RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesJul. 30—Editor's note: This is the second in a series of stories that will run each day previewing Washington State's preseason camp before it begins on Aug. 6. This edition covers the Cougars' offensive line.
PULLMAN — Flip back to last fall and check out a few of Washington State's more forgettable losses. You'll find setbacks to North Texas, to Oregon State, to James Madison. The first of those is an exception, but you can draw a through-line through the final two.
The Cougars couldn't sustain any offense.
Which is why as head coach Kirby Moore takes over, WSU is likely prioritizing production from its offensive line more than ever. Last season, the Cougars finished nine spots up from dead last in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking grades, then just three spots up from last in run-blocking grades. Injuries besieged a front five that was already shaky at times, and while the Cougs made it work and won a bowl game for the first time in seven years, they could have engineered an even more memorable season with more consistent offensive line play.
That brings us to WSU's current offensive line, which at first glance has the tools to improve on that trend. Headed into next week's fall camp opener, this group will likely take first-team reps, at least to start camp: Left tackle Ashton Tripp, left guard Jonny Lester, center Kyle Martin, right guard Noah Dunham, right tackle Maximus McCree. By the end of WSU's spring practices in April, that's the group that had risen to the top.
How does that group break down? On the left side, the Cougars have two returning starters in Tripp and Lester, the latter of whom had to play a couple different positions last season because of injuries. In the middle is Martin, who replaces graduated senior Brock Dieu, while fourth-year Coug Dunham will get a chance to cement his spot and the UW transfer McCree can build on a standout spring camp.
In that group, if there are any position battles to watch for, they belong to the right guard and right tackle spots. If WSU's season started this weekend, Dunham and McCree would likely earn starting nods, but it's possible others will push them for those honors. The names to keep an eye on: third-year sophomore Nick Bakken at right guard and fifth-year senior Jaylin Caldwell.
How close could those battles get? The closest one could involve Bakken, who filled in for the injured Dunham for the team's spring game back in April. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 307 pounds, Bakken appeared in six games and redshirted at South Dakota State in 2024, then appeared in one game last fall before missing the remainder of the season with an injury. But he was healthy in time for the Cougars' spring slate, where he established himself as a clear-cut No. 2 at right guard.
In his nine games of experience last season, Dunham acquitted himself well, but he doesn't have a wealth of experience either. Filling in for injured starters, the 6-foot-5, 299-pound Dunham played 210 snaps last fall, all at left guard. His numbers: one sack on seven pressures in 105 pass-blocking snaps, then 105 more snaps in run-blocking, where he graded out at 44.3 — far below average.
Dunham has the size and the tools to improve on that output, and it's fair to expect him to do so with another year under his belt, his first playing something close to a meaningful role. But it also opens him to competition, namely from Bakken, who will be on his heels this August. Keep a close eye on that competition during fall camp.
At the right tackle spot, things are likely tilting in the direction of McCree, who handled first-team reps all spring. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 296 pounds, McCree looked fleet-footed, a remarkable development considering his career: He sandwiched two years of JUCO ball around one year at Maryland, then transferred to Washington, where injuries cost him 10 total games across two seasons.
That combination of spring production and prior experience might give him a leg up on Caldwell, who spent the first three years of his career at Division-II Grand Valley State before transferring to WSU, where he was elevated into the starting lineup for two games last fall before going down with his own injury against Virginia. He missed this spring's practices with that injury, and it's unclear whether he'll be available for fall camp.
If Caldwell can practice, it'll be worth watching how he fares, which could turn into an interesting competition. But if not, look for McCree to become the Cougars' new right tackle, earning a starting spot for WSU's season-opener: a road matchup with Washington, his former club.
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