CHAPTER 2 THE 2027 SEASON
THE SCHEDULE
The Schedule looks pretty similar to last year as the Cougars will continue to make the Apple Cup a priority leaving WSU just 2 non-conference games to schedule..
This year the Cougars will open the season on the road facing Kirby Moore's former team as they take on the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field in Week 1.
WSU will then face another former Moore team as they head to Fresno in Week 2 to play the Bulldogs in their Pac-12 opener.. WSU will then return home for it's 2027 Home Opener vs Nevada in Week 3 before taking on the Huskies in Seattle in Week 3 in the Apple Cup Showdown.
After a Week 4 "Bye" WSU will return to action in Week 5 as they continue Pac-12 play @ Boise State.
Here is a full look at the schedule
Week 1 @ Missouri
Week 2 vs Nevada
Week 3 @ Washington
Week 4 "Bye"
Week 5 @ Boise State
Week 6 @ Utah State
Week 7 vs San Diego State
Week 8 @ Cal
Week 9 vs UTSA
Week 10 vs Oregon State
Week 11 vs Stanford
Week 12 "Bye"
Week 13 vs Texas State (Senior Day"
With their final 4 games at home WSU has a chance to have a very nice finish this year as they should be favored to win in 8 of their 12 games.
THE ROSTER
QB
#10 RS SR Malachi Nelson (83)-Los Alamito CA
#13 RS JR Ajani Sheppard (80)-Bronx NY
#14 (R) Jonathan Provo (73)-Jackson MS
#7 RS FR Julius Flowers (65)-Rigby ID
Nelson a former 5* and #1 QB in his class is now playing for his 5th team in 5 seasons. Starting his career at USC before going to Boise State and then to UTEP in 2025 where he started 7 games passing for 1155 yds with 11 TD and 4 INT. He transferred again in 2026 going to Kansas but appeared in just 5 games for the Jayhawks passing for 927 yds with 5 TD and 1 INT well also adding 2 touchdowns on the ground.
Sheppard started 12 games for the Cougars last season and finished with 3497 yds with 24 TD and 18 INT well completing 63% of his passes. He also added 485 yds and 4 scores on the ground..
Provo is a 4* Recruit who will redshirt this season with the plans of taking the starting job in 2029.. Flowers is a 3* Recruit who redshirted last season but will be the team’s scout QB and emergency QB this year.
RB/FB
#20 RS SR Leo Pulalasi (85)-Tacoma WA
#23 RS JR Brevin Doll (83)-Adel IA
#3 RS JR Maxwell Wood (80)-Carver MN
#24 SO Antonio Abbott (79)-Concord CA
#34 RS SO Greg Ard (79)-New Orleans LA
#31 (R)FR Alex Goings (77-Hartland WI
#45 SO Cliff Provo (76)-Wales WI
#41 RS JR Sean Bures (68)-Lacey WA
Pulalasi returns as RB1 starting 10 games posting 197 carries for 880 yds with 9 TD and also logging 32 rec for 274 yds and 1 TD.
Abbott returns as the team’s primary backup after appearing in all 13 games as a True Freshman.. Abbott lead the team in touchdowns with (12) well logging 145 carries for 561 yds
Iowa State transfer Brevin Doll posted the fastest 40 time in the spring camp (95 Speed 98 ACC, 93 AGI) and will push Greg Ard and Maxwell Wood for snaps as the change of pace back. Doll will also join Woods who returns as the Jet Award winner on Special teams working as both a Kick and Punt returner. Doll started his career at Iowa and played in 8 games logging 7 carries for 20 yds before transferring to Iowa State last year but after just 1 carry for 5 yds he hopes to find a home here in Pullman.
Fellow Iowa State transfer Alex Goings is going to redshirt this season after spending the last season on the Cyclones Special teams (13 games no stats)
Provo started all 13 games last year at FB but carved out a major role in the offense finishing the season 3rd in carries (114) and yards (523) , scoring 3 touchdowns. He also proved to be a capable receiver logging 29 rec for 239 yds and 1 TD
Bures will be the team’s #2 FB to allow Provo more opportunities to play HB.
