Washington State’s defensive line has started to sort itself out in fall camp, and a big part of that picture is Josh Wedel.
The 6-5, 272-pound second-year from Chaska, Minn., came into camp projected as a defensive end. Instead, he has moved inside to defensive tackle and quickly turned into one of the Cougars’ most impressive defenders on the field. Defensive tackles coach Eti Ena said Thursday that Wedel’s traits showed up right away once he shifted spots.
"As you watched him play on the edge, you could see he's a good defensive lineman," Ena said. "Good defensive linemen, they have the trait that can translate, whether it's on the edge or on the inside. And a lot of it with him is just his size potential, his growth.
"He's a big kid. He's young.
And he's doing a great job. And so it was just the teaching and understanding the alignments and doing things that way."
Wedel isn’t the only tackle making noise. Fourth-year Kaden Beatty, listed at 6-0 and 287 pounds, has emerged as the steady hand of the group and one of just two returners from last season. Ena pointed to Beatty’s presence as a major reason the room is moving the way it is.
"KB is a real leader," Ena said. "He does things the right way, so he does it by his actions.
And he is a vocal force out here. And so when he does those things, complemented by working hard and playing hard and doing things the right way, it's easy to follow a guy like that.
So we really appreciate him for his leadership in our room."
Beatty’s voice is heard in more ways than one. He’s also been one of the loudest trash-talkers in camp, often leading the "sack" chant when the defense gets to the quarterback. Ena said that edge is part of the fun, as long as it stays in the right lane.
"It's energy, and it's energy plus some fun," Ena said. "We want to enjoy this whole process of camp.
And I tell them on some days, you have to find your fun. And so it's kind of energizing, and sometimes we laugh about it.
These guys will talk smack, and then they'll come off laughing. And I think that that's the right way to go about it, so we can reset and be ready for this play that's in front of us now."
He also described the boundary clearly when it comes to all the chatter between the lines.
"It absolutely is a fine line. Because there's this point where are you talking too much that you've distracted yourself?
Or are you having fun with it, enjoying it, like you're trying to distract them? And I think our trenches, the offensive line and defensive line, have a good time ribbing with each other, but get back to work when it's time to work."
Another name drawing attention in the room is Jirah Leaupepe. Ena said Leaupepe has grown into a well-rounded piece up front, with the ability to impact both phases of the game.
"He's a well-rounded player. So it's a lot of things.
But in the run game, he can be a force. And then he can also transition into his pass rush stuff.
And he's also a guy in the room, along with KB, that we see as one of our leaders."
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