As TE Trey Leckner re-signs with WSU, Cougars will return their top two players at the position

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Jan. 2—PULLMAN — On the first day of the transfer portal window, Washington State got more good news.

Tight end Trey Leckner has re-signed with the Cougars, the program announced Friday morning, agreeing to a new revenue-sharing NIL deal. The 14th Cougar to do so this offseason, Leckner will have two more years of eligibility.

In his second season of action this fall, Leckner played in all 13 games, including nine starts. He hauled in 24 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns, including two in an early-season win over San Diego State. A Snohomish native, Leckner's best attribute is his pass-catching, which he wielded to great effect this fall.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, Leckner is the second tight end to re-sign with WSU, joining rising sophomore Beau Baker. That means in new coach Kirby Moore's first season, the Cougars won't just return their top two tight ends with eligibility. They return their top five offensive linemen as well, giving Moore and new offensive coordinator Matt Miller a solid foundation of continuity.

Leckner flashed his catch-and-run ability on several occasions this season, including a 51-yard outing against Utah State in last month's Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and a 22-yard showing against James Madison, which came on three receptions. Leckner first started to turn heads in 2024, when he tallied two starts and three catches for 56 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown reception.

Since then, Leckner has profiled as a versatile tight end, though he could stand to improve in the blocking department. This season, he earned a 54.8 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, which also handed him a pass-blocking grade of 55.3, both middling figures. But it's also worth noting that when the Cougars needed a key block from a tight end, they usually turned to Ademola Faleye, who played his final year of eligibility for WSU this fall.

Here is a list of the 14 players to re-sign with the Cougars this offseason: Leckner, running backs Kirby Vorhees and Maxwell Woods; offensive linemen Ashton Tripp, Jonny Lester, Kyle Martin, Jaylin Caldwell, Noah Dunham and Nick Bakken; linebacker Keith Brown; safety Trey Ridley; quarterback Owen Eshelman; kicker Jack Stevens and Baker. The last four were announced on Thursday.

Meanwhile, as of Friday afternoon, 27 Cougars found themselves in the transfer portal, which will be open from Friday to Jan. 16. Here is a list of the 12 who entered the portal on Friday.

Bryson Lamb, DT

One of the more costly losses on defense for WSU, Lamb started all 12 games and totaled 25 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks. Lamb, a reliable and physical presence on the interior, also blocked a field goal against Colorado State, underscoring the growth he showed in his redshirt junior campaign this fall.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 301 pounds, Lamb finally broke out the way he was waiting for earlier in his career. Among rotation players, Lamb finished seventh on the team with a run defense Pro Football Focus grade of 68.8. The Bellingham native spent four seasons at WSU, playing in 27 games across three years of action.

Jack Janikowski, DE

After two years in a reserve role with the Cougars, Janikowski broke out this season, registering 10 tackles and one sack in 13 games. Listed at 6-2 and 242 pounds, Janikowski also recorded three tackles for loss and four QB pressures. He was a valuable part of WSU's pass rush rotation, playing 168 snaps of defense on the year.

The brother of former WSU placekicker Dean Janikowski, Jack made a career-high five tackles in a road loss to Oregon State. If he and Lamb do depart the Cougars, the program will have serious holes to fill at the defensive tackle and defensive end positions, especially because veterans Max Baloun and Mike Sandjo are also on their way out.

Travon Pankey, RB

Originally committed to former coach Jimmy Rogers as part of South Dakota State's class of 2025, Pankey never saw the field at WSU and took a redshirt season. He's a native of Kansas City.

Titus Miller, DT

After redshirting his true freshman season in 2024, Miller played 14 snaps of defense in four games this season. It was clear Miller wasn't particularly close to earning meaningful playing time at WSU.

Damarius Russell, safety

Russell played in five games as a true freshman, keeping his redshirt season intact. He didn't earn a prominent enough role to burn his redshirt, as Rogers predicted he would before the season, but Russell's upside was clear. In the Potato Bowl, he returned an interception for a long touchdown, but it was called back due to a penalty.

A Minnesota native, Russell totaled two tackles as a Cougar. He also flipped his commitment from SDSU to WSU when Rogers became the Cougs' coach.

Trevor Bindel, OL

Bindel redshirted this season in his true freshman campaign, but he played in three games, filling in for injured teammates. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, Bindel made his college debut on Nov. 1 against Oregon State, when he subbed in for right guard AJ Vaipulu. He also played two snaps in WSU and OSU's second clash and three more in the Cougars' Famous Idaho Potato Bowl win over Utah State.

Because of the flashes he showed as a true freshman, Bindel might have been able to crack the rotation next fall, but he would likely slot in behind right guard Noah Dunham.

Duhron Goodman, safety

Backing up WSU's veteran safety trio, Goodman acquitted himself well in his one season with the Cougars, making eight tackles in nine games. He missed the final four games of the season with an injury, but he played a solid backup safety when he was healthy, perhaps giving him a path to meaningful snaps in 2026.

Goodman started his career in 2023 at Portland State before transferring to a junior college for the 2024 season.

Trillion Sorrell, CB

Sorrell may have redshirted in his true freshman season, but he played in five games (bowl games don't count against eligibility), signaling how highly the Cougars' coaches thought of him. Listed at 6-1 and 170 pounds, Sorrell was another of Rogers' class of 2025 SDSU commits, and Rogers said before the season Sorrell may force his way into the CB rotation.

That didn't exactly unfold, at least not to the extent Rogers predicted, but it's clear how bright a future Sorrell has.

Brody Miller, safety

Another of Rogers' 2025 SDSU commits, Miller played in five games this fall, preserving his redshirt season. All but one of his snaps came on special teams. A Minnesota native, Miller showed some flashes with his athleticism.

Ajani Sheppard, QB

A former transfer from Rutgers, Sheppard arrived in Pullman after spring ball, but in time for a four-way QB competition during fall camp. But as the season drew closer, it became clear that Sheppard was on the outside looking in, losing ground to the other three quarterbacks in the mix.

A New York native, Sheppard never got on the field as a Cougar. He'll take his dual-threat skillset to another club next fall.

Connor Sullivan, DT

A hulking presence listed at 6-4 and 270 pounds, Sullivan played 13 snaps in three games in his true freshman season, preserving his redshirt year. Sullivan, an Illinois native, was another player committed to Rogers in SDSU's class of 2025.

Donovan Fitzmaurice, DT

Perhaps the freshman with the most promising future on WSU's defense this season, Fitzmaurice's departure is trouble for the Cougars. In nine games this fall, he totaled 10 tackles with one sack, plus one QB hurry against Virginia that led to an incompletion. He provided valuable depth on the Cougs' defensive line, and in his first season of college ball, Fitzmaurice made it clear he was ready for a more prominent role in 2026.

Fitzmaurice, a class of 2025 prospect, also flipped his commitment to WSU and followed Rogers. He hails from the St. Louis area.

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