As Washington State tried to finalize its 2015 recruiting class a year ago, the biggest challenge was keeping it in place. Whether it was the down season on the field, coaching changes, or other factors, several players jumped ship during the 24th hour, leaving the Cougars scrambling. That was not a problem this season and it wasn't because of a lack of effort from other Pac-12 schools.
— Britton K. Ransford (@BKRansford) February 3, 2016
Bender is a composite 2-star recruit who might get overlooked by fans just glossing over stars. But, keeping a Southern California recruit in the fold, despite interest from USC, is a very big deal for WSU.