WR/TE
#83 RS SR Dazmin James (84)-Clayton NC
#17 SO Lester Creer (81)-Reno NV
#8 RS SR Branden Ganashmoorthy (74)-Monroe WA
#21 RS SO Carter Pabst (72)-Wichita KS
#84 RS SO Landon Wright (71)-Fresno CA
#85 (R) FR Deon Rugamba (75)-Seattle WA
#16 (R ) FR Calvin Wayne (74)-Portland OR
#86 (RS SR) Mason Wliliams (85)-Mogadore OH
#87 SO Junior Fineanganofo (73)-Burien WA
#12 RS SO Greg Fiore (71)-Camas WA
James, a transfer from Cal appeared in 13 games for the Bears but had just 6 rec for 86 yds but a strong spring camp shows he is ready to step into a starting spot opposite Creer.
Creer returns after a record setting year (92 rec 1195 yds 17 TD) to once again lead this unit
B.G. and Carter Pabst will battle it out to be the team’s #3/#4 with Landon Wright filling the #5 role this will allow Rugamba and Wayne a year to redshirt and be ready to take over the #2/#3 role’s next season.
Williams started his career at Ohio and posted 37 rec 385 yds and 2 TD for the Bobcats. He then went to Minnesota in 2026 and had 43 rec for 427 yds and 5 TD.
Finenganofo earned the #1 TE job last season as a True Freshman recording 50 rec for 619 yds but didn’t catch his first touchdown until the Bowl game against LSU.
Fiore is a former WR turned TE who provides depth at both spot
O-Line
#71 RS SR Ashton Tripp (75)-Kennewick WA
#58 JR Jaymar Tasi (84)-Seattle WA
#73 RS JR Terrell Kim (78)-North Medford OR
#61 RS SR BJ Tolo (83)-Santa Ana CA
#70 RS JR Robert Bourdon (73)-Collierville TN
Tasi and Tolo both transfers last season return as the leaders for this starting unit and are joined by a pair of transfers from this year’s class. Kim played RG for Arizona State but moves to Center well Bourdon comes via Texas A&M
Tripp appeared in 12 games for the Cougars last year but gave up a team high 11 sacks. He will be on a short leash this season with the added depth that Coach Moore now has to work with.
#76 RS SR Nikola Miovac (74)-Indija International
#79 SO Andy Weiner (74)-Oakland CA
#60 Isaia Woolfork (69)-Spokane WA
Milovac a 2 year starter at Kennesaw State will be the primary backup at OT and could move into the starting lineup if Tripp continues to give up Sacks. Weiner will be the primary backup at OG after appearing in 5 games last year as a True Freshman well Woolfork will be the primary backup at Center after starting all 13 games last year well giving up 6 sacks as a True Freshman.
RS SO S. Falealo (71), RS SR Jaylin Caldwell (69), RS SO Isaiah Lyons (70), RS SO Trevor Bindel (68)
This unit will provide addition depth should the line struggle with injuries like last sason.
FR D. Livings (68) FR C. Anders (68) FR M. Ejofor (68) FR S. Gibbs (66) FR J. Bueno (69) FR L. Tuipulotu (67)
All 6 of the incoming Freshman will redshirt and hopefully with a year or 2 of training be ready to take over when the bulk of the group in front of them has graduated.
D-Line
#84 RS JR Malachi Wrice (75)-McAlester OK
#56 RS JR Fernando Lecuona (75)-Omaha NE
#91 RS FR Stephen Harris (75)-Atwater CA
#90 RS JR Michael Hughes (71)-Santa Ana CA
#98 RS FR Jeremiah Makovicka (70)-Camas WA
#47 RS SO Luke Webb (68)-Huntington Beach CA
#92 RS SO Jaden Rice (68)-Tacoma WA
Wrice (16 TFL 6.0 Sacks) and Leecuontler (75)-Toronto INT
a (14 TFL 5.5 Sacks) return as the teams starting DE. Hughes recorded 7TFL and 3.0 sacks as the primary backup. Harris was a 3* Athlete that redshirted last season but he will take over as a backup at DE as well as LB this season.
