Waiver in hand, Bulldogs’ McCoy could develop into key piece this season
Enter Ricky McCoy, the former Roosevelt High Rough Rider, former Washington Husky. McCoy transferred back home to Fresno State earlier this year and now that he has a waiver from the NCAA allowing him to play this season rather than sit out he could become a big piece in two puzzles for the Bulldogs.
“To have him available to be in the rotation is a positive for us, for sure,” coach Jeff Tedford said. “He has played at a high level for a long time. He has good fundamentals and mechanics and knowledge.
“Any time you’ve gone through what I know what they go through at Washington, the coaching he’s had and the level of competition he has had in practice and things like that, he comes here with a little more experience where he’s not big-eyed about what’s going on. Very similar to any of those guys that are graduate transfers or whatever, they’re used to the speed of the game.
“You don’t have to have the progression of them learning the speed of the game maybe like a JC transfer would have. When you get a four-year guy that transfers, typically they come here with a sense of expectation and knowledge of how things work.”
Fresno State has some experience at the defensive tackle positions in Kevin Atkins, Jasad Haynes, Keiti Iakopo and Patrick Belony. But the Bulldogs were on the short side looking to play deep rotations at the defensive tackle and defensive end positions to keep fresh and productive players on the field, which played large last season when Fresno State allowed only 17.9 points per game and was ranked 10th in the nation in scoring defense.
No defensive lineman averaged more than 42 snaps a game — the defense was on the field for an average of 66 plays per game.
McCoy gives the Bulldogs a fifth tackle with FBS experience to compete for a spot in the rotation, which obviously will help this season when the Bulldogs try to get to the Mountain West championship game for a second year in a row and beyond that a potential spot in a New Years Six bowl game.
McCoy was not available to comment — at Fresno State, players do not meet with media until they have participated in a game. But he played in three games last season for the Huskies, five total in his career.
But having the 6-foot-2, 300-pound McCoy also gives the interior defensive linemen in the Bulldogs’ 2018 recruiting haul more opportunity to develop, which is critical going forward.
Fresno State had five senior defensive linemen last season including ends Robert Stanley and Tobenna Okeke, who started every game, tackle Malik Forrester, who had 13 starts, and tackle Nathan Madsen, who started the first 10 games. The Bulldogs had to replenish and build some balance in the position group, which this season includes just one player who has started a game — Atkins, five times last season including the last four games.
The Bulldogs signed four in their 2018 recruiting class: Isaiah Johnson, Leonard Payne, Matt Lawson and Matt Kjeldgaard and later added McCoy and Alex Dumais.
If ready, they can play. But McCoy gives the Bulldogs experienced depth and will give the freshmen additional time to develop. They can take part in the developmental lifting program during the season and with the new NCAA rule allowing players up to four games while retaining a redshirt season perhaps play some snaps during the year.
This story was originally published August 13, 2018 at 3:58 PM.