Eastern Washington’s opening depth chart loaded with homegrown players

Eastern Washington’s roster this season has 29 transfers on it, but the Eagles’ two-deep depth chart released Monday demonstrates just how much the program relies on the players it has signed and developed out of high school.

Of the 27 starters – 11 each on offense and defense, plus five specialists – all but four of them were signed by or walked on with EWU out of high school.

On offense this includes everyone except senior center Jack Seelye, who began his career at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California. On defense, redshirt senior linebacker Adam Cohen – a transfer from UCLA – is the only one who didn’t begin his college football career at EWU.

Junior transfer punter Landon Ogles and sophomore Brady Peterson are listed with an “or” at punter, meaning either could start Thursday night at Roos Field against Monmouth.

Senior Michael Wortham, now in his second year at Eastern, is listed as the starter at kick returner. He is also listed as “or” next to Efton Chism III at punt return, and Wortham is certain to play some at quarterback behind redshirt junior starter Kekoa Visperas.

Other than Seelye, Cohen, Ogles and Wortham, everyone else listed as a starter came to Eastern as a freshman.

The Eagles have eight returning starters on offense, including Visperas, the 6-foot, 193-pound quarterback who led the Big Sky in passing yards per game last season (275.4). He will again be throwing to seniors Chism and Nolan Ulm as well as redshirt sophomore Miles Williams, who made two starts last season.

Redshirt junior Tuna Altahir is the starting running back for the second year in a row; redshirt junior Jett Carpenter is set to make his first career start at tight end.

The offensive line is experienced, with four returning starters – all of them seniors – in left tackle Wyatt Hansen, left guard Luke Dahlgren, center Seelye and right guard Brenden Rivera joined by redshirt sophomore Dylan Conner, the starting right tackle.

Defensively, the Eagles will be younger. They have six seniors listed as starters but also two redshirt freshmen in defensive end Tylin Jackson and safety Jaylon Jenkins. Another six redshirt freshmen are listed in backup roles on the defense.

Still, the defense returns six players who were atop the final depth chart last year, led by defensive end Brock Harrison, who has played a team-high 46 games at Eastern.

He’s joined up front by returning starters Matthew Brown and Jacob Newsom at the tackle spots. Both are seniors.

Starting alongside Cohen at the linebacker positions are senior Conner O’Farrell and redshirt junior Ahmani Williams.

Senior Cage Schenck is the starting nickelback, with seventh-year senior Darrien Sampson and redshirt junior DaJean Wells at the cornerback positions. Next to Jenkins at safety is redshirt sophomore Kentrell Williams Jr., who started seven games last year.

While few are starting, transfers are still going to play plenty for the Eagles. Nearly every backup on the offense’s two -deep is a transfer – either this year or last – and on the defensive side there are another five transfers listed in backup roles.

Eastern is coming off back-to-back losing seasons and has not had three losing seasons consecutively since 1989 to 1991. From 1992 to 2021, the Eagles went to the playoffs 14 times, winning a national FCS title following the 2010 season.