Cougar Corner | WSU Football:Top 10 Players for 2009-No. 6

The quest for creating a list of the Top 10 players who will have a tremendous impact on Washington State Cougar football this fall continues with my pick as No. 6.

Offense has been the side of the ball favored with the first four selections. Here's a look at the players who will stand out for Coach Paul Wulff and his no huddle offense designed to control the tempo of a football game:

No. 10 Marshall Lobbestael - QB

No. 9   Johnny Forzani - WR

No. 8   Jeshua Anderson - WR

No. 7   James Montgomery - RB

My next pick comes from special teams with the selection of junior punter Reid Forrest as No. 6.

It's fair to scratch your head and wonder why a punter might be so valuable to the success of a football team.

Every team in the Pac-10 will have a solid defense this season. The problem isn't about "if" the offense stalls, it's "when" the offense stalls. That begs the question, "How good is the punting unit?"

The Cougs special teams spent a lot of time on the field last season after their offense stalled. That bad situation yielded some benefit in terms of experience. It also established the importance of special teams play in the minds of the entire team.

Forrest has been an outstanding punter at WSU for the past two seasons. Whether he kicks rugby style or conventional, the guy gets the job done. Take a look at his stats for the first two seasons:

Reid Forrest Punt Stats

	Games	Punts	Yardage	Average	Long	Inside 20	Touch Back
2007	10	46	1,863	40.5	55	13	3
2008	12	77	3,174	41.2	60	15	4
Career	22	123	5,037	40.9	60	28	7

Not only is Forrest experienced, he's looked comfortable in punt formation throughout his career. If a block of a rushing defender is missed, Forrest has the athletic ability to scramble to either get off a rugby or tuck the ball and run.

Last year, Coach Wulff took advantage of Reid's talent and called for a fake punt in the Apple Cup. Forrest scrambled for 28 yards.

Special teams are all about field position. Good things will happen for the defense if the punting unit pins the opponent inside their 20 yard line. Forrest will do that very thing, drop a punt inside the 20, whenever he has the chance.

There were few bright spots for Cougar football last year. Forrest's performance was one of the brightest making him a leading candidate for an All Pac-10 selection this year.

When it comes to family ties, Forrest is pure Cougar. His father, Jim, played tight end at Washington State from 1969-72 for Coach Jim Sweeney. His brother Wyatt attends WSU as well.

Punting isn't one of the more exciting aspects of a football game, but can often determine the difference between winning and losing. It's that important.

Reid Forrest is a difference maker making him one of the Top 10 players for the Cougs this season.

Originally published on Examiner.com