What to expect from WSU’s spring showcase, including 3 things to watch

PULLMAN – At Washington State, the days of a traditional spring game may be in the past.

The Cougars are now calling it the Crimson and Gray Spring Showcase, set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Gesa Field in Pullman.

Attendance is free for fans and students to watch WSU players run through individual drills before transitioning to an hourlong segment of live competition.

The event will not be televised, but it will be broadcast on the WSU sports radio network.

To head coach Jimmy Rogers, the most important part about Saturday’s event will be staying injury-free.

A few Cougars have already been bitten by the injury bug – like running back Angel Johnson, wide receiver Branden Ganashamoorthy and cornerback Kai Rappolla – and with new roster limits in place, their team can ill afford many more.

The other reason why Rogers and the Cougs are changing up the structure of their traditional spring game is because of the way the transfer portal and NIL have transformed recruiting. The more live reps players put on tape, even in a low-stakes setting like a spring game, the more chances they give coaches from opposing schools chances to evaluate them and poach them off their roster with lucrative NIL offers.

It’s a key reason why, for example, Nebraska went away from a regular spring game. Lots of other Power Four programs are doing the same this year, including Texas, Auburn, Michigan State, LSU and Oklahoma . It may turn into the norm nationwide sooner or later.

So WSU is doing plenty to keep fans engaged. Perhaps most notably, there will be a beer garden in the Crimzone, which is the west end zone, closest to the Cougar Football Complex. Concessions will also be available, and there will be a kids clinic and an autograph session after the showcase.

On the field, here are three things to watch during practice.

1. How will WSU’s offensive line fare?

The Cougars’ front five is undergoing a serious makeover. Tackle/guard Christian Hilborn and guard/center Brock Dieu are both back, bringing valuable years of experience . But thanks to departures of Fa’alili Fa’amoe, Rod Tialavea and Devin Kylany – all of whom followed former head coach Jake Dickert to Wake Forest in December – WSU is short on experience .

That’s what makes it important for Rogers and his staff to get a good look and what they have up front. Based on earlier practice observations, it’s likely tackle Ashton Tripp, guard Jonny Lester and guard/center Noah Dunham plug the holes. A redshirt sophomore, Tripp has received rave reviews since his true freshman season, and Dunham was a backup last season. Lester was also on the precipice of breaking through to meaningful playing time last year.

Can those guys impress on Saturday under new offensive line coach Taylor Lucas, who replaces Jared Kaster, the man who helped last season’s WSU offensive line rank tops in Pro Football Focus’ pass-blocking grades? This year’s unit returns two key players who made that possible, but the other three remain question marks.

2. How much depth does WSU have on the defensive line?

If there’s one position group where the Cougars lost a lot over the offseason, it was their defensive line. Tackle David Gusta took his talents to Kentucky, Ansel Din-Mbuh transferred to TCU and Khalil Laufau, a budding sophomore, landed at Houston. The Cougars’ 2024 pass rush left much to be desired, but even some of the edge rushers from that team – Andrew Edson, Quinn Roff, Nusi Malani, Syrus Webster – all exhausted their eligibility.

This year, that puts the onus on returners like Isaac Terrell and Raam Stevenson to pick up some of the slack, to leverage their speed and put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. This spring, they’ve looked ready for bigger roles, but they’ll also need some help from the interior of their defensive line.

That puts players like returner Bryson Lamb, South Dakota State transfer Max Baloun, Cal Poly transfer Soni Finau and maybe even Kent State transfer Kaden Beatty in the spotlight. Can they generate pressure from the inside, which the Cougs lacked in large part a season ago? They’ll get the chance to impress on Saturday.

3. How will QB Zevi Eckhaus fit into a reimagined WSU offense?

In late December, after Dickert departed and Rogers filled his shoes, Eckhaus spent two days in the transfer portal. He returned to WSU for two reasons, he said: Former South Dakota State QB Mark Gronowski opted to transfer to Iowa, and Rogers imbued him with confidence, that he believed in Eckhaus’ ability to lead the 2025 team.

By all accounts, Eckhaus is ready to do so. But he isn’t joining the same WSU offense that he watched last year as a backup. Rogers and offensive coordinator Danny Freund are angling toward a more run-centric approach, a big reason why the tight ends they added when they arrived – Michigan State transfer Ademola Faleye and SDSU transfer Beau Baker – are both of the big-bodied, wide-shouldered variety.

After WSU’s last practice in front of a crowd, on March 29 in Spokane, Rogers said he’d like to see Eckhaus improve his decision-making.

He loves Eckhaus’ natural talent, he said, but he seemed to be lamenting some of the turnovers to which Eckhaus has been prone. Eckhaus will get a chance to turn that around in the Washington State’s final of 15 spring practices Saturday.