PULLMAN -- Kirby Moore likes what he’s seeing from three of Washington State’s biggest summer risers, and the message is pretty clear: Tony Freeman, Linus Zunk and Matyus McLain didn’t spend the offseason coasting.
Moore told Cougfan.com that Freeman has taken another step with his speed, his body and the way he’s handled it, while the two edge defenders have been just as relentless.
"Tony Freeman, I think just (hit) even another level with his speed and his body and taking care of it," Moore said. "And then on defense, both edge guys, Linus Zunk, Matyus McLain, we can't get them out of this building. With the new locker room, I had to go check to make sure no one was sleeping down there last night.
"There is a great strive by those guys to push their personal bests. Whether it's in the weight room, on the field, with our players from a leadership standpoint. I think those guys have had a very big impact."
Freeman enters the season as the heavy favorite to lead the Cougars in receiving. The 5-8, 174-pound fourth-year player from Richmond, Calif., caught 54 passes for 590 hashes and three touchdowns last year, and he also became a real factor on special teams.
Zunk and McLain - the Bash Brothers - are expected to anchor Washington State’s pass rush off the edge. Zunk is a 6-6, 264-pound fifth-year player from Berlin, Germany, while McLain is a 6-4, 263-pound fourth-year player.
That kind of veteran presence matters, and Moore said those are the kinds of players setting the tone before fall camp even starts.
At tight end, the Cougars are working through some early limitations. Cash Landau will be restricted at the start, which opens the door for Huddy Cedarland and Peyton Read to get a heavy dose of work. Moore said the staff plans to use multiple fields during fall camp, giving the tight end group plenty of chances to stack reps before decisions are made at the end of camp.
Jack Pedersen and Beau Baker are expected to handle most of the snaps with Leckner sidelined until mid-season because of a foot injury, but Moore made it clear there’s still room for someone else to break through.
The right tackle job is another spot drawing real competition, with Maximus McCree and Jaylin Caldwell in the mix. Moore also said Jonny Lester has been getting work there, just as he did last season, as the staff looks at different combinations.
"There'll be a ton of competition there. Even Jonny (Lester)'s taking reps out at right tackle.
That's something that he did last year. So we're gonna explore those different lineups.
"We have to figure out what our best five is, and what they do well. That should take some pressure off the quarterback.
We have to be able to run the football. And then with that, it's about catering to the personnel from a skill group standpoint.
I think that'll be a great competition."
Moore also described how Washington State plans to manage running back reps and other crowded position groups. The idea, he said, is to split work between a ones-and-twos field and a younger field, with the younger players getting fewer reps but still enough to develop.
"Whether it's running back or we talked about tight end and positions on defense, that's where the split fields will show up," Moore said. "We'll have kind of a ones and twos field, we'll have a younger field, and so with that, their reps might be a little bit less.
We're going to go quality over quantity on that field because we have to find out if one of those guys can jump in. Maybe with that first and second group.
"The best way to get better at playing football is to play. And sometimes the young guys are stuck on the side (so) let's make sure we're getting them on a separate field there for maybe not the same number of reps, but they're getting plenty of reps. And then at the same time, we're having situations where we have everyone together."
As for the new five-for-five rule, Moore said there are still unresolved questions around how it will work.
"I think there's some different interpretations as well, just being honest. So we are awaiting clarification on some of those things.
We want to do what's best for Washington State. At the same time our focus is on the 105 (on the roster).
It's gray."
Moore also touched on defensive tackle Paul Hutson III, who is listed at 258 pounds. He said there’s some hybrid use there, with Hutson continuing to find the best weight to help him play on the edge while still allowing Washington State to stay disruptive up front.
"There's a little bit of hybrid there of playing both. I think he's going to continue to find the best weight for him to make sure he's able to play on edges.
From a defensive line standpoint, we want to make sure we're able to be disruptive. I think Coach Bray does a really good job of helping those guys up front play fast and play that attacking style."
In Other News...
WSU Fall Camp Already Put Two Crucial Position Battles In Focus
Washington State opened fall camp under new head coach Kirby Moore with the sort of early-August activity that tends to tell you a lot about where a roster really stands. The first practice brought immediate competition at quarterback, where three players are battling for the job, while the offensive line was already being shuffled as the staff looked at different combinations. Moore said the group brought good energy and communication, but the first day also showed there is still work to do on timing and the passing game down the field.
The quarterback race is especially worth watching because the early reps are already revealing strengths and gaps that will shape the rest of camp. The Cougars are trying to sort out more than one key answer at once, and the line looks no less unsettled as the staff tests how pieces fit together in front of the new offense. For a team under a first-year coach, those kinds of decisions tend to define camp long before the first scrimmage does. [Read more 🡒]