Transfer portal preview: Ahead of Friday's window, where does WSU stand?

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Jan. 1—PULLMAN — Around college football, the transfer portal opens on Friday, which means big change is around the corner for Washington State's program.

The interesting part is that's already happening for the Cougars — and for the better for the team.

Ahead of Friday's portal opening, which will last until Jan. 16, WSU has re-signed 10 players to new revenue-sharing contracts for next season. That group includes several key pieces, such as upstart running back Maxwell Woods and offensive lineman Ashton Tripp, meaning the Cougars will take real momentum into the portal window.

It's important to keep in mind that while the window closes Jan. 16, players can commit to schools well after that date. That's just the last day they can enter the portal. So even if that day passes and the Cougars haven't earned commitments from a ton of players, they can still do so at any point.

That's a change from previous seasons of college football, in which there was a winter transfer portal window and a spring window.

As of Thursday afternoon, 16 WSU players had announced their plans to enter the portal. That list also includes several starters — sophomore running back Kirby Vorhees, middle linebackers Sullivan Schlimgen and Anthony Palano and junior receiver Tony Freeman.

Here is a full list of those players: running backs Vorhees and Dylan Paine; quarterbacks Jaxon Potter and Dalton Anderson; defensive end Malaki Ta'ase; defensive tackles Max Baloun and Mike Sandjo, tight end Jesiah Cornwell; wide receivers Freeman, Carter Pabst and Devin Ellison; cornerback Kenny Worthy III; linebacker Jovan Clark and walk-on receiver Cameron Weir.

On the other hand, here are the players WSU has re-signed for next season: offensive linemen Tripp, Kyle Martin, Jonny Lester, Jaylin Caldwell, Noah Dunham and Nick Bakken; running back Woods; linebacker Keith Brown; kicker Jack Stevens and tight end Beau Baker, the last two of whom were announced on Thursday.

All told, that's a solid early haul for the Cougs, who are set to return their top five offensive linemen with eligibility. That includes left tackle Tripp, left guard Lester, center Martin, right guard Dunham and right tackle Caldwell. It's entirely possible that new head coach Kirby Moore hits the portal for an offensive lineman or two, but if next season started tomorrow, that's likely the group that would take the field for WSU.

So far, that's the most promising sign for the Cougars, who might not suffer the kind of roster turnover that typically accompanies a coaching change like WSU experienced about a month ago. Former coach Jimmy Rogers and defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit will likely bring a few Cougars with them to Iowa State, but if these last several days are any indication, the number might not be as high as expected in some corners.

WSU will also return two players at skill positions next season, potentially a key development for an offensive-minded coach like Moore. Those are Woods and Baker, both redshirt freshmen who showed the kind of promise this season that could earn them a prominent role next fall. What would that look like?

For Woods, you don't have to look very hard. In WSU's romp over Utah State in last month's Idaho Potato Bowl, the Minnesota native piled up 117 rushing yards on nine carries, showing off a gear of speed and long-range burst that he didn't get many opportunities to during the regular season. He may be undersized — he's listed at 5-foot-10 and 192 pounds — but if he can bulk up a tad, he might be able to pair his speed with some physicality.

Then there's Baker, whose sheer size — 6-6, 255 pounds — makes him an enticing tight end prospect. Then you look at his production and you understand his potential. He made one catch this season, a 12-yard touchdown reception in the Apple Cup, and he blocked well. Baker finished the season with a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of 67.6, third-best among rotation players, but he wasn't as effective against the run: 50.4.

Another theme to watch during the portal window: Will the Cougars land a quarterback? This season's starter, Zevi Eckhaus, is out of eligibility. The QB who started the season's first three games, Jaxon Potter, is in the portal, and he is not likely to return. That leaves three other quarterbacks on the roster: rising sophomore Owen Eshelman and transfers Julian Dugger and Ajani Sheppard, neither of whom saw much meaningful playing time this season.

Plus, all three committed to Rogers and former offensive coordinator Danny Freund, and the Cougs' coaching staff looks far different now. Will any be interested in sticking around? Or will they search for better fits elsewhere?

That provides a nice segue into an important piece of context, which centers around WSU's new coaching staff. Let's recap the assistants Moore has hired: offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Matt Miller, defensive coordinator Trent Bray and strength and conditioning coach Malcolm Hardmon. Those three have all been announced by WSU.

Several others have yet to become official, but they've been reported: tight ends coach Durham Cato, offensive line coach Jack Abercrombie, cornerbacks coach Brandyn Thompson, defensive line coaches Andrew Browning and Eti Ena and GM/NIL head Brad Larrondo. All have connections to Moore, mostly via Boise State and/or Missouri.

Those coaches will also likely target a few positions of need, including cornerback. Senior Colby Humphrey is out of eligibility, but the fate of fellow senior Jamorri Colson will be interesting to follow. He started his career with three years (one redshirt year) of junior college ball, so after three more seasons of FBS competition, he would usually be out of eligibility too. But with recent court rulings, former JUCO players have earned more eligibility, so keep an eye on Colson's future.

It's also unlikely that Worthy, who authored an encouraging redshirt freshman campaign in a backup role this fall, returns to the Cougars. He did not play in the Potato Bowl.

The Cougs may also have to engineer a makeover of their safety room. Veteran trio Tucker Large, Cale Reeder and Matthew Durrance are all out of eligibility. Junior Duhron Goodman, who missed the season's final four games with an injury, hasn't re-signed, but he also hasn't announced any plans to enter the transfer portal. The same goes for redshirt freshman Kayo Patu, who broke up a fake punt pass early against Louisiana Tech.

Do Moore and Cougar coaches trust them to take the next step and earn starting roles next season? At that position and others, we'll soon know more about what WSU is prioritizing under this new coaching staff. It starts Friday.

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