Washington State heads into 2026 with a new coaching staff, a quarterback competition still unresolved, and the kind of roster turnover that makes the returnees even more valuable. Yes, the transfer portal brought in plenty of new blood. But the Cougars’ path near the top of the rebuilt Pac-12 will depend just as much on the players who already know Pullman.
One of the most important holdovers is Keith Brown, who is entering his third season in Pullman with his third different head coach and defensive coordinator. Brown missed all of last season because of an injury, but he got a sixth year of eligibility through a medical redshirt.
His role was already expanding before the setback, as he played in all 13 games in 2024 and finished with 26 tackles. Former head coach Jimmy Rogers tried hard to bring Brown with him to Iowa State, but Brown stayed put.
He also made it clear he wanted to help new head coach Kirby Moore keep the roster together, and he looks positioned to be a leader on a revamped Cougar defense.
The other Brown to watch is Nylan Brown, a transfer from Kent State who brings needed experience to the linebacker room. He had 38 tackles last season and one of his better outings came against Texas Tech, when he finished with seven tackles. He is expected to pair with Keith Brown as Washington State’s starting linebacker duo for Trent Bray, and with limited collegiate experience at the position, the Cougars need him healthy and productive.
Washington State’s defense also gets a boost from Matyus McLain, who arrives from Idaho after a standout year in the Big Sky Conference. He posted 42 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and earned All-Big Sky Conference Honorable Mention. McLain is stepping up to the FBS level, and with the Cougars needing to replace major production on the defensive line, he could become a key piece quickly.
Another transfer who may end up shaping the front is Paul Hutson III. After stops at Austin Peay, Campbell and Marshall, he comes to Pullman off a productive season with the Thundering Herd, where he logged 40 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
He is listed as a defensive tackle, but his versatility could send him to different spots depending on the package and the situation. That kind of flexibility makes him one of Washington State’s biggest defensive wild cards.
The secondary will also have a very different look, which puts more on the shoulders of Kyle Peterson. The true freshman played in all 13 games last season, made nine tackles and recovered a fumble. With Matthew Durrance and Tucker Large both gone after graduation, there are plenty of snaps up for grabs, and Peterson will try to turn that early promise into a much larger role.
On offense, the biggest name to know is Caden Pinnick, who arrives from UC Davis after a huge redshirt freshman season. He earned FCS Football Central Freshman All-American honors and was named Big Sky Freshman of the Year after throwing for 3,206 yards and 32 touchdowns while also running for 437 yards and three scores. Pinnick still has to win the quarterback battle over Owen Eshelman and Julian Dugger, but his production and dual-threat ability make him a serious contender to become the next face of the Cougar offense.
Washington State also kept one of its biggest big-play threats in Tony Freeman. He enters his third season in Pullman and remains one of Kirby Moore’s most important retention wins.
Freeman is a dangerous deep target and one of the nation’s top punt returners, and Cougar fans already saw how quickly he can tilt a game with five punt returns of 40-plus yards last season. With Tank Hawkins on the other side, Freeman gives the Cougars a receiver who can stress a defense in a hurry.
He was also underused at times last season, which only adds to the sense that a breakout year could be coming if the offense pushes the ball downfield more often.
Kirby Vorhees is another key returner who gives the offense some stability. He was RB1 last season and finished with 576 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Vorhees, Maxwell Woods and Leo Pulalasi form what could be one of the better running back rooms in the Pac-12, and with a veteran offensive line in front of him, Vorhees has a chance to take another step forward.
That offensive line starts with Ashton Tripp, a 6-foot-7, 308-pound left tackle from Kennewick who is back for his redshirt junior year. Tripp started all 13 games last season and allowed just one sack. He returns to a group that kept all but one offensive lineman with remaining eligibility, and he should remain one of the central pieces of what Washington State wants to do offensively.
Finally, there’s Jack Stevens, whose return might not grab headlines but matters plenty. He drew interest from multiple Power 4 programs before choosing to stay in Pullman.
Stevens went 16 for 19 on field goals last season and was perfect on extra points, giving the Cougars rare steadiness at a position that often decides games. With Freeman handling returns and Stevens handling kicks, Washington State has a strong foundation on special teams to start the season.
In Other News...
Oregon State Fans Finally Get The Answer On The New Pac-12
The Pac-12 officially relaunched operations on July 1, giving Oregon State and Washington State a clearer picture of the league they will help anchor moving forward. After a turbulent stretch that left the conference fighting for its place, the rebuilt version now has a full-time membership base again, along with additional affiliate help across Olympic sports as it tries to stabilize both its football and broader athletic footprint.
For the Cougars, the most important part is that the new structure is no longer just a concept on paper. The leagues next phase is set to begin in the 2026-2027 academic year, and the reshaped conference now has enough members to keep its FBS status and preserve the kind of postseason access that matters across the board. The remaining question is how all of those pieces will fit once competition actually starts. [Read more 🡒]
WSU Future Is At Center Of A Fight Cougs Know Too Well
The fight over college sports money has reached Washington, and Rep. Michael Baumgartner is putting Washington State Universitys experience right at the center of it. The WSU graduate has been talking about the financial strain created by the Pac-12 breakup and backing legislation he says could make the system more balanced, protect Olympic sports and narrow the gap between conferences that have pulled far ahead of others.
For Cougars fans, the argument is familiar because the consequences have already shown up in Pullman. Baumgartner has pointed to the way the current model squeezes schools like WSU, and he has also been pushing for geographically sensible leagues instead of the sprawling national setups that have become common. His preferred fix would look more like the NFLs collective media rights approach, with football money helping support the rest of the athletic department, but getting there means navigating the same power dynamics that have made reform in college sports so difficult. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State May Have Quietly Found A Scorer Worth Watching
Washington State may have quietly added a guard who could change the shape of its offense next season. Lazerek Houston arrives from Central Missouri with a track record that demands attention, having put up big numbers at the Division II level while also collecting major conference honors along the way. For a Cougars team looking for reliable shot creation, that kind of resume makes him more than just another transfer to monitor.
David Riley has already pointed to Houston as a player with real upside, and the fit is easy to see on paper. The question now is how that scoring will translate once the game gets bigger and stronger around him, especially when he has to create and finish through Division I size and physicality. If Houston can carry over even part of what made him so productive before, Washington State may have found one of the more intriguing offensive pieces on its roster. [Read more 🡒]