There aren’t many returners from last year’s WSU team that lost to UW 59-24, and their strength as a team this year should be defense. But today, we examine the offense. Let’s get to it.
Key Players
Washington should be familiar with redshirt sophomore QB Caden Pinnick, who they faced as the UC Davis quarterback last year. Against UW, he was 8/16 for 50 yards, with 1 TD and 1 INT. Obviously playing for an FCS against a B1G team caused him to struggle with the matchup, as most quarterbacks in his position would.
But, the talent is there. He finished his FCS season throwing for more than 3,200 yards (9.3 YPA), 32 TDs and completing nearly 70% of his passes. He won Big Sky Freshman of the Year and was a First Team Freshman All-American. This led to a transfer up to WSU in the off season and he eventually beat out returners Julian Dugger and Owen Eshelman for the starting job. He’s a true dual threat, having shown nice accuracy and impressive athleticism scrambling from the pocket during WSU’s camp. He’s not the biggest at 6-0 and 192 pounds, but he’s a baller. If you want to pick apart his game further, he threw 10 interceptions last season, which is a little high, but certainly offset to a degree by his 35 total TDs (32 passing, 3 rushing).
In the backfield, Kirby Vorhees returns as the workhorse after a solid debut season. Vorhees led WSU with 576 rushing yards on 138 carries (4+ yards per carry) and five touchdowns in 2025. He’ll share carries with Leo Pulalasi and Maxwell Woods, a trio the coaching staff hopes can wear defenses down. Woods ended last year on a high note, with 9 carries for 117 yards in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl victory over Utah State, showing his quickness and elusive running style. The big question in fall camp was how they would split the carries between the backs, or just go full by-committee approach.
At receiver, Tony Freeman is the headliner. Now entering his third season in Pullman, Freeman is a strong slot receiver who can make the mid-range plays. He’s joined on the outside by transfer Tank Hawkins, a former Florida receiver, and Darrius Clemons of Oregon State, who are expected to add more explosion on the outside. At tight end, UCLA transfer Jack Pedersen projects as the top option (23 catches in two seasons in LA), with returning veteran Trey Leckner, who led WSU tight ends in 2025 with 24 catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns.
Up front, the line is the closest thing to a strength on paper. Ashton Tripp returns as a veteran left tackle, Jaylin Caldwell is expected to take over at right tackle, and the interior should be a plus for the offense. Interior lineman Brock Dieu, who has started 21 games over the last two seasons split between center and guard, anchors that group.
The Scheme and Play-Calling
The short answer: it’s an all new coaching staff with lots of new players on the team, so we have no idea really what WSU will throw at Washington.
The long answer: Washington State’s offensive identity is being built by two coaches with track records of physical, run-first football that will also stretch the field vertically. Head coach Kirby Moore was Missouri’s offensive coordinator before taking the WSU job, and his Missouri attack ranked eighth nationally in rushing. He handed play-calling duties to new OC Matt Miller, who spent the past six seasons as Boise State’s offensive coordinator. During that stretch, the Broncos won 51 games, won three-straight Mountain West titles, and had a top-30 total offense. He also of course coached Ashton Jeanty at Boise the year he finished as Heisman runner-up.
The coaches like their three running backs, which points to a scheme that leans on a downhill, multiple-back rushing attack behind a veteran offensive line. This, paired with shot plays to Freeman and the outside receivers off play action, would be my guess for their approach. The passing game is expected to open up as well, with Pinnick pushing the ball down the field in what’s supposed to be a return to Washington State’s high-octane air attack reputation.
Final Thoughts
The X-factor in this matchup is Pinnick and his legs. Ryan Walters love to play aggressive man heavy defense, which means defenders are turning their backs to the QB and running away from the line of scrimmage, and this gives an opposing duel threat passer the opportunity to run into open space. I imagine Walters stick with this approach and perhaps put a spy on Pinnick to keep him contained. A QB spy, of course, means one less defender in pass coverage. The coaching staff will have to be ready to make adjustments after the first quarter based on what they are seeing, and how WSU’s offense is operating as designed vs. Pinnick just making plays.
Pinnick gets a shot at redemption against the same team he struggled against last season, but now with a much better supporting cast. If Vorhees and the run game can establish themselves early behind a veteran offensive line, it should open up the play-action shots this offense is (I think) built around. But, if the Cougs fall behind and get one-dimensional, Pinnick will be facing exactly the kind of pressure that got him in trouble last September.
