PULLMAN - Washington State’s third day of fall camp produced the kind of throw everyone in crimson and white noticed.
Caden Pinnick launched a ball toward the corner of the end zone, and junior wide receiver Branden Ganashamoorthy had to work for it. The pass came in a little short, so Ganashamoorthy adjusted, fought veteran cornerback Khamari Terrell for position and finished the play with a one-handed catch after the ball struck his right arm. He gathered it in, stumbled forward and kept control all the way through.
The sideline reacted immediately. Ganashamoorthy celebrated with running back Maxwell Woods, then slapped hands with Tony Freeman as the offense recognized what had just happened. It was the flashiest moment of the day, and maybe the biggest individual highlight of WSU’s camp so far.
“He’s really progressed since spring ball,” WSU coach Kirby Moore said.
Ganashamoorthy backed that up with the kind of practice that can change how a receiver is viewed. He hauled in a long touchdown in a team period, added a sliding catch and caught two more touchdowns in 7-on-7 work. It was a sharp showing from a player whose camp clearly looks different than his previous ones.
Moore pointed to the work Ganashamoorthy has put in with strength coach Malcolm Hardmon, noting that the receiver has added weight without giving up the speed and athleticism that already stood out. Moore also said Ganashamoorthy’s broad jump is the highest on the team. The coach said Saturday’s production was a reflection of that offseason work and of the receiver’s hands on contested throws.
“He’s worked his tail off in the off season with (strength) coach (Malcolm) Hardmon,” said Moore, whose team returns to practice on Monday. “I think building some weight, his speed has always been there, athleticism.
His broad jump is through the roof, highest on the team. So for him, I think it just showed up today.
Just strong hands. There were some third-down contested catches.
There was the long ball down the field, and so we gotta keep that up.”
For Ganashamoorthy, the production matters because he hasn’t yet carved out a big role in the passing game. After redshirting as a true freshman in 2023, he has played in 24 games over the last two seasons but has only 10 catches for 97 yards.
Last season, he made his living as a blocker, using his 6-foot-3, 199-pound frame to help in that part of the offense. By Moore’s assessment, he was likely the best blocker in the wide receiver room.
There has been a path blocked in front of him, too. Kyle Williams, Kris Hutson, Josh Meredith and Freeman have all been ahead of him at various points, and even with WSU thin at receiver last season, Ganashamoorthy did not turn that into a breakthrough as a pass-catcher. Still, with camp only three days old and the coaching staff mixing and matching groups, he has a chance to keep pushing for more.
The other big passing play of the day belonged to Freeman.
Owen Eshelman hit him on a deep ball for a touchdown after Freeman got a step on redshirt freshman cornerback Ishmael Gibbs. Eshelman gave Freeman time to get downfield and then dropped the ball into stride for a clean score. It was exactly the kind of throw WSU had not consistently connected on through the first two days of camp, when the quarterbacks missed deep chances and the passes often looked off from the start.
That made Saturday an important step for the offense, especially with the quarterbacks battling for position. Eshelman is competing with Pinnick and returner Julian Dugger for the starting job, and the deep strike to Freeman gave him a clear win in the day’s work.
Freeman also drew praise from Moore for a different reason: reliability. The coach said the receiver has been the most consistent player through the first three practices and praised the steadiness of his route running and hands.
“The consistency of Tony Freeman,” Moore said. “He’s the same guy all the time.
You take it for granted, just the route-running, the hand-eye coordination. I don’t think the balls touch the ground when it’s come his way.
The catches down the field. We’re just really excited about him this fall.”
WSU will spend Monday and Tuesday in shells before putting on the pads Wednesday.
A few other items from Saturday’s practice:
- Offensive lineman Max McCree missed his second straight practice but was present.
Moore said Friday that McCree “came in this morning, wasn’t feeling well. He’ll be back, I think, here shortly.”
- With McCree out, Jonny Lester moved from his usual left guard spot to right tackle.
- Kyle Martin, normally a center, worked at left guard.
- Transfer safety Jeremiah Bernard dropped what would have been an easy interception of Dugger on one team-period play.
- Dugger also threw an interception on a tipped pass that was a little behind his target and picked off by safety Jaylen Thomas.
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Washington States Pac-12 Future Just Got A Lot Clearer
The long-running tug-of-war between the Pac-12 and Mountain West finally has a resolution, and for Washington State it removes one more layer of uncertainty from a realignment saga that has lingered over the program. The two conferences reached a final settlement to end litigation tied to exit and poaching fees, with the Mountain West originally seeking $155 million before agreeing to a payout of roughly $70 million.
Both leagues issued a joint statement confirming the deal and signaling they want to move forward, which matters for a Washington State program trying to chart its next steps in a changing college sports landscape. The agreement also spells out payments for schools leaving the Mountain West, closing off a legal fight that had been hanging over the Pac-12's future and giving the Cougars a clearer picture of the road ahead. [Read more 🡒]