Safety Jeremiah Bernard soars for highlight play, Cougar defenders dominate on Day 4 of WSU fall camp

PULLMAN – Jeremiah Bernard left his feet and dove like he was Superman about to snuff out a local crime. The ball had just left the hands of Owen Eshelman, one of three Washington State quarterbacks vying for starting duties, and it was headed for a receiver toward the sideline of Rogers Practice Field.

It never made it there. Bernard made sure of that, roving over from the safety position and laying out to break up the pass, a feat of athleticism and football savvy. He leapt to his feet in a second, in a heartbeat, the moment’s adrenaline propping him back up as quickly as he had soared through the air.

“The guys that we brought in, we’re hoping they’re gonna be what they are,” WSU safeties coach Greg Burns said, “and they’re working their butts off.”

A transfer from FCS Cal Poly, Bernard certainly fits that bill, a junior safety who is well on his way to earning a starting role in the Cougs’ secondary this fall. Bernard, 6-foot and 196 pounds, doesn’t just look the part. He plays like it too, making plays like that seem routine, like they’re just in his bag.

How does Bernard fit into WSU’s defense? For one, he’s a face in a crowded WSU safety room, which also includes San Jose State transfer Jaylen Thomas, Arizona transfer Jshawn Frausto-Ramos and Arizona State transfer Jack Bal. That’s without mention ing returners like Kyle Peterson and Kayo Patu, both of whom could also secure roles on this year’s defense.

In that sense, Bernard can get lost in the shuffle, just like the others in the department. In others, he stands out like a skyscraper in a Palouse wheat field, gliding through the air to make a head-turning play during Monday’s fall camp practice, the Cougars’ fourth of the slate. From the opposite sidelines, his fellow defenders made a ruckus, making sure Bernard knew his pass breakup hardly went unnoticed.

That sequence fit in nicely with the theme of Monday’s WSU practice, which in large part belonged to the team’s defenders. In one 7-on-7 play, cornerback Kai Rapolla broke up a pass from quarterback Julian Dugger. In another full team period, returner Ben Beatty used his athleticism to break up a pass from the defensive end position.

And in so many other plays, WSU’s defensive line crushed the opposing offensive line, no matter which unit happened to be in. Dugger took a simulated sack on one play, as he has on a couple other occasions earlier in fall camp. He didn’t have much time to make a read on that play, and neither did Eshelman or Caden Pinnick, the latter of whom used his speed to scramble from the pocket and pick up nice gains on a couple plays.

The Cougars’ offense mostly lagged a bit behind its counterparts. Some of that is to be expected – that unit is still installing its playbook, and after one practice last week, running back Kirby Vorhees said he’s still learning the new system head coach Kirby Moore and offensive coordinator Matt Miller are setting up – and it’s possible some is not. After all, it’s been something of a theme across these four practices, with an exception in the third.

Keep this in mind, too: Coaches are still rotating players with different groups, so much so that clear first- and second-teams have yet to materialize. Still, we should note that right tackle Jaylin Caldwell played with Pinnick’s group, the first to take the field for team periods on Monday. That offensive line featured Kyle Martin at left guard and Noah Dunham at center, position changes for each of those players, plus Jonny Lester at right guard, a shift from his usual spot at left guard.

It’s starting to become clear that Martin and Dunham will be asked to make those position changes a permanent fixture. Throughout their first few years at WSU, Martin played center and Dunham played right guard, but they’ve been at left guard and center respectively during fall camp. In the spring, Dunham played a bit of center, indicating that’s likely a longer-term move for the fourth-year Cougar.

“That’s just something we’ve seen and evaluated,” WSU offensive line coach Jack Abercrombie said at last week’s media day, “and that’ll be his first spot.”

Even so, the individual highlight of Monday’s practice went to Bernard, who could well end up starring on defense with coordinator Trent Bray this fall. Bernard has fashioned himself as the kind of playmaker that draws eyeballs by making stunning plays seem ordinary. In that sense, he may not be Superman, but he still might have superpowers.

Other notes from Monday’s practice:

• Right tackle Max McCree, who missed the previous two practices, was available and practicing.

• Tight end Beau Baker and offensive lineman Sone Falealo missed their first practices, while linebacker Lance McGee missed his second.

• Wide receiver Branden Ganashamoorthy hauled in a long touchdown pass, backing up his practice on Saturday, perhaps the best individual showing of WSU fall camp.

• Running back Leo Pulalasi hauled in a play-action touchdown pass from Eshelman in one 11-on-11 sequence.