Washington State’s first fall camp under a new head coach and a new defensive coordinator comes with a short list of questions that will shape the Cougars’ opening month. The biggest ones are simple: who takes the first snap at quarterback, and who fills the holes in a defense that lost a lot of production?
The Cougars open camp on Thursday, Aug. 6, at 11:15 a.m., kicking off a slate of 15 practices. Scrimmages are set for Aug. 15 and Aug.
- Eleven of those practices are scheduled for 11 a.m. starts, while the others are listed at 10:10 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
That timing is later than Washington State has typically used the last two years. In 2024, practices usually started at 8:30 or 9 a.m.
In 2025, most began at 9 or 10 a.m. Even with this year’s usual 11 a.m. window, it still comes nowhere near the 2 or 3:30 p.m. starts that were common in the Mike Leach era.
At quarterback, Caden Pinnick looks like the player to beat. He enters camp as the frontrunner and has the most college experience, but he is still in the mix with Owen Eshelman and Julian Dugger. Pinnick appeared to be ahead coming out of spring, though the job is not officially settled yet.
The other big question is how new head coach Kirby Moore will manage the competition in public. Will he name a starter during camp?
Will he wait until before Week 1 against UW? Or will he take the same route Jimmy Rogers did last season, when the quarterback wasn’t announced until the offense ran onto the field for its first series?
On defense, first-year coordinator Trent Bray steps in after seven seasons at Oregon State, including the last two as head coach. His head coaching record there was uneven, but from 2021 through 2023 he built a reputation as one of the Pac-12’s best defensive coordinators, steering physical, disciplined units that helped Oregon State become one of the conference’s top defenses.
Now Bray inherits a group that has lost multiple key pieces through graduation and the transfer portal. That leaves a handful of starting jobs and rotational roles open, and camp should give the first real look at how quickly his system takes hold.
Linebacker is one of the first spots to watch. Keith Brown is back as a starter, and the main question is who joins him. Nylan Brown and redshirt freshman Isaiah Hung are names to keep an eye on.
Up front, the Cougars need more consistent pressure from the defensive line. Idaho transfer Matyus McLain and Vanderbilt transfer Linus Zunk look like important parts of the edge rotation, while Arizona transfer Eduwa Okundaye is another player expected to compete for meaningful snaps.
The secondary is even thinner on experience. Kyle Peterson is the only returning WSU player with game experience there, and he’ll compete for safety snaps. The other names in the mix are San Jose State transfer Jaylen Thomas, Cal Poly transfer Jeremiah Bernard, Trey Ridley, Arizona State transfer Jack Bal and Arizona transfer Jshawn Frausto-Ramos.
How that group comes together will go a long way toward determining whether Washington State can build on its 2025 defensive campaign.
Another name worth tracking is Lance McGee, the highest-rated prep recruit in Washington State’s 2026 class. He was originally committed to Oregon State, then flipped and followed Bray to Pullman.
McGee put up huge numbers as a senior in high school, rushing for 2,489 yards and 42 touchdowns. He also ran for 368 yards and six touchdowns in a Washington 4A state championship game win.
He is listed on the roster as both a linebacker and running back, and the staff will have to decide where he fits best. His clearest path to playing time as a freshman appears to be at linebacker, especially with the Cougars returning an experienced running back group in Kirby Vorhees, Leo Pulalasi and Maxwell Woods. That depth makes the backfield harder to crack, while the linebacker room offers a better chance to get on the field sooner.
All of it leads toward the same destination: Washington State’s season opener against Washington in the Apple Cup. Between now and then, the Cougars still have to settle the quarterback race and see which defenders can rise fast enough to handle the jobs waiting for them.
In Other News...
WSU Enters Camp With A Wide Open Battle At Receiver
Washington State heads into fall camp Thursday with one of its most unsettled position groups sitting at receiver, where the Cougars have layered in several transfer additions to reshape the depth chart. Tank Hawkins, Darrius Clemons, Daniel Blood, Jordan Dees and Ryan McKendry all arrive with a chance to factor in, while returning receiver Tony Freeman is also in the mix for a meaningful role as the staff sorts out who can handle the biggest load.
The competition has some added intrigue because the group is not just crowded, it is still sorting through availability questions before the first full stretch of camp work begins. Blood's spring showing gave him a strong case to push for early snaps, and Clemons brings obvious talent if he can stay on the field, which leaves Washington State with a receiver room that could look very different by the time the season opener arrives. [Read more 🡒]