WSU grabs commitment from UC Davis QB Caden Pinnick, who could start for the Cougars

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Jan. 6—PULLMAN — Washington State may have landed its quarterback for next season.

The Cougars have secured a commitment from UC Davis quarterback Caden Pinnick, according to a Tuesday report from ESPN, perhaps giving coach Kirby Moore his starting QB in his debut season.

As a redshirt freshman last season, the 6-foot-even Pinnick completed 240 of 345 passes (70%) for 3,206 yards and 32 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, winning Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors. He also registered 125 carries for 437 yards and three scores, good for an average rush of 3.5 yards, underscoring his dual-threat capabilities.

A native of the Sacramento area, Pinnick was hyper-efficient all season, leading the Aggies to an 8-3 regular season and into the FCS quarterfinals. On the season, he ranked in the top five nationally in passing efficiency (third), passing touchdowns (fourth) and yards per pass attempt (fourth). He also finished eighth in passing yards and passing yards per game.

This season, Pinnick was named a Freshman All-American by both STATS Perform and FCS Football Central. He was also the runner-up for the Jerry Rice Award, which goes to the country's top FCS freshman.

The only two quarterbacks on WSU's roster include Julian Dugger, who played sparingly last season, and rising sophomore Owen Eshleman, who recently re-signed with the Cougs. Zevi Eckhaus, who started the majority of games for the Cougars last season, is out of eligibility. Jaxon Potter, who started the first three games of the year, is in the transfer portal and does not appear to be returning to WSU.

For that reason, Pinnick could start right away for the Cougs, who don't have a clear-cut QB1 otherwise. Pinnick has the most experience of any QB the team is set to return, and in the offensive-minded Moore's system, Pinnick could really flourish.

How did WSU land Pinnick? Those details may emerge in the days ahead, but there is one connection that could have played a role: UC Davis' head coach is Tim Plough, who worked as Boise State's OC/QB coach from 2021-22. In Boise, he overlapped with current WSU OC/QB coach Matt Miller, who had worked as the Broncos' wide receivers coach since 2020.

Pinnick entered the portal on the first day of the Jan. 2-16 window, and while the extent of his suitors is unclear, one school coveted his services: Colorado. He wrapped up a visit to the Buffaloes' program on Monday, according to a report from Sacramento TV station KCRA, perhaps highlighting the way he's regarded by coaches around the country.

Last season, Pinnick cleared 300 yards passing on four occasions, including in a five-touchdown win over Northern Arizona, a two-touchdown outing against Sacramento State and in a 402-yard, three-touchdown, one-interception showing in the FCS semifinals against Illinois State, which went on to make Monday's championship game.

What about his rushing game? On that front, his best games included 70-yard games against Idaho State and eventual champion Montana State, plus a 99-yard effort in the playoffs against Rhode Island. It's clear he's comfortable making plays through the air and on the ground, giving him a versatile foundation in Pullman.

Depending on what Dugger decides to do, Moore and Miller may look to grab another QB, either out of the portal or from high school ranks, though those have mostly dried up since last month's early signing period. One of WSU's QBs from last season, Ajani Sheppard, is in the portal. And the Cougars' class of 2025 quarterback, Hudson Kurland, is following former coach Jimmy Rogers to Iowa State.

Pinnick's commitment makes seven offseason additions for WSU, which also reeled in a pledge on Tuesday from Florida transfer wide receiver Tank Hawkins, another candidate to start immediately for the Cougs. Also on Tuesday, the Cougars signed Arizona State transfer safety Jack Bal, who played in three games in three years with the Sun Devils, all coming last season — 27 snaps in total.

Bal should be able to compete for more meaningful action with WSU, which has also earned commitments from four defenders: San Jose State cornerback Jaylen Thomas, Oregon State cornerback Jalil Tucker, Kent State linebacker Nylan Brown and Cal Poly safety Jeremiah Bernard.

WSU adds slew of assistant position group coaches

On Tuesday, the Cougars also announced the addition of a handful of assistant position group coaches: assistant defensive line coach Andrew Seumalo, assistant offensive line coach Josh Taufalele, assistant special teams coach Peyton Yanagi, assistant strength and conditioning coach Kainon Clark and two graduate assistants, Braden Swank and Alton Julian.

Those coaches will back up the Cougs' position coaches, which look like this: Offensive coordinator/QBs coach Miller, defensive coordinator/LBs coach Trent Bray, cornerbacks coach Brandyn Thompson, running backs coach Josh Green, wide receivers coach/special teams coordinator Derek Sage, safeties coach Greg Burns, tight ends coach Durham Cato, offensive line coach Jack Abercrombie and defensive line coaches Andrew Browning and Eti Ena.

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