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Feb. 28—PULLMAN — Washington State is set to kick off spring ball, doing so at the earliest date in some time.
The Cougars’ first practice is Saturday morning, some three weeks earlier than recent coaching staffs have started.
It’s one of the first signs times are changing under new head coach Jimmy Rogers, who seems to be taking more of a no-nonsense approach than his predecessors. During the week, WSU will practice at 6:30 a.m., much earlier than former coach Jake Dickert ran his.
Will it translate to wins this fall? The Cougars will be relying on a healthy dose of South Dakota State transfers that Rogers brought with him, plus a handful of returners whose experience figures to pay dividends.
Here are five questions WSU will look to answer this spring.
1. What do the Cougars have on their interior defensive line?
In case you missed it, WSU lost its top three defensive linemen from the past couple of seasons — David Gusta, Ansel Din-Mbuh and Khalil Laufau, all of whom hit the transfer portal and landed at Power Four schools over the offseason. Their departures are significant for the defensive-minded Rogers, who will have to work with defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit to evaluate their options at that position.
Early candidates to take over include Cal Poly transfer Soni Finau, SDSU transfer Max Baloun and returner Bryson Lamb. Finau is a senior with lots of college football under his belt, and Baloun played a key role on the Jackrabbits’ staunch defensive lines across the past couple of seasons. Is Lamb, who played more than 300 snaps in all 13 games, ready to become a star on the Cougs’ interior?
Perhaps more important, what does WSU’s depth look like at that spot? Redshirt junior Rashad Mackenzie profiles as a potential backup, but he’s missed a lot of time with injuries the past couple of seasons. Kent State…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/analysis-five-biggest-questions-facing-045900408.html
Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
Publish date : 2025-03-01 04:59:00
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