'We won't bat 1.000': Will WSU be able to retain key players this offseason? That's where the team's culture might come in

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Nov. 19—PULLMAN — Across the last few years, as NIL and the transfer portal have tightened their grip on the college football ecosystem, Washington State has operated in a liminal space in between.

The Cougars are trying to succeed on two fronts at the same time. They're trying to play catch-up on the NIL front, rallying donors and waking up alumni to the way those funds can directly impact on-field success. But encouraging as that progress may be for the program, it hasn't been enough to fend off college football's biggest spenders, which have poached the Cougs' brightest stars of the past two years.

In that way, coach Jimmy Rogers' approach to retaining his WSU players won't resonate as anything new around the program. The Cougars want to give players such a rich and rewarding experience that they feel compelled to stay, Rogers said, and he's hoping that momentum snowballs and snowballs until the university is better equipped to compete in the financial space.

In recent years, that has been the strategy at Washington State, a longtime underdog on the field. But is Rogers building something new, something sustainable, something more promising? We'll find out for certain in the weeks ahead, after WSU wraps up its regular season on Nov. 29 and when the portal officials opens on Jan. 2. But early returns seem to suggest that Rogers and his assistants are constructing something distinct, something profound enough to resonate with 18-to-23-year-olds.

"Will we retain everybody? We won't bat 1.000. I've said that before," Rogers said on Monday, ahead of his team's road test against No. 21 James Madison, which is surging into the College Football Playoff conversation. "But hopefully they have an experience here that is meaningful enough to say, you know what? I know what I can get somewhere else. I love it here because of how I'm coached, because of the relationships that have been formed here. And that's an effort on coaches too, opening themselves up and wanting to do it for the right reason."

If there's good news under the hood for the Cougars, it's this: Many of the players who might profile as possible candidates to be poached don't have any more eligibility after this season. Queue up the list: Safeties Tucker Large and Cale Reeder, quarterback Zevi Eckhaus, wide receiver Josh Meredith, offensive linemen Christian Hilborn and Brock Dieu, defensive lineman Darrion Dalton.

Rogers doesn't have to worry about those guys going anywhere. But he said "we won't bat 1.000" for a reason. The Cougs roster has several others who will no doubt fetch offers when the offseason hits. Heck, it's possible they are right now, underscoring the lawless nature of the beast. For the NCAA, enforcement of the rules has all but fallen by the wayside.

For his part, Rogers understands how quickly times are changing and why it's important he stays ahead of the curve, but he does lament that part. In years past, he says, players ended one season and prepared for the next, thinking, what's my next step here? How can I carve out a bigger role for myself next year?

"And I'm not saying all players are like this, but a lot of times it's like, 'What am I worth now?' " Rogers said. "So that's where it's a little different. It's unique. It's a unique world that we're living in, and you need to be aware of how important NIL is, and the collective is, and growing that and not just take for granted the relationships. Because at times, you're not always valued at (an amount) just because somebody's willing to pay you more money. When you get there, you're not valued the same as technically you would at a place that you've been in the system and have a role — just maybe you don't have the money."

Which leads us to the question that will define WSU's offseason: How much do players like their experience? Would they feel compelled to stay if presented with an opportunity to leave?

Earlier this season, defensive end Jack Janikowski was asked about a recent comment from Rogers, who told reporters that when he hits the recruiting trail, he tells starters about it. I'm bringing in someone to replace you. "That's the goal for all coaches across the landscape of college football. I just maybe say it more bluntly," Rogers said then.

"I think it's great. I think that's what makes Rogers who he is," Janikowski said. "He's truly to his word. He says what he means, 100%. If you want to hear the truth, you're gonna hear the truth, no matter what. And I truly appreciate that, and everyone on the team loves that about him, because as a football team, especially nowadays with money flying around and all that stuff, you don't know what coaches are saying. But Rogers is truly to his word, and all of our coaches are to their word. They'll tell you straight up what's happening and how it's gonna go."

"It's hard to put it into words," said linebacker Caleb Francl during fall camp, referring to why he followed Rogers from South Dakota State to WSU. "Very intentional with what he does, how he approaches things. He's a guy you really look up to."

"I'll say it's a complete (180). I won't go too deep about that," said veteran wideout Josh Meredith, who spent the previous three-plus seasons under former coach Jake Dickert. "But just a guy you can really respect. He's gonna be up front. He's gonna tell you the truth. Nothing's personal that comes out of his mouth. He really does want the best for you. He might look like he's mean mugging all the time, but I promise you, he's a good guy, and he just wants the best out of all of us."

Sure, not all 100-some Cougars will share the same opinion as those three players. But at some point, it's a trend. Will that be enough for the team's top players, the ones who could help WSU succeed in the new Pac-12, stay in Pullman?

The truth is the program could use more revenue to put toward NIL, which is one reason why university president Elizabeth Cantwell is now looking for a new AD, according to one source. The Cougs need an aggressive fundraiser, particularly ahead of the new year, which is when the portal will open. WSU's previous AD, Anne McCoy, said this year the football team had an annual revenue-sharing pool of $4.5M, a fraction of the $20M cap. But even the Cougs' number includes benefits like scholarships and stipends, McCoy said, making the true NIL number something lower.

Either way, when this offseason hits, will the Cougars bat 1.000 on the retention front? Not even their head coach is expecting that. But something like .750 wouldn't be too bad, either.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos