RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesAug. 4—Editor's note: This is the seventh in a series of stories that will run each day previewing Washington State's preseason camp before it begins on Thursday. This edition covers the Cougars' running backs.
PULLMAN — Ever since the winter, when Washington State coach Kirby Moore helped engineer what seemed like a miracle by retaining running backs Kirby Vorhees and Leo Pulalasi, the conversation around the Cougars' running back corps has echoed something similar.
Vorhees, Pulalasi and Maxwell Woods make a fearsome trio. Those three are ready to make some noise.
It's an entirely valid stance, especially considering Woods' performance in the Cougars' Potato Bowl win last winter: nine carries for 117 yards, looking quick and elusive as ever. Even if Woods was the only running back to return to WSU and Vorhees and Pulalasi headed to the transfer portal, as they were both planning to, the Cougars could still feel good about their ground game. That's how primed Woods looks for a breakout year.
But headed into the Cougars' fall camp slate, here's one thing to watch: Will coaches split reps equally between those three running backs, leading to the kind of three-back approach that's been teased? Or will one rise above the rest, becoming something closer to a lead back?
If that's the direction things go, the honors will likely go to Vorhees, whose retention remains one of Moore's biggest wins in his six months at the program's helm. Last year in his debut season with the Cougars, he piled up 575 yards on 138 carries, an average rush of 4.2 yards, plus five touchdowns to boot. Once he took over the reins as the team's starting running back midseason, WSU's offense looked better for it. He looked like a star in the making.
Think about this: Across their first three games of the season, the Cougars totaled 231 rushing yards, an average of just 58 per game. That would have ranked dead last nationally by a wide margin. By the end of the season, they ranked No. 79 in Pro Football Focus' rushing grades. In large part, they can thank Vorhees' production for that.
Vorhees is back, but this year, Woods looks ready for a more meaningful role. Pulalasi, ever the steady hand, is healthy again. Which creates something of an enticing dilemma for Moore, offensive coordinator Matt Miller and running backs coach Justin Green: Should they hand Vorhees the keys? If not, what's the best way to split carries between the trio?
It'll be fascinating to watch that trend unfold across fall camp, especially because there may be no right answer. Each back has their strengths and weaknesses. Woods is likely the shiftiest of the bunch, lightning-quick in the open field, where he could Ray Lewis miss. Vorhees is probably the most consistent and the most well-rounded, the kind of tailback who could be entrusted with a bellcow type of role. Pulalasi seems to churn out 5 or 6 yards every time he touches the ball, which is the kind of reliability that could come in handy in the red zone, where last year's team struggled mightily. Could those tendencies affect how their reps are divvied up this fall?
"Right now, we're just trying to get everyone used to the new offense, the new schemes and the footwork," Vorhees said back in April. "That's really been the big thing. But I think we're gonna be a three-headed monster."
Moore's background as an offensive coordinator, using a spread rushing attack, makes this particularly interesting. Last season, the Tigers' rushing attack averaged 228 yards per game, led by Ahmad Hardy's enormous year. In fact, in two of Moore's three seasons as Missouri's offensive coordinator, he used a workhorse-style approach: Cody Schrader in 2023 and Hardy in 2025. Even in 2024, Nate Noel was on track for that kind of role until his injury prompted the Tigers to open things up to other backs.
Still, since he arrived in Pullman, Moore has made one thing clear: He's keen on designing the Cougars' offense around the players on the roster, not forcing his vision onto the team. How will that manifest in WSU's running backs room? We'll begin to find out on Thursday and beyond.
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