A tumultuous but productive eight months off is about to come to a close for the Cougars.
A lot has happened for Washington State's football program since the 2023 season came to a close. The last several months have seen all the usual offseason happenings of players coming and going, but has also seen the unusual ones of a shifting college football landscape hit the Cougars hard. Here's all the big headlines out of Pullman since the end of last fall.
Cam Ward Transfers to Miami, Kris Hutson comes Aboard
Washington State's offseason got off to turbulent start, as many thought it might, when last year's primary QB Cam Ward, who had transferred in from Incarnate Word, hit the portal again and found a new home with the Hurricanes. Ward's departure came on the heels of a productive two seasons in Pullman that saw him account for 61 total touchdowns and well over 7,000 yards of total offense. The move, naturally, pressed the question of who would be named the new starting signal caller; an issue that did not get ressolved until earlier this August.
The portal taketh and it giveth, however, and the Cougars utilized it to their advantage as well. Of the handful of notable transfers that came in, the team landed arguably the most impactful one when former Oregon wideout Kris Hutson announced his decision to join the team. A speedy pass-catcher who also has a lot of potential upside as a returnman, Hutson hopes to provide a spark to the WSU offense who lost several playmakers.
(Related Articles: Former Washington State Quarterback Cam Ward Lands at #56 in ESPN Top 100 CFB Players, 4 Transfers That Could Have a Big Impact for WSU Football in 2024, Washington State Football 2024 Position Preview: Specialists)
Hicks, Jackson, Wade Selected in NFL Draft
Three former Cougs found their way to the NFL this offseason via the draft. Defensive back Jaden Hicks, who ended his WSU career with 155 total tackles and three interceptions, was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round. Defensive end Brennan Jackson went to the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round (154 overall) while cornerback Chau Smith-Wade was taken three picks later (157 overall) by the Carolina Panthers. All three made their teams' final 53-man rosters heading into the 2024 season.
Cougars Land Trio of 3-Star HS Commits Over Summer
The Cougars' 2025 class got a big boost this summer with the addition of three commits from the high school ranks, all of whom are three-star rated recruits. Jamar Searcy of Pittsburgh, CA committed to Washington State back in late June. Shortly after, Braylan McDonald hailing from Lancaster, TX announced his intent to join the program as did Kyle Peterson, a safety from Shadow Creek High School in Pearland, TX.
(Related Articles: RECRUITING: 3-Star Athlete Braylan McDonald Commits to Washington State for 2025, RECRUITING: 3-Star Texas Safety Kyle Peterson Joins Washington State's 2025 Class, 3-Star Cali Athlete Jamar Searcy Commits to Washington State Football for 2025)
Washington State, Oregon State Officially Become Lone Pac-2 Programs
When July rolled around, it was put in official ink that all but two Pac-12 programs left their ranks to join various other leagues around the country, leaving only Washington State and Oregon State as the remaining programs in the conference. It was a move that, of course, was going to happen for quite a while before that date but it's impacts are still great on both WSU and OSU. Each team was all but forced to adopt a Mountain West heavy schedule just to complete a 12-game slate. Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC left for the Big Ten while Arizona, Utah, Arizona State and Colorado are now Big 12 programs. Stanford and Cal are ACC members.
(Related Articles: WATCH: Pac-12 Releases Media Day Video "After Hours With the Beavs and Cougs", Pac-12 Releases "Welcome to the Fight" Short Film for Washington State and Oregon State Football, )
John Mateer Named Starting QB for 2024 Season
Earlier this month the Cougars answered what was arguably the most pressing question that had hovered over them for the entire offseason; who would be the starting quarterback? Redshirt sophom*ore John Mateer was awarded the job after a position battle that started back in the spring with Bryant trasfer Zevi Eckhaus. Mateer has appeared in 12 games in his WSU career but has never been the designated starter. Dating back to November of 2022 he's thrown for 267 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
(Related ArticlesWashington State Football: John Mateer Named Starting Quarterback Ahead of 2024 Season, John Mateer's Reaction to Being Named WSU Starting Quarterback, Hear From Jake Dickert After Naming John Mateer as WSU's Starting QB)
