Feb. 28—PULLMAN — Washington State is set to kick off spring ball, doing so at the earliest date in some time.
The Cougars’ first practice is Saturday morning, some three weeks earlier than recent coaching staffs have started.
It’s one of the first signs times are changing under new head coach Jimmy Rogers, who seems to be taking more of a no-nonsense approach than his predecessors. During the week, WSU will practice at 6:30 a.m., much earlier than former coach Jake Dickert ran his.
Will it translate to wins this fall? The Cougars will be relying on a healthy dose of South Dakota State transfers that Rogers brought with him, plus a handful of returners whose experience figures to pay dividends.
Here are five questions WSU will look to answer this spring.
1. What do the Cougars have on their interior defensive line?
In case you missed it, WSU lost its top three defensive linemen from the past couple of seasons — David Gusta, Ansel Din-Mbuh and Khalil Laufau, all of whom hit the transfer portal and landed at Power Four schools over the offseason. Their departures are significant for the defensive-minded Rogers, who will have to work with defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit to evaluate their options at that position.
Early candidates to take over include Cal Poly transfer Soni Finau, SDSU transfer Max Baloun and returner Bryson Lamb. Finau is a senior with lots of college football under his belt, and Baloun played a key role on the Jackrabbits’ staunch defensive lines across the past couple of seasons. Is Lamb, who played more than 300 snaps in all 13 games, ready to become a star on the Cougs’ interior?
Perhaps more important, what does WSU’s depth look like at that spot? Redshirt junior Rashad Mackenzie profiles as a potential backup, but he’s missed a lot of time with injuries the past couple of seasons. Kent State transfer Kaden Beatty could also push for meaningful snaps , as could redshirt freshman Jackson Cowgill.
2. What can a revamped secondary squeeze out of spring ball?
The Cougars are replacing nearly everybody in their secondary from last season. Gone are cornerbacks Ethan O’Connor and Stephen Hall, nickelback Kapena Gushiken, and safeties Adrian Wilson, Jackson Lataimua and Tyson Durant. Not everyone in that group acquitted themselves well last season — Lataimua and Gushiken had their rough moments, as did Hall in the Holiday Bowl — but either way, it’s a lot to lose on one side of the ball.
The Cougs will likely rely on several SDSU transfers to pick up the slack. Outside of returning cornerbacks Jamorri Colson and Kamani Jackson, WSU will look to Matt Durrance, Tucker Large and Cale Reeder to man the safety spots. Fellow SDSU transfer cornerback Colby Humphrey will also likely figure into the rotation.
Rogers and his staff have plenty of experience with those guys. The question is, over 15 spring practices, how much can they prepare them for a step up in competition this fall? That may be crucial to helping them adjust as WSU prepare to play the likes of Ole Miss, Virginia, Washington and Colorado State this fall.
3. Is Zevi Eckhaus the unquestioned QB1?
Because of the priority Rogers placed on luring Eckhaus out of the transfer portal in January, there may not be much debate around the Cougars’ starting QB this fall. Eckhaus started the Holiday Bowl, and while he made a fair share of mistakes, he played the kind of football that imbued fans — and apparently Rogers — with confidence in his future.
The only question surrounding the situation may revolve around redshirt sophomore QB Jaxon Potter. Could he push Eckhaus in spring and fall camp? It’s entirely possible coaches ask Potter to wait one more year (Eckhaus will play his final year of eligibility next season), but because of his strong outing in last year’s fall camp, it’s at least worth monitoring.
4. How will WSU sort out carries at the RB spot?
The Cougars have something resembling a logjam at running back. Ready to compete for snaps this fall are SDSU transfers Angel Johnson and Kirby Vorhees, returners Djouvensky Schlenbaker and Leo Pulalasi, emerging redshirt freshman Josh Joyner and Dylan Paine, who suffered a torn ACL early last season, putting him on the shelf the remainder of the year.
In the eyes of running backs coach Robbie Rouse, how do those guys stack up? Pulalasi was former WSU RB Wayshawn Parker’s primary backup last season, while Schlenbaker was used as a lead blocker and power back. Joyner redshirted last season but got rave reviews from former WSU coaches, while Johnson and Vorhees have the benefit of rapport with Rouse and Rogers.
Last year during fall camp, WSU had a similar surplus at running back, but Parker wound up getting the lion’s share of carries. Will the Cougars operate a similar way this season, or will they take a by-committee approach?
5. Who will step up on the offensive line?
The Cougars are returning two key offensive linemen — tackle/guard Christian Hilborn and guard Brock Dieu, who were part of the 2024 WSU offensive line that finished tops nationwide in Pro Football Focus’ pass-blocking grades. Their returns are windfalls for WSU.
But the Cougs have spots to fill. Dieu is best at guard, so who will play center? Redshirt freshman Noah Dunham seems like a logical candidate, considering he backed up former center Devin Kylany last fall, while redshirt junior Zack Miller and redshirt sophomore Ashton Tripp could fill the tackle spots.
WSU could also rely on SDSU transfer Nick Bakken, a redshirt freshman, to play his way into snaps.
