While the 2027 class is still very much in play, Washington State is already deep into its work on the next wave of prospects.
That’s the reality of recruiting now: if a staff waits until the 2028 class is on the doorstep, it’s already behind. For the Cougars, that means the scouting and support staff - six people whose only job is recruiting, alongside the coaches - are well into the research and planning stage for players who will be high school juniors this fall.
The 2027 group remains a major focus, of course. Washington State landed 16 verbal commitments for that class last month after bringing in more than 40 prospects and their family members for official visits over a three-week stretch. But general manager Brad Larrondo made it clear the program is not stopping there.
“Think of high school recruiting like a funnel,” Larrondo, the football program's general manager, recently told Cougfan.com.
He said there could be anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 players in the class of 2028 within Washington State’s recruiting footprint - everything west of the Rockies plus Texas - who enter that pipeline in some form. Some may already have interest in the Cougars.
Others may have a relationship with the staff or with the high school program. From there, the process gets narrower and more selective.
“And then we go in and really evaluate. Are they what we're looking for?
Do they fit the criteria we want from a scouting standpoint as well as character? We want guys that want to compete, that are competitors.
The DNA of what we want to be is about competing all the time and guys who flat out love football.”
For Larrondo, the evaluation goes far beyond measurables or highlight tape. Washington State wants players who can take coaching, stay grounded and handle the demands that come with the opportunity.
“We want guys that absorb information and are coachable, that are humble, that are hungry to come in here and understand they have an opportunity, a very unique opportunity, to play high-level, Division I college football but that it takes sacrifice and drive.”
And above all, he said, the Cougars are looking for players who understand the importance of the group over the individual.
“the one thing that football is, is it is a team sport ,” Larrondo says. “It's the greatest team sport out there.
You've got 11 guys on the field at one time and 10 of them could be doing everything right and one of them doesn't and it could lead to a big play. So you've got to be a great teammate.”
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Three Cougars Earn Early East-West Bowl Recognition For 2026
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The East-West Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 4, 2027, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where selected players get a chance to put themselves in front of NFL coaches. For Washington State, the timing adds a little extra intrigue to a season that opens Sept. 6 against Washington, with these three already on a path to be watched closely long before the rivalry game arrives. [Read more 🡒]