#52 RS SR Kaden Beatty (75)-Chesapeke VA
#74 RS SR Bryce Butler(75)-Toronto CAN
#93 RS FR Nolan Conklin (72)-Baton Rouge LA
#96 RS FR Kahli Figueroa (69)-Concord NC
#94 RS FR Josh Johnson (69)-Magnolia TX
Beatty appeared in 12 games last year recording 33 Tackles with 10 TFL and 6.5 sacks as the teams #2 DT now he moves to the #1 role with transfer Bryce Butler joining him in the starting lineup. Butler started his career at Washington but appeared in just 4 games in 2025 recording 5 tackles and 1 TFL before transferring to Middle Tennessee where he appeared in 13 games in 2026 recording 21 Tackles with 8 TFL and 2.5 sacks.
Conklin, Figueroa and Johnson all redshirted last season they provide depth with the hopes the 2 of them will become starters in 2028.
Linebackers
#33 RS JR Gage Jones (76) Eagle ID
#12 RS JR Carsten Reynolds (74)-Sedro-Wooley WA
#43 SR Dallas Pritchard (76)-Olympia WA
Jones started all 13 games last year and recorded 96 Tackles with 11 TFL and 2 sacks. Reynolds (68 Tackles 6 TFL 1.5 sacks) and Pritchard (56 Tackles 3 TFL and 2 Sacks) rotate in as the other starting LB and all 3 started when WSU used a 3-3-5 Defense. They same rotation will happen again
#36 RS SO Jovan Clark (72)-Chicago IL
#10 RS FR Tye Rubin (73)-Seattle WA
#14 SO Angel Mercer (68)-Rome GA
Mercer and Clark spent the bulk of their PT on Special teams, well Rubin redshirted. With only 6 LB’s on the roster this will be a #1 priority this season to find future starters to replace Jones and Reynolds.
Secondary
#9 RS SR Sharif Denson (82)-Jacksonville FL
#21 RS SO Tre Poteat (78)-Thiensville WI
#26 RS SO Tyrone Cotton III (76)-Chicago IL
#28 RS JR Tyson Weaver (75)-Sammamish WA
#8 RS JR Kenny Worthy III (73)-Buckeye AZ
Denson (Florida) and Poteat (Tennessee) come in via the Portal to take over as CB1 and CB2. Cotton III will likely battle Weaver for the #3 role and a chance to start when WSU runs a 4-2-5 Defense
#15 FR Jay Cotter (68), #11 FR Marques Stroughter (66) and #3 FR Chuck Hajrullahu (64) are all incoming 3* who will redshirt.
#0 RS JR Anthony Palano (77)-Arlington Heights IL
#19 RS JR Kayo Patu (76)-Sacramento CA
#7 RS FR Juluis Canady (67) Bellflower CA
Palano returns to his starting role after recording 81 Tackles with 3 TFL last season. Patu also will start when the team runs a 4-2-5 Defense he logged 83 Tackles last season with 1 TFL
Splitting time as the SS and the #5 DB
#31 RS JR Trey Ridley (73)-Overland Park KS
#2 RS FR Dwayne Carstens (70)-Bountiful UT
#20 RS FR Willie Hamrick (68)-Spanaway WA
#29 RS FR Kevin Burnett (66)-Woodinville WA
Ridley appeared in all13 games and started a 6 recording 66 Tackles with 10 TFL and 1 Sack after recording 28 TFL the year before as a reserve.
Cartens/Hamrick/Burnett all redshirted last year and will be Special team players probably for the next 2 years until Ridley/Palano/Patu graduate.
Special Teams
#97 RS SO Adlai Lounsbury (70)-Story City IA
Lounsbury connected on 20/23 FG’s and 56/67 XPT last sason
#98 SR Ryan Harris (73)-Vancouver CAN
Harris a 2 year starter saw his #’s drop last year to 57 punts (65 in 2025) for 2499 yds with a 43.8 Avg and a Net Avg of 36.8.. He had 10 TB and a long of 64 pinning opponents inside the 20 (7) times.
