In introductory news conference, WSU’s Jimmy Rogers vouches for transfers, previews new schemes and more

PULLMAN – Jimmy Rogers may be new to Washington State, introduced as the Cougars’ next head coach on Thursday, but he realizes the way things look. By the time his news conference wrapped up, he had brought over 15 of his players from South Dakota State, many of whom helped him win an FCS national title last fall.

Some are seasoned veterans: defensive lineman Max Baloun, linebacker Caleb Francl, safeties Cale Reeder and Matthew Durrance. Others are not so much: edge rusher Fernando Lecuona, linebacker Carsten Reynolds, offensive lineman Nick Bakken, all freshmen.

All of them earned their spots at SDSU with Rogers, who won an FCS title in 2022 as defensive coordinator and in 2023 as head coach. But can his former Jackrabbits keep up with FBS competition?

Rogers gave that question a resounding “yes” by shedding some light on his players’ recruitment. Running back Angel Johnson, one of three RBs to transfer from SDSU to WSU, had an offer from Tennessee. That kind of trend applies to many of the players he’s brought over, Rogers said.

“They’re getting recruited by Power Five schools, and so are these guys that joined the team,” Rogers said. “So if they can play at Ole Miss, can they play here? Well, we’re gonna find out, because we’re gonna get the opportunity to play Ole Miss. That’s happened.

“I can go down the list about the amount of schools that have been recruiting some of the players that are now on this roster. They came here because of the choice of being with a bunch of coaches that they love and being mentored by them.”

Several of the former Jackrabbits turned Cougs are filling real needs. Cornerback Colby Humphrey, who spent three years at FCS Northern Arizona before transferring to SDSU for the 2024 campaign, joins a WSU cornerback corps that lost both starters to the transfer portal, Ethan O’Connor (Miami) and Stephen Hall (Missouri). Freshman Jaylon Edmond, who was expected to challenge for a starting spot next fall, is off to Wake Forest with former coach Jake Dickert.

Same goes for Baloun and Francl, who figure to play instrumental roles in plugging holes at their positions. Baloun is joining a WSU defensive lineman room that lost its top three players from last season: David Gusta transferred to Kentucky, Ansel Din-Mbuh to TCU and Khalil Laufau to Houston. Even the Coug expected to enjoy a bigger role next year, rising junior Bryson Lamb, only played around 20 snaps per game in the regular season.

Francl is hopping into a WSU linebacker corps without both starters – Buddah Al-Uqdah is taking his talents to Washington and Kyle Thornton exhausted his eligibility – and while 2024 backups Keith Brown and Parker McKenna are set to return, Francl can offer a level of experience to enhance the room. Francl has more than 1,000 snaps of college football under his belt, and Reeder has nearly 2,000 .

But all of those plays came at South Dakota State, an FCS powerhouse, but an FCS school all the same. How will they fare at WSU, whose 2025 schedule features the likes of Ole Miss, Washington, Virginia and two tilts with Pac-12 holdover Oregon State?

In a roundabout way, Rogers vouched for his guys by pointing out the NIL offers they have often fielded from the competition. The eight players South Dakota State sent to the NFL after the 2023 season, Rogers said, all had six-figure offers from other schools. His quarterback, Mark Gronowski, saw dollar signs in the seven figures. In other words, Rogers said, it isn’t just the Jackrabbits who saw potential in their guys.

“So how do you do it? You invest in them, you show them you love them,” Rogers said. “But you gotta recruit them. And I believe in recruiting high school players and developing them along the way. I think there’s a certain way to do it, as far as maybe taking a player that didn’t have all the opportunities to play at the highest-up level, and you were that opportunity because you believe in his talent. There’s enough players out there that still want this for what it is, which is an experience of a lifetime, with substance behind it, and those that care about them.”

Rogers added that he expects a good amount of his staff to be announced Friday. Known members include offensive coordinator Danny Freund, defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit, offensive line coach Taylor Lucas, running backs coach Robbie Rouse, assistant offensive line coach Mike Iupati and defensive line coach Everette Thompson.

A glimpse at what the Cougars’ new offense and defense might look like

A defensive-minded coach, Rogers’ defense might not look too different from what recent WSU teams ran. Rogers will run a 4-2-5 or 4-3 scheme, he said, which could be similar to the Cougs’ 4-2-5 look the last two seasons.

Another similarity: The Cougars will rotate defensive linemen in bunches, like hockey substitutions, which the 2023 and 2024 WSU teams did.

“As soon as we end up getting the right guys in the door that we feel like can execute,” Rogers said. “It allows us to stay fresh. It allows us to continue to play with multiple people on the field and create a depth that will last throughout the course of the season.”

WSU’s new offense might be the side of the ball that looks most different. New WSU offensive coordinator Danny Freund wasn’t always calling plays last year at SDSU, but the Jackrabbits leaned heavily on the run, averaging 236 rushing yards (No. 3 nationally) and 198 passing yards (No. 72) per contest. The approach seems to be backed by the players Rogers has brought over, including three SDSU running backs: Johnson, Kirby Vorhees and Maxwell Woods.

It likely spells the end of what remained of the Air Raid era at WSU. In its place appears to be a run-centric approach, using more tight ends and juicing up the offensive line.

“Offensively, we will use the whole 52 yards of width on the field,” Rogers said, “and really stretch you out and line up in splits, and motion to really kinda tell what you’re in defensively. And then attack you vertically and also be able to run the football. I believe in running the football, and I believe in getting one-on-one opportunities for your best players to have big plays.”

To convince portal players to stay, new coach Rogers imbues confidence

Since taking the job on Dec. 28, Rogers almost lost the biggest fish of all. Quarterback Zevi Eckhaus, who was in attendance for Thursday’s news conference, entered the transfer portal on Dec. 30. He withdrew his name two days later.

Eckhaus has joined nine teammates in doing so, including Lamb, tight end Trey Leckner, wide receivers Josh Meredith and Tre Shackelford, cornerback Kamani Jackson, linebacker Hudson Cedarland, safety Gage Jones and walk-ons Aslan Fraser and Michael Hughes.

That Rogers retained several players on that list – particularly Meredith, Shackelford, Jackson and Leckner – amounts to a crucial development. Meredith started eight of 13 games last season. Shackelford played in 10. Jackson was held in high regard by the previous coaching staff, and Leckner’s versatility as a pass-catcher and blocker freed him up to play 11, including two starts, portending a promising future.

So how did Rogers convince them to stay?

“Just give me an opportunity to give us an opportunity to be a part of your life, and allow us to embrace your goals and your aspirations,” Rogers said he told the players. “It’s honestly why we all got into coaching, is to push somebody else’s dreams and aspirations ahead of our own and make their dreams ours. And I think that’s maybe the most rewarding thing that a coach can be a part of, is just watching somebody live out their own dreams.”