Apr. 9—PULLMAN — Jaylen Thomas took off in a full sprint, the ball in his right hand and his sights set on whatever was on the opposite end of Rogers Practice Field. He had just snagged an interception in the opposite end zone during one team period in Thursday’s Washington State practice, and as the morning sun beamed down, he had to celebrate.
So when he arrived on the other end of the field, a teammate trailed behind him, encouraging him to toss the ball in the air. Thomas obliged and hurled it toward the sky. He jumped in the air with another teammate. They hooped and hollered and laughed.
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“He’s very versatile,” WSU defensive coordinator Trent Bray said of Thomas, a safety transfer from San Jose State. “He can play safety, nickel. He can do a lot for us. He’s really smart, so he can get guys lined up. He can make the correct communication, so guys around him play fast, which is great.”
Thomas’ interception came at the hands of WSU quarterback Caden Pinnick, one of three signal-callers vying for starting duties this fall, but the story of Thursday’s practice — the first outdoors in Pullman this spring — wasn’t the Cougars’ QBs. It was their defense, which produced a number of simulated tackles for loss, an interception, a handful of sacks, a general message that for as much might be made about their offensive counterparts, they can supply responses.
They came by the bushel on Thursday, which was WSU’s seventh of 15 spring practices. In one team period, incoming second-year linebacker Isaiah Hung burst through the line of scrimmage to deliver what would have been a vicious hit on running back Kirby Vorhees, who enjoyed the benefit of playing under non-tackling conditions. In another, sophomore defensive end Ben Beatty surged into the backfield for a simulated sack.
All told, it added up to the best practice all spring for Washington State’s defense and Bray, who is back in his niche as defensive coordinator. He thrived in that role at Oregon State, where his Beavers finished the 2022 season at No. 16 in the country in total defense, permitting only 20 points per game. In 2023, OSU took a bit of a step back but still finished No. 47, allowing 22.9 points per game.
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Bray then became OSU’s head coach in 2024 and part of 2025 before he was fired after the team’s 0-7 start. Still, it seems like he’s best as a DC, making his 4-2-5 scheme seem more than plausible in Pullman.
“There was a lot of good stuff,” Bray said. “They’re improving. They’re getting the understanding of where they need to be, when and how they need to communicate. And today they did a nice job doing that.”
The Cougars aren’t exactly going full contact — head coach Kirby Moore hinted there might be some in store for Saturday’s scrimmage — but they also got two more simulated sacks. One came from defensive end Matyus McLain, who projects to start. Another came courtesy of linebacker Erimus Wright, who has yet to make a splash at WSU.
Could this be the year he bucks that trend? Headed into what will be his redshirt freshman year, Wright doesn’t have the college resume. What he does have is potential, which he keeps flashing, with his athleticism, 6-foot, 206-pound size and incessant fire he plays with.
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The interesting part is that the Cougars might need that kind of production from Wright, in large part because of the position he plays. WSU’s top three linebackers will likely be transfers DJ Warner and Nylan Brown and returner Keith Brown, which is a solid top three. But what happens when the Cougars need to rotate, when they look a little further down the depth chart?
In short, they’ll find a lot of inexperience. Wright has yet to log a college snap. Neither have Hung or fellow linebacker Carsten Reynolds. Incoming third-year sophomore Jack Ellison made a spot start as an injury replacement last fall, and Gage Jones registered 51 snaps of defense last season. But that’s about all the experience WSU has beyond the trio of the two Browns and Warner.
Will that be enough for the Cougars to flourish on defense this fall? That much has yet to be determined. But days like Thursday’s practice certainly help Bray and that unit.
