On Day 2 of WSU fall camp, interceptions hurt QBs and defensive line gains some depth

PULLMAN – During fall camp, Jake Dickert walks a fine line like a trapeze artist. Washington State’s head coach wants the most out of his offense and his defense, but when they’re competing against each other, someone has to lose.

When WSU opened fall camp on Wednesday, Dickert was happy with the way the offense took care of the ball and avoided turnovers. On Thursday, in the Cougars’ second day of the three-week slate, they had no such luck.

On one sequence, redshirt freshman cornerback Ethan O’Connor returned an interception for a touchdown, which Dickert loved to see, especially from a promising young player such as O’Connor.

But it came at a cost to the Cougars’ offense.

“It’s just one of those things where it’s a balance,” Dickert said. “Day one, you’re celebrating the offense, no turnovers. Good job with ball security. Come out here today, I think I saw four or five of those things. So yeah, it’s a huge emphasis, but on the flip side, we gotta take care of the ball better.”

O’Connor will push for more meaningful playing time this fall – he’s been playing with the second-team defense during the first two days of practice – but at this early stage of fall camp, plays like that might mean more for the offense than for the defense.

That’s because WSU quarterbacks John Mateer and Zevi Eckhaus are vying for the starting role, and if Dickert and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle have a list of qualifications for the job, ball security is near the top. Last season, former WSU QB Cam Ward tied for the second-most fumbles nationally with 11. If the Cougars want to improve on last year’s 5-7 season, they’ll have to limit turnovers in a big way.

If coaches are leaning either way in the quarterback race, they haven’t said so publicly.

Mateer was responsible for the interception to O’Connor, and Eckhaus threw one Thursday that ended up in the hands of cornerback Stephen Hall, another standout in camp. So far, it might be a stalemate on that front.

What Dickert noticed about that Mateer interception, though, was he didn’t let it stick with him.

“Came back the very next snap, threw a beautiful out route on the run,” Dickert said. “Who can handle those types of things? When we’re not having a good day, who’s willing to speak out and lead? Because half of being a quarterback is, who is this team gonna follow?

“So I want to see those intangible pieces as we put these guys in all kinds of different situations. They’re both talented in their own different ways. And we gotta utilize their strengths, too, as offensive play-callers.”

On Thursday, Dickert also made it clear there won’t be much ambiguity in his decision on a starting quarterback. There will be a QB1 and a QB2, he said. Mateer and Eckhaus won’t rotate in for each other, and coaches won’t design certain packages to get one guy in the game while the other starts.

“I’m a believer you really roll through one guy, once again, with the understanding that when we make this decision, that guy has to perform,” Dickert said. “That doesn’t mean a quick leash or anything like that, but these guys know the responsibility of that position. If we don’t feel like that position is getting it done – just like we would at guard or linebacker – we’re gonna make a substitution there.”

For the quarterbacks, it’s also a balance. They respect each other, Eckhaus said, pointing out that the experience each of them have – he as a record-setter at FCS Bryant, Mateer as a two-year backup at WSU – fosters maturity in the competition. He’s been in quarterback rooms that don’t share mutual respect, he said, and that isn’t the situation in Pullman.

For his part, Mateer said much the same on Wednesday. There’s no bad blood between them, he said.

“I wouldn’t say he’s my best friend,” Mateer said. “I hang out with a lot of linemen. It’s nothing against him. It’s not like I don’t like him. He’s a great dude.”

Elsewhere on Thursday, senior edge rusher Andrew Edson lined up on a few occasions on the interior of the defensive line, signaling he’s one WSU edge who will rotate to the interior. The Cougars have a surplus of edge rushers and not enough interior linemen, so Edson will play around 15 to 20 snaps on the interior and 25 on the edge per game, Dickert said.

With Edson as a part-time interior linemen, that position group also includes redshirt junior David Gusta, sophomores Ansel Din-Mbuh and Khalil Laufau, and redshirt sophomore Bryson Lamb, who has been practicing with the second-team defense.

Edson’s addition figures to boost the Cougs’ defensive line depth in a meaningful way.

“He’s a unique blend of skill sets,” Dickert said of Edson. “His intangible pieces allow him to do it, and he’s our physical defensive lineman, bar none, in my opinion.”

WSU loses 2025 commit McDonald, a three-star safety

Braylan McDonald, a three-star class of 2025 safety from the Dallas area, announced Thursday he’s decomitting from Washington State.

McDonald also holds offers from Texas Tech, Boston College (where former WSU cornerbacks coach Ray Brown works), Texas State, UTEP and Bowling Green.

A prospect at Lancaster High School, McDonald took his official visit to Pullman from June 14-16 and announced his commitment to WSU on June 29.

The Cougars’ class of 2025 now includes 16 members.