Washington State’s first official depth chart of the season arrived Wednesday, and the biggest thing jumping off the page was simple: 12 ORs.
With the Cougars set to face Kansas State at 9 a.m. Saturday on TNT, WSU’s first public look at the pecking order showed mostly clear-cut starters, but there were still a few spots where the staff left things open. The Cougars had declined to release a depth chart before the opener at UW.
A few injuries also shaped the picture. Tight ends Trey Leckner and Hudson Cedarland were not listed as they continue to nurse injuries.
Peyton Read was also absent, though it was not clear whether that was injury-related. Wide receiver Tony Freeman was included among the injured players, and earlier in the week Kirby Moore had said he seemed unlikely to play Saturday.
On offense, the chart came out like this:
QB: Caden Pinnick/Owen Eshelman OR Julian Dugger
RB: Kirby Vorhees/Maxwell Woods OR Leo Pulalasi
WR: Darrius Clemons OR Branden Ganashamoorthy
WR: Tony Freeman/Tank Hawkins
WR: Daniel Blood/Jordan Dees
TE: Jack Pedersen/Beau Baker
LT: Ashton Tripp/Maximus McCree
LG: Kyle Martin/Chris Lino
C: Noah Dunham/Arion Williams
RG: Nick Bakken/Sone Falealo OR Turner Bertrand
RT: Jonny Lester/Jaylin Caldwell
One of the more notable wrinkles is Maximus McCree at left tackle. He had worked on the right side throughout spring and fall camp, but left tackle is a spot he has played before. Kyle Lino’s placement on the interior is also worth a look, given his 6-8, 316-pound frame and the reminder it brings of Cody O’Connell, who was 6-9.
There weren’t many major shocks in the offensive two-deep. Darrius Clemons and Branden Ganashamoorthy both being listed as starters stood out a bit, and veteran offensive lineman Xavier Thorpe was a mild surprise as the one who did not crack the two-deep at either guard or tackle.
The defense brought its own clues. The defensive tackle group was listed in a way that showed all five DTs on equal footing, and it also looked like a clear sign of confidence in Wedel, who had mostly been off the radar until fall camp.
The edge players were listed as EDGEs rather than defensive ends, even though they are labeled as defensive ends on the roster.
At linebacker, Ellison was included at MIKE even though he did not play on defense on Sunday, and Ridley and Peterson were listed as well. In the secondary, Washington State simply listed two safeties without separating them into strong and free.
And then there was special teams.
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Moore offered only a limited reaction right after the game, but by the time he spoke again he had already had a chance to sit with what the night meant. The broader family backdrop only adds to it, with coaching debuts for his father Tom and brother Kellen providing their own reference points, but Kirbys first Apple Cup seemed to leave its own mark as well, even if he was still taking time to sort out exactly what it all meant. [Read more 🡒]