en-us SportSpyder - The Latest Washington State Cougars Football News https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/news Last season, 14 Cougars played in the NFL regular season, six continued their seasons in the playoffs, two played in Super Bowl LX and won Super Bowl LX with the Seattle Seahawks. Sun, 02 Aug 2026 01:01:08 GMT https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57435386 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57435386 false false If the Cougars’ pass rush winds up as good as advertised, it will likely come from transfers Linus Zunk and Matyus McLain, who impressed during WSU's spring practices. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 22:47:16 GMT Greg Woods https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57434503 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57434503 false false Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of stories that will run each day previewing Washington State’s preseason camp before it begins on Aug. 6. This edition covers the Cougars’ defensive ends. PULLMAN — The best players on Washington State’s defense might hail from two different parts of the world. Their names are Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk, who project to start on either end of the Cougars’ defensive line. McLain’s home is Priest River, Idaho. Zunk’s is Berlin, Germany, a short 5,000-mile jaunt away. This year, they have converged on Pullman to wreak havoc in opposing backfields. They don’t just have the tools. They’ve already proven they can do so. During the Cougars’ spring practices, they made it a habit, using all manner of approaches — swim moves, jukes, power rushes, you name it — to beat offensive linemen and surge into the backfield for simulated sacks. If you dropped by any practice, it would have been one of the first things you noticed. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 262 pounds, Zunk is a transfer from SEC club Vanderbilt, where he played in 36 games across three seasons of action. He tallied three sacks on 13 pressures last season. A hulking pass rusher who figures to make an immediate splash, last fall he also registered 15 tackles, including 3 1/2 for loss, giving him 38 tackles (7 ½ for loss) and five sacks for his Commodore career. McLain, himself listed at 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds, started all 12 games last season at nearby Idaho, where he totaled 42 tackles, including 13 1/2 for loss and 4.5 sacks. That helped him earn All-Big Sky honorable mention honors on defense. McLain spent three years with the Vandals, playing in 24 total games. Last season, he pocketed 34 quarterback pressures, registering at least four in five games — including a six-pressure game against St. Thomas. Much could change during fall camp, and those two aren’t the only ones who could generate meaningful production in WSU’s defensive ends room. Other names to watch: Veteran Michael Hughes, Arizona transfer Eduwa Okundaye and Malachi Wrice, the last of whom capped WSU’s spring game with a pick-six on QB Caden Pinnick. Those guys could provide valuable depth, especially when Zunk and McLain need breathers, an effective approach to getting the most out of players that last year’s WSU coaching staff wielded well. But if the Cougs’ pass rush winds up as good as advertised, it will likely come from Zunk and McLain, perhaps the team’s top two defensive standouts from spring ball back in April. They’re big and athletic, and perhaps most meaningfully, they have lots of experience at the college level. Zunk did his thing in the SEC. McLain did his in the Big Sky, which might be an FCS conference, but remember last season when Idaho visited WSU? Remember when Angel Johnson coughed up a late fumble that the Vandals almost returned for a touchdown? McLain was the one who shot through the line of scrimmage and laid the hit on Johnson. “There was some high emotions,” McLain said in April of playing WSU, “maybe a little bit of resentment at the time, because I was like, they didn’t want me. That’s not really my mojo, though. For the most part, I’m a very happy, easygoing guy most of the time.” “Those guys are great,” WSU coach Kirby Moore said, also in the spring. “We have to set edges from a defensive standpoint. We gotta put pressure on the quarterback. They’ve shown up consistently every day. A ton of communication at that edge position with the front in terms of getting set. And Coach (Andrew) Browning is a very, very elite edge coach, and it’s shown up.” One thing to monitor on this front: How much depth do the Cougs have at this spot? Wrice made a fantastic play to pick off a pass in the spring game, but it’s not likely he’ll be asked to drop into coverage in any meaningful capacity this fall. Incoming redshirt sophomore Ben Beatty acquitted himself well this spring as well, just not with the consistency that others did. And in his fourth season at WSU, Hughes could be ready for a breakout year. But none of the Cougars’ younger options at defensive end have proven themselves in game settings just yet. They are more than capable of doing so. The interesting part is that if Zunk and McLain turn in the kinds of sterling seasons they have teased in spring ball and their previous spots, for WSU, it might not matter all that much. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 21:28:45 GMT Greg Woods https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57433905 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57433905 true false Jackie Mudd Promoted to Swimming Associate Head Coach - Washington State University Athletics - Official Athletics Site Javascript is required. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 17:46:02 GMT Darcy, Russell, Bobby Alworth https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57432022 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57432022 false false The geographical breakdown of WSU's 2027 verbal commitments is eye catching Sat, 01 Aug 2026 20:23:06 GMT COUGFANcom https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57433351 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57433351 true false The Cougars have solid top-three options at linebacker, but examine the rest of their linebacker corps and you might wonder about the team’s depth at the position. Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:08:59 GMT Greg Woods https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57426247 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57426247 false false Women’s Basketball Unveils 2026-27 Non-Conference Slate - Washington State University Athletics - Official Athletics Site Javascript is required. