QB Peyton Bender, academically ineligible, will play at JUCO in 2016
Peyton Bender will play a long ways away from Pullman, Washington, this season.
Bender, Washington State’s No. 2 quarterback in 2015, will play the upcoming year at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Mississippi. Bender, a redshirt sophomore, was declared academically ineligible to suit up for Wazzu.
Mike Bender, Peyton’s father, told The Spokesman-Review his son failed two classes, including one for “too many unexcused absences,” after pledging a fraternity. Cougars head coach Mike Leach left the door open for Bender to return to WSU after a year away, his father said. First, dad and coach agreed that Peyton needs to mature.
“I said you can’t be a frat boy and a division one football player,” Mike Bender said. “If you’re going to choose to go down the path of a Division I athlete you’re held to a different standard, that’s the way life goes.”
“It was the result of all of his own stuff. He could have stayed. Leach wanted him to stay, but he would have been ineligible. He could have practiced and dressed with the team. He didn’t fail out of school.”
Bender’s parents live in Georgia and he played high school ball in Florida, so he opted to return to the southeast for junior college instead of staying on the west coast (Leach recommended a JUCO in California). He’ll join an Itawamba team that went 5-5 in 2015.
Bender redshirted the 2014 season and served as Luke Falk’s backup in 2015. After Falk was injured, Bender saw action in five games, including a start against Washington in the Apple Cup. Overall, he completed 53-of-91 passes for 498 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions.
With Bender out of the picture this season, redshirt freshman Tyler Hilinski looks to be the top option for WSU behind Falk, a redshirt junior who is entering his second season as full-time starter. Hilinksi was a four-star recruit in the 2015 class.
Wazzu opens up its 2016 campaign against Eastern Washington on Sept. 3.
For more Washington State news, visit WazzouWatch.com.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
