Suspension lifted for Washington State’s Tavares Martin Jr.

PULLMAN – Cougars Mike Leach has lifted the suspension for Tavares Martin Jr. and anticipates that the team’s top wide receiver will play on Saturday at Arizona.

“We expect him to return this week,” Leach said Monday in his weekly news conference.

Martin Jr. was suspended in the 28-0 win over Colorado for a violation of team rules. The junior outside receiver reportedly showed poor behavior during and after WSU’s loss to Cal the week before and also missed a practice in the days following the game, The Seattle Times reported.

C.J. Dimry started in place of Martin Jr. at “X” receiver, but it was Tay Martin who left a bigger imprint on the game, catching a career-high four passes for a career-best 78 yards while reeling the first touchdown of his career – a 50-yard catch from Luke Falk in the second quarter.

Tay Martin’s shown an ability to play of WSU’s outside receiver positions – the “X” and the “Z” – but Leach said it isn’t ideal that he’s toggling back and forth between the two roles.

“He has been repping quite a bit, he’s been bouncing between X and Z, which is a situation I don’t love,” Leach said. “Because I’d like to get him in a position and settle him in, but he has repped quite a bit.”