WSU receiver seems to think he’s been kicked off of team

Washington State receiver Kassidy Woods evidently came away from a conversation with football coach Nick Rolovich thinking his status on the team had been jeopardized by his support for a threatened player boycott, USA Today reported Sunday night.

A source close to the situation said Sunday no WSU players have been cut, but Woods had apparently reached another conclusion after Rolovich told him to clear out his locker Saturday, according to the newspaper report.

The next day, Woods was removed from the team’s group chat, he said.

“I can’t even be around my teammates, so that lets me know I’m dismissed from the team,’’ Woods said.

The issue is clouded by the fact that Woods, a sophomore who has played sparingly so far, wants to sit out this season for reasons unrelated to the threatened boycott of football this year by a group of Pac-12 players.

Woods posted to SoundCloud on Sunday a recording of a phone conversation in which he informs Rolovich he has a medical condition that raises his concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. He said he was opting out of the season, and Rolovich says that’s within his rights, echoing the policy of the Pac-12 and WSU in regard to the virus.

In the recording, the coach has a more complicated attitude about Woods’ support of the possible boycott. Audibility isn’t always perfect, but his message to Woods seems to imply more than it states.

Dallas Hobbs, a WSU defensive lineman who was one of 13 Pac-12 players who threatened the boycott Sunday in an article in The Players Tribune, also expressed confusion to USA Today about his status on the team. So did defensive back Pat Nunn, who tweeted support of the players’ movement.

“It’s a muddled mess right now,’’ Hobbs said. “I think no one knows exactly how to handle it, so it’s still something that’s in the air.’’

The 13 players, saying they represent a group of hundreds in the conference, are threatening to sit out the season unless the Pac-12 meets a list of demands, headed by stricter safety measures in the face of the pandemic.

Rolovich called a team meeting Sunday night to address the issues, a source told USA Today.