We all know by now that the next two years of Washington State football are going to look different, whether it's wanted or not. The Pac-12 has now officially become the Pac-2, with all other 10 members joining their respective new conferences.

The feeling around the WSU community, while optimistic, remain very cautious with what is still left of the roster, after the transfer portal, graduation and expiring eligibility took its toll throughout the locker room.

All the roster shuffling brings opportunity for those who were waiting for their chance at a starting spot, opportunity for someone looking for a second chance after their prior commitment didn’t pan through, opportunity for those looking to make a name for themselves.

The Cougars come into Year 1 of the ‘Pac-2’ experience with the same coaching staff, but a depth chart that brings some unfamiliar names but players with an opportunity ahead this fall.

Let's take a closer look at the 2024 Cougars ...

Offensive line

One area of stability for Washington State is along the offensive line, as the only full-time starter in the group not returning this season is Konner Gomness, who decided to forgo his final year of eligibility.

Head coach Jake Dickert said he is hoping to have the offensive line consist of senior Esa Pole and redshirt juniors Christian Hilborn, Devin Kylany, Brock Dieu and Fa’alili Fa’amoe.

Fa’amoe is nursing a knee injury he sustained a few days into the new year, and there is a hope that he can return to game action Week 2 against Texas Tech at home, but his return is a ‘moving target’, according to Dickert.

With Fa’amoe currently sidelined for the unforeseeable future, it gives opportunities to redshirt junior Rodrick Tialavea and redshirt sophomores Zack Miller, Luke Roaten and Landon Roaten, who all saw limited time the previous season and now all could potentially see action Week 1, with Dickert figuring out his offensive line group.

Quarterback

With quarterback Cam Ward transferring to Miami, it opened the door for a true quarterback battle between redshirt sophomore John Mateer and senior Zevi Eckhaus, the transfer from Bryant University who came in during the off-season.

Mateer has seen limited on-field experience as a back-up for Ward, mostly recognized for his quarterback draw reads when he is on the field, but now we get to see if his arm matches his legs as he was officially named the starter.

Eckhaus is coming off a career year at Bryant University in the FCS, being voted Big South Offensive Player of the Year, also being named to the All-Big South first-team and nominated as a finalist for the Walter Payton Award after completing 62.8% of his passes and throwing for 28 touchdowns while ranking third nationally at that level in total offense.

Wide receiver

The receiving room still has senior wide receiver Kyle Williams, who was also named to the 2024 Biletnikoff Award Watch List after he caught 61 passes for 843 yards the previous season with Ward.

Alongside Williams is senior wide receiver Kris Hutson, who transferred to WSU from Oregon after playing five games in his junior season, and sophomore wide receiver Carlos Hernandez, a standout from last season as a true freshman in the Arbuckle system.

Hernandez will have to wait a little to make his 2024 season debut, as he sustained a foot injury during fall camp. Dickert added that Hernandez will be out “for the foreseeable future”, adding that the wide receiver will be in a cast for the next 3-4 weeks.

The Cougars are already preparing for Hernandez to miss at least one game, with a “next-man up” mentality..

WSU added some fresh faces from the transfer portal into this new-look wide receiver room, bringing in redshirt senior Kyle Maxwell from Louisiana Tech, redshirt junior Tre Shackelford from Austin Peay and sophomore Tony Freeman from the College of San Mateo, who are all looking to potentially earn that starting position.

All three are looking to be huge members of this offense, alongside returning redshirt junior Josh Meredith, who saw the field in all 12 games for the Cougars the previous season, even finding the end zone once.

A deep receiving corps, with minimal transfers out, brings a level of intrigue and excitement to the offense.

Tight end

Ever since WSU has re-introduced the tight end position into the offense, it has yet to be a huge difference-maker consistently but provides needed offensive sparks at opportune moments.

The Cougars’ tight end room has senior Cooper Mathers, redshirt senior Billy Riviere III, the former North Dakota transfer, and junior Andre Dollar leading the charge, rotating in and out of the offense on certain playcalls.

With Mathers leading the room in receptions and receiving yards from the previous season, the Cougars will look to add more versatility with Riviere III and Dollar not just being used as blocking pieces on early downs.

Running back

After former WSU running back Nakia Watson graduated, the starting running back role opened, giving redshirt sophomore Djouvensky Schlenbaker a chance to lead the pack, after backing up Watson the previous two seasons.

The Cougars still have redshirt junior Dylan Paine and redshirt freshman Leo Pulalasi, who both saw limited time in their positions the previous season but look to have more expanded roles this upcoming season, potentially being both pass-catching backs and Schlenbaker’s No. 2.

There is still plenty of excitement with a ‘new-look’ offense, with a few familiar faces getting their opportunity to lead this Washington State team.

Edge rushers

Unfortunately for the Cougars, former EDGE rushers Ron Stone Jr. and Brennan Jackson do not have any more eligibility left, so now the Cougars’ pass rush will have to see some new faces emerge as threats to opposing quarterbacks.

