Apr. 17—PULLMAN — Washington State’s class of 2026 is gaining members by the day.
On Thursday, the Cougars landed their second pledge in the class, which comes from linebacker/safety Bradley Esser out of Harrisburg, South Dakota, where WSU coach Jimmy Rogers offered him at South Dakota State.
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The 6-foot-2 Esser, who doesn’t have a star rating on recruiting services, also held offers from FCS clubs North Dakota and Northern Iowa, as well as Division II Augustana.
In the class, Esser joins Seattle product Kingston Fotualii, a three-star offensive lineman from O’Dea High School, who announced his commitment on Wednesday. Fotualii was also pursued by FCS powerhouse Montana.
By earning a commitment from Esser, WSU coaches are continuing to establish a new recruiting frontier for the Cougars — the Midwest. Usually a fruitless part of the country for WSU’s coaches as they focus on the West Coast, the Midwest has yielded several current Cougs, including 2025 high school pledges Owen Eshelman (Oklahoma), Tyrone Cotton (Illinois), Travon Pankey (Missouri) and Dylan Hildebrand (Wisconsin).
Those commitments have all been landed by Rogers and the coaches he brought over from South Dakota State, who are leveraging their Midwest ties to secure commitments from high school prospects to whom WSU usually wouldn’t have access.
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Updated list of Cougars to enter the transfer portal
As of Thursday, 17 Cougars have entered the transfer portal this spring. The spring window officially opened on Wednesday, leading several WSU players to enter their names.
The number might seem a little high for the spring period, but that’s largely due to the changing nature of the college football system. Starting this season, teams will have roster limits of 105 players under new NCAA rules as part of the House vs. NCAA case, which is still in the process of being settled.
Roster limits of 105 players would be implemented (most teams carried around 120 in the past), which means walk-on spots are largely being wiped out, which in turn means coaches are trying to maximize their roster spots. At WSU and elsewhere, players who might not see the kind of playing time they would like are leaving.
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In their places, coaches are looking for players who can contribute and make the most out of the roster limits. That could be a reason why so many Cougars have entered the transfer portal this spring. Here is a full list as of press time Thursday:
Djouvensky Schlenbaker and Josh Joyner, running backs; Jackson Cowgill and Rashad Mackenzie, defensive tackles; Zack Miller and Carson Osmus, offensive linemen; Camden DeGraw-Tryall, defensive end; Dylan Mauro, punter; Sean Embree and Dycurian Douglas, wide receivers; Warren Smith, cornerback; Aslan Fraser, Hunter Haines and Aiden Knapke, safeties; Connor Calvert; kicker; Dajon Doss, linebacker; and Hunter Najm, quarterback.
The newest developments surround defensive linemen Rashad Mackenzie and Camden DeGraw-Tryall, the latter of whom never got on the field as a Cougar. Mackenzie battled injuries each of the past two seasons, but he was expected to see at least a backup role in 2025.
