Washington State’s 2026-27 roster has taken shape, and David Riley’s third season in Pullman is set to open with a group built from the transfer portal, international reach and a few returning pieces trying to carve out bigger roles.
Riley spent the offseason digging through transfer hot sheets and leaning on contacts around the world to rebuild the Cougars for a year that matters. The result is a roster with layers: a projected star, a handful of regulars, and a few wild cards who could swing how this season looks once the ball tips Monday against Davidson.
“Everyone came in here with a chip on their shoulder,” WSU forward Ronnie Harrison said.
At the top of the board sits the player who appears most likely to drive the entire operation. He is the projected leading scorer, and his health, happiness and production are described as crucial to the Cougars’ season. Opposing coaches are expected to build their plans around him because he can impact the game on both ends at every level.
The point guard spot also brings a clear jolt of intrigue. The NCAA Division II product has both a “Wow!”
and “It!” factor, according to the breakdown, with the ability to attack off the dribble against almost anyone while still showing enough vision and awareness to create for teammates.
Down low, Washington State is leaning on a three-man post rotation, led by a big who won’t be expected to pile up points but will be counted on to handle the toughest defensive assignments. His job is simple and important: take on the other team’s best big man and hold up.
There is also an edgy scorer in the mix, the kind of player who can take over stretches of a game when things are rolling. On other nights, he may fade into the background. That kind of range is part of what makes him one of the roster’s more fascinating pieces.
On the wing, coaches are waiting for a player whose practice habits have shown more efficiency and high-IQ passing than what has surfaced in the exhibition games. Still, the staff clearly values his complete skill set.
Another wing does a little of everything well, with one standout trait rising above the rest: perimeter shooting. He is expected to be one of the team’s most reliable clutch options from deep.
Then there’s the goggles-wearing guard who, as the breakdown puts it, can really play. He brings elite perimeter shooting, underrated toughness and a knack for winning plays.
In the frontcourt, the biggest body on the roster is expected to matter in the usual ways big men do: rebounding, interior defense and some extra value as a post passer. That connective passing element is a welcome bonus.
There is also a pass-first point guard who stands out because he is the roster’s only true distributor. His role should be straightforward behind Lazerek Houston: handle the ball, set the table and keep the offense organized.
One of the in-state products is still working toward the moment when it all clicks, but he has done enough this fall to stay in the conversation for minutes as an athletic post-up option.
And finally, there is the Australian shooter whose defining trait is the simplest one on the roster: he will fire away from deep whenever he feels like it.
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Washington States Road Test May Come Down To A Few Game Breakers
Washington State heads into its road trip to San Diego State with a pretty simple checklist: steal a possession, hit on a couple of explosives and keep the Aztecs from turning the game into a grind. The Cougars have leaned on playmakers in all three phases, with defensive back Jamarey Smith, wideout Brandan Ganashamoorthy and kicker Jack Stevens all in the mix as the kind of players who can tilt a tight game one snap at a time.
The matchup also brings a few specific pressure points into focus, starting with what San Diego State quarterback Stone Saunders has been doing lately and how the Cougars plan to force him into trouble. On special teams, Jaylon Hawkins is the return threat Washington State has to account for, which makes the hidden yardage battle just as important as anything the offense does. If the Cougars can make one or two game-breaking plays, the rest of the afternoon gets a lot more manageable. [Read more 🡒]
WSUs Lost Season Has Cougars Playing For Something Bigger
A rough season has left Washington State with little left to chase in the standings, but there is still something inside the program worth tracking down the stretch. Trey Leckner has emerged as a key part of the offense after missing the first four games, giving the Cougars a reliable option at tight end even as the team searches for its first FBS win and tries to push through the noise of a 1-7 record.
Inside the locker room, the focus has shifted to finishing in a way that honors the veterans who have been through the whole climb. Matyus McLain and Jamarey Smith are among the players talking about the importance of sticking together for the seniors, with the rest of the roster trying to make sure the final weeks carry meaning beyond the record. [Read more 🡒]
Jimmy Rogers Is Testing Cougs Patience With His WSU Exit Explanation
Jimmy Rogers short run at Washington State is already getting a second look, and not just because it ended after 11 months. The former Cougars head coach recently revisited his exit, saying the job he stepped into was not the same one he believed he was being hired for, while also pointing to the upheaval around the athletics department during his time in Pullman.
The backdrop makes the story even harder to separate from the timing of his departure. Washington State has gone through significant leadership changes, with athletic director Anne McCoy fired and president Kirk Schulz retiring, and Rogers has now moved on to Iowa State after previously leading South Dakota State. What still hangs over the Cougars is the part of the story Rogers did not fully spell out, especially given the broader questions about how much of his decision was tied to what he believed was ahead when he took the job. [Read more 🡒]