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 22:45:39 GMT Riley Baker https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57425517 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57425517 false false Cougars have crop of three safeties with extensive experience Fri, 31 Jul 2026 21:43:58 GMT Jamey Vinnick https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57424901 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57424901 true false 2026 Night With Cougar Athletics - Washington State University Athletics - Official Athletics Site Javascript is required. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:24:05 GMT Dana Jorgensen https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57424061 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57424061 false false Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of stories that will run each day previewing Washington State’s preseason camp before it begins on Aug. 6. This edition covers the Cougars’ linebackers. PULLMAN — If there’s such a thing as a breakout spring camp, when Isaiah Hung stood in front of a microphone on the sidelines of Rogers Field back in late April, he had just completed one. Some six months after redshirting his true freshman year at Washington State, Hung looked sharp in the middle of the Cougars defense, using his physicality and speed to shine at linebacker. He was quick to identify lanes, quicker to deliver hits. He looked ready to earn a meaningful role. Which brings us to WSU’s fall camp, which begins next Thursday. The Cougars have a solid top three options at linebacker: transfers Nylan Brown and DJ Warne plus veteran Keith Brown, who missed last season with an injury. But examine the rest of their linebacker corps and you might wonder about the team’s depth at that position. That’s where Hung comes in. Could he provide the depth WSU needs at linebacker? As the Cougs’ fall camp unfolds this August, his development will be one to watch. Defensive coordinator Trent Bray runs a 4-2-5 scheme, which means a few more breathers for his linebackers, but he can’t play all three top options 70 snaps per game. If Hung can come along and be ready for the Cougars’ Sept. 6 season-opener at Washington, his team will be in far better shape. “Honestly, I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better at taking care of my body and doing the little things outside of practice and in the weight room and in the training room,” Hung said in April. “I’d just say it helped me get a feel for the game more and be able to play more confident and just get more reps. I think I have around 400 reps this spring, so it’s great. I’m getting experience.” Listed at 6-foot-2 and 217 pounds, Hung is a native of the Kansas City area, where he was recruited by former coach Jimmy Rogers, who promptly brought Hung along to WSU. About a year and a half later, Rogers is at Iowa State but Hung remains with the Cougars, who suddenly need his development sooner than they might have expected. Here’s the rub: For as many years as Brown has at the college level — he started his career by spending the 2021 and 2022 seasons at Oregon, then transferred to Louisville for a redshirt year in 2023 before transferring to WSU ahead of the 2024 season — he hasn’t played an overwhelming amount of snaps of defense. The total number is 518, including 190 in 2024 at WSU. Nylan Brown and Warner each played more than 200 snaps last season. Keith Brown may have been around college football for longer, which has given him valuable experience and perspective. But it’s also true that he hasn’t gotten on the field nearly as much in recent years, another reason why Hung’s development looms so large for the Cougars. The good news is that WSU can likely count on big years from Nylan Brown and Warner, who transferred from Kent State and SMU, respectively. Brown started one of 11 games last season at Kent State, where he totaled 58 tackles, including three for loss. In the spring, he looked the part, using his bruiser build to punish ball-carriers, and it’s fair to expect him to do the same come September and onward. For his part, Warner played in all 12 games last fall at SMU, totaling two sacks on 18 quarterback pressures. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 231 pounds, Warner played his true freshman season at Kansas, where he also played in 12 games. Warner has played far more edge rusher than linebacker in his career so far, so he’s spent this year adjusting to the linebacker role, where he’s said dropping into coverage has proven most challenging so far. “It’s definitely coming naturally, I feel like,” Warner said after one spring practice in April. “Before I moved to the position, I kinda knew that this position would fit me more. I’d say the space is definitely the biggest difference. I don’t have to take on every lineman with every pound in my body now. I could make them miss, which is what I would rather do. So probably the space. But that’s definitely the thing that excites me the most about it.” Fri, 31 Jul 2026 18:54:26 GMT Greg Woods https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57423005 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57423005 true false Washington State's offensive line struggled last season. So how is this unit shaping up ahead of fall camp, and how much competition will there be for starting spots? Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:35:34 GMT Greg Woods https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57422025 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57422025 false false How did Washington State, Oregon State and the Pac-12 fare during the two transition years? We handed out a report card. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:31:27 GMT Jon Wilner https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57421212 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57421212 false false As part of USA TODAY Sports' USA 250 initiative, here's a look at the top 10 greatest college athletes to ever play in the state of Washington: Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:14:13 GMT Jordan Mendoza https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57417335 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57417335 false false Moving Nov. 28 Coug-Beav game out of Pullman not entirely off but time getting short Fri, 31 Jul 2026 18:19:15 GMT Jamey Vinnick https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57422570 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/57422570 false false