On Day 3 of WSU spring ball, WR Daniel Blood keeps establishing himself and defense snags several more picks
Mar. 31—PULLMAN — Not long after he entered the transfer portal, looking for a new home for his final season of college eligibility, Daniel Blood got a call from a number he recognized. On the other end was Kirby Moore, his offensive coordinator at Missouri, where Blood had just played the first three seasons of his career.
As it turned out, Moore had just taken the head coaching job at Washington State, and he wanted to gauge Blood's interest in following him across the country and playing at WSU. It didn't take much to pique his interest. "I thought it would be best for me, because I know the offense, I know the coaching," Blood said on Monday morning, shortly after WSU's third spring practice wrapped up.
"I know what he wants from me, and I know what he wants from the team. " On several occasions during the Cougars' spring practice slate, which continues on Thursday in Pullman and Saturday in Spokane, Blood has proven it. In one of the latest installments, which came in Tuesday's session, Blood hauled in a dime from quarterback Caden Pinnick — one of the three quarterbacks vying for starting duties this fall.
This spring, the 5-foot-10 Blood has been a constant for the Cougars, playing with the first, second and third teams. He looks like one of the team's fastest players, and with his speed, he profiles as a prominent figure in WSU's offense this fall. Add in his familiarity with Moore's offense — which looks to involve a spread, run-centric approach — and you can see why he could get on the field sooner than later.
But can Blood earn playing time in what looks like a crowded WSU receiver room? Also competing for snaps will be returner Tony Freeman, Florida transfer Tank Hawkins, Oregon State transfer Darrius Clemons, junior college transfer Ryan McKendry and others. And that's to make no mention of the WSU player who might be engineering the best spring slate of all: receiver Branden Ganashamoorthy.