Portal wrap-up: How did Washington State fare this offseason?

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Jan. 21—PULLMAN — In September, when the gates open and the concession stands whir into action and the lights flip on at Gesa Field, Washington State fans won't just be experiencing the beginning of the Kirby Moore era.

They'll also see a new quarterback pilot the Cougars' offense.

Moore and his assistant coaches made sure of that this offseason, signing UC Davis transfer quarterback Caden Pinnick and re-signing two returners to new NIL revenue-sharing deals, Julian Dugger and Owen Eshelman. One of those players will replace outgoing signal-caller Zevi Eckhaus, who has exhausted his college eligibility.

The transfer portal is now closed, which means WSU's haul is coming into focus. As of Wednesday afternoon — it's possible the team adds a player or two in the days to come, since players already in the portal have no deadline to commit to new schools — the Cougars have added 32 players from the transfer portal, which includes four from the junior college ranks and two on preferred walk-on statuses.

How did the Cougs do? It's tricky to answer that question succinctly because of the strategy Moore seemed to employ out of the portal: Find Power 4 players who didn't get a chance to earn meaningful playing time at their previous schools and give them a shot to revitalize their careers at WSU. Some, like Vanderbilt veteran defensive end Linus Zunk, seem like sure bets. Others, like inexperienced Arizona State transfer safety Jack Bal, register more like rolls of the dice.

Of the 32 players WSU signed this offseason, 12 hail from the Power 4 class, including several other headliners: Florida receiver Tank Hawkins, SMU defensive end DJ Warner, Washington offensive tackle Maximus McCree and UCLA tight end Jack Pedersen, the last of whom will join what is now a tight end corps replete with experience. Even outside that group, several others started their careers at the P4 level, like Texas State cornerback Khamari Terrell and Oregon State wideout Darrius Clemons.

But the name that WSU fans might seek to learn the most about has no experience at that level. Pinnick is certainly moving up a level from UC Davis, where he completed 240 of 345 passes (70%) for 3,206 yards and 32 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, winning Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors last season. He also registered 125 carries for 437 yards and three scores, good for an average rush of 3.5 yards, underscoring his dual-threat capabilities.

Will he earn QB1 honors in his debut season with the Cougs? That much may depend on how Moore and offensive coordinator/QBs coach Matt Miller handle their personnel at that position. Another offseason development to note centers around quarterback Julian Dugger, who re-signed with the team last week. In years past, when players remained with their team, it hardly registered as news. These days, when players sign new revenue-sharing agreements to return to their clubs, it signals an intentionality, an indication that they expect something resembling a meaningful role.

Which is what will make WSU's QB situation intriguing heading into spring ball. Would Dugger and Eshelman re-sign with the Cougs if they didn't think they could get on the field next fall? It seems unlikely. It seems more probable that the Cougs will host a QB competition for the third straight year, involving some combination of Pinnick, Dugger and Eshelman, the Cougs' three scholarship QBs at the moment.

The rub is this: Only one of those guys has extensive experience at the college level. Eshelman has yet to take a college snap, and Dugger has thrown a total of 19 passes, though he has made a number of plays with his legs, including a long touchdown in WSU's bowl game win last month. Pinnick may not have played at the FBS level yet, but he has thrown almost 350 passes in college and reeled in all manner of awards.

Whoever starts for Washington State next fall, it will be a new quarterback for the Cougs, who have rolled out a new signal-caller for each of the past several seasons.

Elsewhere in the Cougars' portal haul, coaches did well to replenish their losses along the defensive line, which included key players Isaac Terrell, Bryson Lamb, Max Baloun and Malaki Ta'ase, all of whom followed former coach Jimmy Rogers to Iowa State. In their stead, Moore made several impressive additions: on the edges, Warner, Zunk, Idaho transfer Matyus McLain and Arizona transfer Eduwa Okundaye; on the interior, Marshall transfer Paul Hutson III, Cal transfer Ike Okafor, Saint Francis transfer Balaam Miller, American River College transfer Akio Martinson and Eastern Washington transfer Jirah Leaupepetele.

That list also includes SMU defensive tackle Damarjhe Lewis, who is committing to WSU, according to a Wednesday report from 247Sports. Lewis' career started at Indiana in 2020, then he transferred to SMU, where he played the 2021 campaign and missed 2022 with an injury. In 2023, he took his talents to Purdue, where he played only two games due to an injury. He played a second season with the Boilermakers in 2024, totaling seven tackles, before winding up back at SMU last season, playing just six snaps in two games.

Can that group provide that same kind of depth that keyed the Cougs' staunch defense last season? The answer may play an outsize role in how WSU fares next fall. Zunk and Warner have proven experience at the Power 4 level, which could make them instant starters. Even McLain enjoyed a huge year with the Vandals last year — including at Gesa Field. Others, like Okundaye and Okafor, will have to prove they can produce at this level.

The Cougs also did well to replace Jamorri Colson and Colby Humphrey, WSU's outgoing cornerbacks, both of whom are out of eligibility. At that position, the Cougs signed Oregon State transfer Jalil Tucker, San Jose State transfer Jaylen Thomas, Arizona transfer Jshawn Frausto-Ramos, Cal Poly transfer CJ Solis-Lumar, Modesto College transfer Elmo Wartson and Terrell, the last of whom was teammates with WSU linebacker Keith Brown at Oregon in 2022.

That group includes three with extensive experience at the Power 4/Group of 5 level. Tucker totaled five pass breakups and one interception last season for the Beavers, playing 11 games with 10 starts. Tucker totaled 59 tackles for SJSU, six pass breakups and one tackle for loss as a redshirt freshman last season, starting in all 12 games. And while Frausto-Ramos didn't play last season at Arizona, he started his career at Stanford, where he played in 21 games in two seasons, including five starts. He totaled 40 tackles, one pass breakup and two sacks in that span, making a splash right away as a true freshman.

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