Mar. 23—PULLMAN — Spring football is arriving at Washington State.
A few months after taking the helm of the program, coach Kirby Moore is set to lead his first WSU practices, starting with Thursday’s opener. The Cougars will practice at 7:45 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and at 11 a.m. on Saturdays.
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Over the next few days, we’ll publish a series of stories to preview spring ball, starting with this edition on the Cougars’ offense.
Here are three trends to watch on that side of the ball.
1. How will WSU’s QB situation shake out?
In earlier interviews, Moore has indicated that with Zevi Eckhaus out of eligibility and moving on, WSU has not identified a QB1 yet. Instead, the Cougars will host a competition between UC Davis transfer Caden Pinnick and returners Julian Dugger and Owen Eshelman, which means that trio will get their first opportunities to establish themselves this spring.
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How will those three fare? Maybe it’s fair to expect Pinnick to have a head start considering his resume and his experience. As a redshirt freshman last season, the 6-foot Pinnick completed 240 of 345 passes (70%) for 3,206 yards and 32 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, winning Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors. He also registered 125 carries for 437 yards and three scores, good for an average rush of 3.5 yards, underscoring his dual-threat capabilities.
Dugger has limited experience. Last season, he threw just three passes in the regular season, misfiring on all three. As the year unfolded, it became clear he was best used as a gadget running quarterback, and he showed that to the tune of 22 carries for 47 yards and two touchdowns, 39 yards and one score coming in WSU’s bowl game win over Utah State.
After redshirting his true freshman year last fall, Eshelman has yet to see the field at the college level, but maybe that could change this year. His praises have been sung by both of his WSU head coaches, from Jimmy Rogers to Moore, and his dual-threat ability could give him an inside track to playing time.
Coaches likely won’t commit to anything after spring practices, but it will be worth monitoring how each QB looks.
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2. How will the Cougars split carries between their running backs?
WSU and running backs coach Justin Green have something of a good problem on their hands: They might have too many backs to divvy carries evenly. Kirby Vorhees, Maxwell Woods and Leo Pulalasi are all returning, giving the Cougs some meaningful experience in their backfield. All three looked sharp last season.
Vorhees saw the most playing time, totaling 138 carries for 576 yards and five touchdowns, taking over as the starter midway through the season. That’s why his return was met with seismic reception: In December, he made plans to enter the transfer portal, electing to sit out of the team’s bowl game. But on New Year’s Day, WSU announced he had re-signed on a new name, image and likeness revenue-sharing deal.
With a running back of that caliber back in the fold, will the Cougars make him their starter? It’s possible — lots of teams across the country claim to have depth at various positions, only for one player to rise to the top and earn the majority of playing time by season’s beginning — but it’s also feasible that coaches don’t have such a luxury.
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In the best way, of course. Woods erupted in the Potato Bowl, showcasing his blazing speed to churn out 117 rushing yards on just nine carries. With that outing, Woods cemented himself as a likely part of next season’s rotation. And though Pulalasi was in and out of the rotation last season due to injuries, he emerged as a reliable back who could generate 5 or 6 yards with consistency.
So this spring, how will coaches handle reps between those three? Who will practice with the apparent first and second teams? That much may inform the way their roles evolve come September.
3. Can Maximus McCree crack the rotation at tackle?
One of the Cougars’ biggest moves over the offseason involved signing Washington transfer Maximus McCree, a veteran left tackle. When he hit the portal, he received an offer from Lane Kiffin at LSU underscoring the suitors he had. He’s missed time over the years due to injury, but with his experience and sheer size, his was seen as a key acquisition for Moore and WSU.
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Is there room for the 6-foot-6, 296-pound McCree on the Cougs’ offensive line? Their bona fide left tackle is Ashton Tripp, who started all 13 games at that position last season, and he projects to get even better in his second season as a starter. WSU’s coaching staff has turned over, so it’s possible McCree unseats Tripp, but it feels unlikely at the moment.
What about the other side of the line? The Cougs’ likely starter is returner Jaylin Caldwell, but he went down with a knee injury last October, costing him the rest of the season. Is Caldwell healthy enough to practice now? If so, look for him to run with WSU’s first team. If not, McCree could try his hand at right tackle, although flipping sides is far easier said than done.
McCree played 242 snaps in seven total games. He came off the bench to play in games against UC Davis and Ohio State, then started three straight games at left tackle, filling in for an injured starter against Maryland, Rutgers and Michigan, sustaining his own injury in the final contest.
At UW, McCree took over left tackle starting duties in the middle of the 2024 season, making four straight starts before a thumb injury sidelined him until the Huskies’ bowl game.
