Kirby Moore doesn’t usually light up for the cameras, but say Jaylen Thomas’ name and the first-year Washington State coach turns into a different guy.
“Jaylen is a stud,” Moore said on his weekly radio show this week.
It’s easy to see why Moore keeps coming back to the redshirt sophomore safety. Through three games of the 2026 season, Thomas has already delivered two of Washington State’s biggest splash plays: a 50-yard interception return for his first career touchdown to finish the first half against Kansas State two weeks ago, then a 47-yard punt return for a touchdown Saturday against Duquesne.
Some college defenders never find the end zone. Thomas has done it in back-to-back games.
“I am still processing it all happening,” Thomas said.
What makes the production even more striking is that Moore says he isn’t shocked by any of it. The coach often points to the same detail: late nights at safeties coach Greg Burns’ office at Washington State football headquarters, where the light is still on as Moore heads home.
Thomas says that’s just part of how he approaches the game.
“I’d say it is just about respecting your opponent,” Thomas said. “We all signed up for a game that we practice longer than we actually play, so the biggest part about preparation is taking it seriously.”
During the season, if Thomas is still around Burns’ office after practice, he’s generally gone by 9 p.m.
“That is when it got pretty hectic,” Thomas said. “We would get home late - definitely after 9 p.m.”
For Washington State, Thomas has quickly become the kind of player people want to pull for: sharp, focused and easy to talk to. He processes things quickly and answers just as directly.
A big reason for that growth has been his relationship with Burns, who played defensive back at WSU in the early 1990s under former coach Mike Price. Burns first spotted Thomas’ upside last season at San Jose State, where he was then the cornerbacks coach after years as an assistant in the Pac-12 and the NFL. He gave Thomas his shot as a redshirt freshman starter, and Thomas rewarded that trust with six pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.
“The biggest thing, we are pretty similar in the way we think about things in such little detail, and the way things have to be a certain way … and so precise, so we find familiarity in each other,” Thomas said. “That starts the connection. And then the way he coaches football clicks in my brain.”
When Burns later joined Moore’s staff in early January for a second stint at his alma mater, Thomas followed him to Pullman and announced he was transferring.
“I completely trust him,” Thomas said, “because he completely trusts me.”
The move wasn’t a simple one. Thomas’ parents and his two older sisters, Korie and Aubrie, all were student-athletes who graduated from San Jose State.
“As soon as I presented (the idea of transferring to WSU) to my parents, their eyes widened, but at the same time, they were more supportive than anything,” Thomas said. “Obviously they are going to be a little sad that their kid is not going to graduate from their Alma mater, but … since it was for a better opportunity, it’s been all positive.”
Now Thomas is juggling a growing list of interview requests and marketing opportunities while also getting ready for a major test Saturday: Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita.
“I definitely have to give him my respect,” Thomas said. “I cannot say a specific number (of hours studying Fifita on film), but I have given him a respectful amount of film time.”
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WSU Faces An Early Test Against A Coach Who Knows Pullman Well
Arizonas Brent Brennan enters the matchup with Washington State carrying more than a typical opponents scouting report. The Wildcats coach has known Cougars defensive coordinator Trent Bray for a long time, and their shared history stretches back through past coaching stops together. That familiarity adds a personal layer to a game that already figures to tell Arizona plenty about where Washington State stands early in the season.
Brennan also made clear he has spent time studying what Washington State wants to do on offense, with particular attention on the running game and the way the Cougars build their attack. From Arizonas side, the challenge is straightforward: prepare for a scheme Brennan knows will demand discipline, especially against a team that can lean on the ground game to set the tone. For Washington State, it is another early chance to show its identity against a coach who understands the personnel and the place as well as anyone. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Faces Three Washington State Threats That Could Decide Pullman
Brent Brennan knows the trip to Pullman rarely comes with easy answers, and Arizonas third-year coach pointed to the usual road-game variables as the Wildcats prepare to face Washington State. The Cougars bring a few especially tricky matchup pieces into the game, starting with Woods, whose running style can turn a routine carry into a long gain and force a defense to stay alert for the explosive play.
Pinnick has also given Washington State a steadier presence at quarterback, giving the Cougars a more complete look on offense, while Thomas adds value in more than one phase with his work on defense and in punt returns. For Arizona, the challenge is not just slowing one threat but accounting for all three without letting the game tilt in Pullmans favor. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Faces A Real Test In The Matchups That Could Decide Saturday
Brent Brennan and Trent Bray know each other well enough to make Saturdays meeting feel a little different than a typical Pac-12-style chess match, but the real interest for Washington State fans is in how Arizona handles the pressure points that have defined this matchup study all week. The Wildcats are trying to sort through offensive line adjustments while also protecting their quarterback against a defense that is expected to bring heat, and those questions usually tell you plenty about how a game will unfold.
Arizona also has to figure out its own approach at quarterback, because the Cougars are going to have answers of their own on the other side of the ball. The matchup breakdown points to a game shaped less by big-picture narratives than by a few critical snaps up front, where protection, pressure and decision-making could decide which team leaves with the edge. [Read more 🡒]