The retirement of Chris Ault has already cost the Nevada Wolf Pack a promising recruit.
Quarterback Isaac Dotson of Bellevue, Wash., who gave the Wolf Pack a verbal commitment last summer, has decided that he'd rather play for the Washington State Cougars.
A source close to the recruiting of Dotson said Dotson changed his mind about Nevada after Ault announced his retirement on Dec. 28 and because his parents wanted him to play closer to home.
Dotson is a big (6-foot-3, 210-pound), strong quarterback who could play other positions in college. He was also a standout defensive back at Newport High. Ault and the Wolf Pack liked him because of his combination of size, strength and mobility to run the pistol offense.
"My strength is my mobility and athleticism," Dotson told the Seattle Times recently.
Dotson, who picked the Pack over an offer from Washington State last summer, wanted to come to Nevada to play for Ault.
"Coach Ault is the inventor of that pistol offense and it fits my style of play," Dotson told Rivals.com last summer. "Colin Kaepernick had a lot of success in that offense and people say our styles are similar."
Dotson, who ran for over 1,000 yards and passed for 700 for Newport this season and was responsible for 24 touchdowns (17 rushing), opted this week to play for head coach Mike Leach's spread offense at Washington State instead of the Pack. Former Wolf Pack assistant coach Jim Mastro, who helped Ault invent the pistol at Nevada, is also on the Cougars' staff.
"Glad to announce that I've decided to fulfill my dream of playing Pac 12 football for the Cougs," he tweeted this week.
Despite Dotson's announcement, the Wolf Pack remains well stocked at the quarterback position. Starter Cody Fajardo and backup Devin Combs both have two years of eligibility remaining, 2012 recruits Tyler Stewart, Hasaan Henderson and Jacob Hollister each have four years remaining and Tanner Roderick has three.
