Cougar Corner: WSU Top 10 Players in 2009: No. 10

This is the time of year college football fans dread. Spring practice is history. Recruiting trips have been completed. In short, there isn't much going on in the world of college football.

So what football topics make for decent water cooler debate?

For many, pontificating about who will be conference champs or All-American dominates college football conversations.

Been there, done that.

Rather than spend more time charging up emotional rationale why Ohio State will win the Big Ten or how Jake Locker is going to win the Heisman, Rob Calonge of Examiner.com has a better idea.

Take a look at the players who will have the potential to make a tremendous impact on their team this fall.

There's a Top 10 List for you.

Coach Paul Wulff expects significant improvement by his entire team this coming fall. The level of improvement will be determined by how well players learn Coach Wulff's system, develop physically and leadership.

My Top 10 list of WSU players will potentially have the greatest impact on the Cougar football team over the course of the 2009 season.

It will come as no surprise that somewhere on my Top 10 list has to be a player expected to be an offensive force. That's where my list begins.

At No. 10, Marshall Lobbestael will be the man at quarterback going under center to run Coach Wulff's no-huddle offense. Lobbestael is coming off surgery and was limited to non-contact work during spring practice. He'll be ready to go when fall camp begins.

Before Lobbestael went down last season, he showed flashes of brilliance. The only tool he lacks in terms of becoming a winning quarterback in the Pac-10 is experience. He started just three games last year before going down with a season-ending knee injury in the Oregon State game.

Marshall began his Washington State career as hot as anyone who has ever put on a crimson and gray uniform.

All he did was complete his first two college passes for touchdowns. Against Portland State, Lobbestael went 9-12 for 149 yards and two touchdowns. That effort earned him Pac-10 Player of the Week honors. His stats for the five games he played in were 53-103 for 571 yards, four touchdowns and four picks.

There are key areas for the Cougar offensive unit, which is definitely improved from last year. Though there isn't a lot of experienced depth on the offensive line, they had a good spring and are ready for the no-huddle.

This team may be one of the deepest ever at running back. Lobbestael will be able to hand the ball to versatile backs that can go up the middle with power, get to the outside and catch the ball out of the backfield. Two of those backs will be mentioned in upcoming picks for my Top 10.

Offensively, WSU has long held a reputation for a potent passing attack.

Lobbestael will have two of the fastest wide receivers in the conference in world-class intermediate hurdler Jeshua Anderson and Canadian transfer Johnny Forzani. As those two stretch defenses, there is a fine stable of players to haul in darts pitched by Lobbestael.

When it comes to leadership, Marshall was humbled this past spring by an embarrassing scrape with the law. He's ready to prove to his teammates, coaches and fans that the incident was a regrettable mistake that's in the past. The way he handled himself through that minefield showed the stuff he's made of. And he's made of the stuff that can lead a football team both on and off the field.

Next up...No. 9.

Originally published on Examiner.com