Washington State receiver Brandon Arconado’s strong start to the season continues with career day against Northern Colorado

PULLMAN – One season after recording more tackles (one) than receptions (zero), Brandon Arconado asserted himself for the second week in a row on Saturday, hauling in eight catches for 127 yards and a touchdown in Washington State’s 59-17 victory over Northern Colorado.

Both totals were career bests for the redshirt senior wide receiver.

“He’s gotten better and better as time’s gone on,” head coach Mike Leach said of Arconado. “He’s worked extremely hard, his body’s changed physically as far as speed and strength. … He’d be a guy in the conversation as far as being our most consistent receiver.”

After playing his freshman season at Chaffey College in California, Arconado transferred to WSU as a walk on and redshirted in 2016. He appeared in 11 games as a redshirt sophomore and caught four passes, one of which went for a touchdown. Last year he played in eight games but didn’t record a single reception.

This year, though, has been different.

Playing in the Y slot position, Arconado had six catches for 66 yards a week ago against New Mexico State, and through two games his 14 catches and 193 receiving yards are both the most on a team that thrives when it spreads the ball around.

“He just works so hard, man,” said redshirt senior receiver Easop Winston Jr. “A lot of walk-ons I know of, they throw in the towel, not being on scholarship, grinding every day. But he hung in there, man, and I respect that. He worked his butt off, and today was his breakout game.”