5 things we learned from WSU's spring practice slate: QB battle rolls on, a new offensive lineman and more

In interviews, WSU coaches have given away few details about their evaluations at the QB spot. Their decisions in practice have offered a few more clues, namely that Pinnick and Eshelman may be inching ahead of Dugger. Still, much can change between April and August, when the Cougars' fall camp will begin. Look for this position battle to continue then.

2. WSU may have more depth at LB than expected

Headed into this spring camp, the Cougars looked to have a solid three options at linebacker: Transfers DJ Warner and Nylan Brown, plus returner Keith Brown, who missed all last season with an injury. Throughout the first handful of practices, that trio looked good, but a bit of uncertainty hovered over the rest of the operation: How much depth did the Cougs have beyond those three?

Turns out, maybe more than anticipated. One of WSU's top defensive standouts this spring was incoming redshirt freshman Isaiah Hung, who often took first- and second-team reps, establishing himself as a hard hitter and a reliable tackler, often shooting gaps and registering tackles for loss, simulated or live.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 217 pounds, Hung's emergence is a key development for the Cougars, who need as much depth as they can get at that position. Consider this: For as much as we consider Keith Brown to be a veteran — his freshman season at Oregon came in 2021 — he hasn't logged the defensive snaps to match.

For his career, Brown has registered 518 snaps on defense, 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 lately, another reason why Hung's development looms so large for the Cougars.

3. Cougars are ready to wreak havoc from the defensive end spots

If one position group shone consistently throughout WSU's spring slate, the honors belonged to the team's defensive end group, mainly transfers Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk. Barring something unforeseen, they will start for the Cougars — and if they play the way they practiced this spring, their team will be able to rely on production.

Across all 15 practices, McLain (transfer from Idaho) and Zunk (transfer from Vanderbilt) made too many plays to count. They found their way into the backfield for simulated sacks on what felt like a thousand occasions. Perhaps most notably, they made things look easy, underscoring their strength and speed.

One thing, though: How much depth do the Cougars have on the edges? Wrice made a nice play to pick off a pass in Saturday's spring game, but it's not likely he'll be asked to drop into coverage in any meaningful capacity during the 2026 season. Incoming redshirt sophomore Ben Beatty acquitted himself well this spring as well, just not with the consistency that others did.

4. WSU may have a new right tackle

When Sept. 5 rolls around and the Cougars open their season with a road matchup against archrival Washington, they may be starting a familiar face for Husky fans.

WSU offensive tackle Maximus McCree, who transferred from UW over the offseason, sparkled at right tackle this spring. It was a remarkable development for McCree, who fashions himself a left tackle, the position he played at UW, at Maryland, at junior college. In fact, before he arrived in Pullman this winter, he had never played a snap of right tackle.

But with WSU's incumbent right tackle, Jaylin Caldwell, out with an injury, McCree has filled in nicely. With the exception of a couple days he missed, McCree took first-team reps all spring at RT, often using his 6-6, 296-pound frame to stifle opposing edge rushers, including McLain and Zunk. If you didn't know McCree had never played right tackle, you might not have noticed a difference.

It's unclear when Caldwell could return from his knee injury, which happened during WSU's road loss to Virginia last fall, when he got tangled up with a defender near the sideline. Even if he is cleared to play by the time fall camp rolls around, will coaches decide to go with McCree anyway? That will be a key development to watch in August.

5. Cougars have considerable depth at the DT spot

As the winter unfolded and WSU coaches restocked the cupboards at defensive tackle, in an effort to replace huge losses at that position, it stood to reason the Cougars could have real depth. The players they brought in had played meaningful roles at their previous stops. Were they ready for bigger roles at a higher level?

Insofar as 15 spring practices can provide an answer to that question, it's been a resounding yes. Likely starters Kaden Beatty and Marshall transfer Paul Hutson III looked sharp all spring, as did their counterparts: Eastern Washington transfer Jirah Leaupepetele, Purdue transfer Damarjhe Lewis, JUCO transfer Akio Martinson and even walk-on transfer Sione Pasi, who registered a sack on Dugger in Saturday's scrimmage.

But it isn't just the depth those guys figure to provide for the Cougars. It's also their versatility. Hutson and Beatty have some considerable speed to their games, while bigger bodies like Lewis and Leaupepetele can supply sheer brawn and strength. Add in potential emergences from Cal transfer Ike Okafor and more development from Malijah Tucker and WSU could have even more depth up front.

One tricky part for Beatty and Hutson: The former is listed at 6-0, the latter at 6-1. This fall, they'll likely be facing offensive linemen of much bigger size, especially in road contests against Washington and Kansas State. Can those guys use their speed to offset any size disadvantages they might face? Only time will tell — but they used this spring to make compelling cases for themselves.