Senior EDGE rusher Nusi Malani will look to take command on one side of the line after starting just over half of the regular season games last year, totaling 24 tackles on the season, 4 of them for loss and 1.5 sacks.

The Cougars were known for having a deep pass-rush unit, with having the ability to plug and pull members at the line, and still getting to the quarterback. This year might be a little different.

On the other side of Malani is senior Syrus Webster, the transfer from Utah Tech who began last season as the United Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the year in the FCS division.

Webster finished his 2023 campaign with 7 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and 4 forced fumbles, really making a name for himself in the FCS division and on a national stage, ranking inside the top 50 for total sacks.

The depth at EDGE will be tested, but there is a lot of excitement with Webster and Malani leading the charge, with redshirt junior Raam Stevenson, seniors Quinn Roff and Andrew Edson and sophomore Issac Terrell.

Having veterans like Roff and Edson back for this WSU team is a bigger relief for the defensive unit, not having to exhaust both Malani and Webster on early downs and maintain the rotational depth they lean on.

Defensive tackle

Up front at the line next to Malani and Webster, in the defensive tackle positions, are redshirt junior David Gusta, along with sophomores Khalil Laufau and Ansel Din-Mbuh, who got very limited experience the past season but look to make an impact now in their second years in Pullman.

With a thin DT unit, the Cougars may look to the pass rush once again to be the brunt of the defensive line. The pass rush will once again be the heavy lifters up front.

Linebacker

Senior linebacker Kyle Thornton took a big leap as a junior, earning his role as a leader last year, and now looks to do the same in his senior season.

He’ll captain the defense and pair with redshirt sophomore Taariq ‘Buddah’ Al-Uqdah, who started just over half the games for the Cougars last season, even picking up an interception near the end of the season against Colorado as a freshman.

Behind Thornton and Al-Uqdah are two transfers, redshirt juniors Keith Brown from Louisville and Parker McKenna from Portland State. Brown first started at Oregon before transferring to Louisville after his sophomore season in 2022, then came up to the Palouse after seeing limited action in the ACC.

McKenna was an All Big-Sky honorable mention after starting all 11 games for the Vikings last season, totaling 75 tackles, including 2 sacks, 1 interception and 4 passes defensed, finishing 11th in the Big Sky in total tackles.

The depth at linebacker has always been a strength for the defense, with many big names coming through the program in recent history.

Defensive back

The secondary for the Cougars won’t have Jaden Hicks back there as one of their big safety nets downfield anymore, as he went to the NFL, being selected by the Kansas City Chiefs, but luckily for Dickert, a lot of the secondary decided to stay in Pullman for another season, with many returners from last season waiting for their moment to shine.

At cornerback, and with many openings after a shaky 2023 defensively at the position, everyone in the locker room is hungry, waiting for their opportunity to make a name for themselves.

Junior cornerbacks Stephen Hall, the former JUCO transfer from NW Mississippi CC, will start opposite redshirt freshman Ethan O'Connor, who steps in with Jamorri Colson set to miss extended time due to injury.

Senior defensive back Kapena Gushiken looks to command the nickel position, after a successful first year for the Cougars, especially with his 88-yard pick-six against UCLA.

Behind Hall and O'Connor is redshirt freshman Warren Smith Jr.

The safety unit is loaded with talent, with many guys eyeing the two starting positions.

Senior defensive back Tanner Moku has been with the program since he walked-on during the 2020 shortened season, and is hoping for an expanded role after playing in eight games last year.

Alongside Moku are redshirt sophomore Reece Sylvester, seeing limited him last year for the Cougars in his first season, and the man who has been turning heads so far at fall camp on the defensive side of the ball -- redshirt junior Jackson Lataimua.

The safety room also has redshirt freshman Adrian Wilson, the three-star prospect from Dallas who only appeared in four games last season for WSU but looks to make more of an impact with Hicks going to the NFL.

Wilson is also joined by returning junior Leyton Smithson, who has decided to switch sides of the line, going from the wide receiver room in 2022 to safety in 2024. Smithson started six games in 2022 as a wide receiver, then was primarily moved to special teams last year, before now switching to defense entirely.

The Cougars bring in one newcomer in the defensive back room, redshirt senior Tyson Durant, the transfer from Akron who played all 12 games last year for the Zips, totaling 33 tackles on the season.

WSU, defensively, looks to completely rejuvenate the secondary after many names left the program, but the ‘next-man’ up mentality has produced some optimism this fall camp, getting ready for Week 1 at home.

As of right now, the Cougars have their O/U win total set at 7.5 wins, with a semi-friendly schedule that includes some big names like Texas Tech and Boise State.

WSU will travel to Corvallis for the Pac-2 Championship Game late in November, and the Apple Cup is slated for Week 3 of the regular season.

But with many new opponents, comes a lot of unexpected and fresh excitement for what’s to come.