly. Morgan hopes to find similar success with the Vikings that Reilly, a preseason All- American, has found with the Wildcats.

“Mike been out there playing, he’s doing it,” Morgan said. “I haven’t done it yet. It would be unfair to Mike to compare the two of us because of what he’s done, but obviously something like that would be great.”