COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Class 1A player goes from Colfax to WSU

"It goes beyond this fall camp," Wulff said. "This has gone on for a couple years. Sometimes you sustain X amount of pain for so long before deciding it's just not worth it."

With Rowlands’ departure, the job went to Danaher.

Not familiar with Danaher? He isn't exactly a household name. In fact, he wasn't even in the 2008 Cougars media guide.

Danaher is a walk-on, who played right up the road at Colfax High School, a small Class 1A school with a strong football program. He came to WSU in 2006 and redshirted. Last season, he made the travel roster but only appeared in a handful of plays against Idaho and never lettered.

He wasn't exactly a prized recruit. He really wasn't recruited at all out of high school.

Wulff didn't even think to recruit him when he was at Eastern Washington.

"I didn't know Brian out of high school," Wulff admitted. "In the spring, we were impressed by his toughness in the week he practiced before getting hurt."

Thumb surgery knocked Danaher out of spring practice, but he came into fall camp and continued to impress.

"All fall camp he has been very good," Wulff said. "He brings some violence to the position. He's an explosive, get-off-the-ball kind of guy. He's very tough. We like those kind of guys."

Wulff was that kind of guy when he played for WSU. And though it was a conference call, you could almost see the smile on Wulff's face when he talked about Danaher, using the adjective "tough" on numerous occasions.

"Those kind of guys have an impact on the guys around them," Wulff said.

It's a long leap from the ranks of Class 1A to the Pac-10, but Wulff thinks Danaher can handle it.

"I think as he continues to play more, he'll continue to improve and adapt," Wulff said. "He's a competitor and he's going to fight and scrap. You have to have guys like that."

Another debut on the O-line

Danaher won't be the only player with limited game experience starting on Saturday. Redshirt freshman Steven Ayers will also start in place of the injured Vaughn Lesuma at left tackle.

Having a freshman at left tackle isn't exactly ideal, but Wulff has confidence in the Sehome High grad. "He's maybe exceeded our expectations this early," Wulff said. "Now we haven't played a game yet, and he's going to have some growing pains in games. But based on practice, he's a very good football player with a tremendous amount of upside - the type of guy who could be a four-year starter in the program."

Lesuma, who's been bothered by a back injury, won't play this week and Wulff said he wants to be very careful and not rush him back to aggravate the injury.

Extra points

Freshman linebacker Louis Bland was supposed to make the trip to Seattle but will miss the game with an injured foot. ... Had Bland gone, Wulff would have had five true freshmen on the travel squad for the trip. The Cougs will take 62 players with four true freshmen making the trip – WR Jared Karstetter, who will start; LB Mike Ledgerwood; WR Kevin Norrell; and DB Tyree Toomer. ... Junior center Kenny Alfred, of Gig Harbor, has been named to the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch list, one of 113 players chosen. Alfred also was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch list earlier. … Receiver Keith Parr Jr., formerly known as Keith Rosenberg, left the team on Wednesday with the intention to transfer to another team for more playing time.