Will WSU make a change at QB? The case for and against all three Cougar signal-callers

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Oct. 6—PULLMAN — Since last winter, change has swept across Washington State's program like strong Palouse winds, uprooting everyone from the head coach to assistants to players and other staffers. The Cougars hired replacements for everyone, ushering in a new era, now guided by head man Kirby Moore and his group of assistants.

Still, for the second straight year, WSU's football program appears the same as the Cougars still struggle with a QB quandary early in the season.

A year ago, former coach Jimmy Rogers decided to bench Jaxon Potter for Zevi Eckhaus after three games. This fall, Moore has to decide whether to stick with Caden Pinnick — whose struggles have keyed his team's slow 1-4 start — for the team's next game against Utah State Friday. Or switch things up with Julian Dugger or Owen Eshelman instead.

It's a critical decision for WSU, whose sputtering offense ranks among the nation's worst. The Cougars' 19 points per game ranks No. 120 nationwide, their 27% third-down success rate is No. 133 and their 287 yards per game checks in at No. 133, all only a few spots up from last in the country. To get the most out of this season, the Cougs must make the right call at quarterback.

"Everyone's gonna get reps," Moore said. "I think that's the most important thing. Everyone's gotta make the reps count. We'll see where it's at on Friday, and we'll play ball."

"It really starts with the operational piece from an offensive standpoint," Moore also said of his QB evaluations this week, "whether it's a protection check, whether it's something with a motion. Obviously the defense is game-planning just as much as us, so there's times where, yes, there's a first read in a progression, but there's times where we gotta check the ball down. We can't make a bad play worse. So that's the big emphasis. It's gotta start in practice. We'll go through that process. That'll determine what happens on Friday."

While Moore always had a say on the offense, he will be more hands-on now, announcing Monday that he is taking over playcalling duties from offensive coordinator Matt Miller. An offensive-minded coach, Moore called plays from 2023-25 at Missouri, where he worked as the Tigers' offensive coordinator. He also worked the same role at Fresno State in 2022.

Fun fact about that season: The Bulldogs started 1-4, then rallied to make a bowl game, where they met the Cougars. A key reason why Fresno State turned things around centered on the return of quarterback Jake Haener, whose talent helped the Bulldogs finish the regular season with eight straight wins.

Does WSU have a quarterback like that waiting in the wings? We'll have to wait until Friday evening to find out. It's possible Pinnick returns, but it's also possible that Moore and Miller pivot to Dugger or Eshelman. Each QB is vastly different, so here's an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of each, plus why coaches might look their way.

Let's start with the Cougars' current QB1.

Caden Pinnick

Strengths: Short and intermediate throws, elusiveness, experience with the current roster, full season of FCS ball prior, play action throws, QB keepers

Weaknesses: Struggles with deep throws, pocket presence, decision-making, accuracy on longer passes to the sidelines, turnovers

Why coaches would stick with him: In simplest terms, Pinnick knows WSU's offense best. He's played five games with the team. He knows the playbook. He has rapport with everyone around him, from the offensive line to tight ends to receivers. If the Cougars value experience, which they clearly did when they decided to pursue Pinnick out of the transfer portal thanks to his standout year at FCS UC Davis, he's still their man.

If Pinnick does start Friday's game, it will likely be because coaches believe in his ability to correct his mistakes which he has done at times. He kept things clean in the second half of WSU's win over FCS Duquesne last month, abstaining from the longer pass that resulted in an interception in the first half, and he looked sharp in the first half of the Cougars' next game, a home loss to Arizona. When he's been under control and decisive, Pinnick has been the best version of himself.

Why coaches would move away from him: Pinnick hasn't exactly proven he can keep improving in a consistent way. He's thrown an interception in all five games, and he's lost six total turnovers, including a fumble against Arizona. He's often put his offense in even tougher positions, whether because of bad decision-making or because he's taking sacks — 18 of them so far, which ranks No. 129 of 138 FBS teams nationally.

Coaches might also consider Pinnick's confidence level, and whether that would lend itself to winning a road game. Based on some of his pocket presence, bailing too early at times and sticking in there too long at others, he's looked a bit uneven. That has compounded problems for an offense already mired in enough of them.

Owen Eshelman, redshirt freshman

Strengths: Arm talent, athleticism, ability to push the ball downfield

Weaknesses: Inexperience and hasn't played with starters during the season.

Why coaches would go with him: Eshelman's top strengths are exactly what WSU's offense has been missing: An ability to stretch the field vertically and open up the deep passing game. His arm is not only wicked, but it's also credible, which could force defenses to respect the Cougars' deep passing game. That could open up their offense in a way it hasn't yet, especially for their trio of running backs, who got just five carries in the second half against Fresno State.

Eshelman is also athletic, showing off his ability to scramble during several fall camp practices in August. As a senior at Norman North High in Oklahoma, he tallied 1,312 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns .

It's possible Eshelman could play with youthful energy too, spraying the ball over the field since he doesn't know what he doesn't know. That could be useful in a tough spot.

Why coaches would stay away from him: Eshelman has not played a single snap of college football yet. He's only in his second year at the college level, and while he did get plenty of reps with first-teamers during fall camp, he has no experience in game settings.

That's a tough spot to put a redshirt freshman in: Jumping into action mid-season, on the road at night, tasked with taking down the Pac-12's fourth-best defense. It's also a lot of pressure to put on a 19-year-old.

That could make things even worse for a struggling offense, and it could put even more pressure on this WSU defense, which has had to play heavy snaps in large part thanks to the offense's woes.

Julian Dugger, redshirt sophomore

Strengths: Athleticism, running ability, experience

Weaknesses: Throwing accuracy, pocket presence and awareness

Why coaches would go with him: If WSU coaches decide they need a jolt of energy and athleticism at the QB spot, Dugger should be their guy. He's one of the best athletes on the team, and certainly the best athlete in the QB room, a quick-twitch lefty who always poses a threat to scramble from the pocket and make a defender — or three — miss.

Dugger also has more experience than Eshelman. He started his career at Pittsburgh, when he started a bowl game, completing 7 of 13 passes for 72 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in that 2024 game. And in WSU's bowl game win last year, Dugger came off the bench to complete 2 of 3 passes for 39 yards, plus a long 32-yard touchdown rush, showing off the speed and elusiveness that makes him so dangerous.

Widely regarded as a pure runner early in his WSU tenure, Dugger also showed some improved throwing accuracy during fall camp, using his lefty approach to connect with all kinds of targets. He was hardly perfect, and he missed several throws. But he looked better than he did in 2025.

Why coaches would stay away from him: Dugger would have to prove to Utah State's defense that he can hurt them with his arm, which is not exactly a promising place for the Cougars' offense to start from. He's best as a runner, and while he has looked better throwing the ball, he doesn't have a credible resume doing so in game settings.

For his career, Dugger has completed 9 of 19 passes for 111 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Perhaps even more problematic, one of the biggest flaws in Dugger's game is his pocket presence. In fall camp, he took several sacks because he wasn't aware of blitzers, and in a game setting, that could open up the door for more turnovers. He didn't always look comfortable in the pocket.

Which is one of the bigger problems Pinnick is facing. Would the Cougars want to roll out a QB with similar issues as the guy they've started for five straight games? Dugger has a wealth of athleticism, which could spark this offense, but because of Dugger's pocket presence difficulties, coaches would be rolling the dice in the same ways they have been with Pinnick.

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