Before fall camp kicked off yesterday morning, WSU Football Head Coach Jimmy Rogers sat down with the media Tuesday afternoon to go over the team’s approach heading into the preseason. Before a single question was asked, Rogers started off the conference explaining his feelings about the off-season.

“It has been a great summer so far,” Rogers said. “Our guys got bigger, faster and stronger.”

With the pleasantries out of the way, Rogers detailed the goals, format, story lines and expectations that will make up this year’s Cougar Football fall camp.

Split Practices

Rogers said his vision for the camp’s format, primarily pointing out their usage of split practices.

“As of right now…the first three practices will be split in half…with the other half either lifting or doing some form of recovery on the next day,” Rogers said. “If we can get to the third practice with limited injuries, we will stick with that plan…the split practices give quarterbacks the opportunity to lead and have a voice of their own.”

This structure is a carry over from Rogers’ time with South Dakota State. How the format pans out in the early days of camp will determine if they continue it moving forward. For the time being, fans should expect to see these split practices early on.

Quarterback Competition

One lingering question coming out of the 2024 season was who the starting quarterback would be by August. With Zevi Eckhaus starting in the Holiday Bowl to close out the year, it seemed that the redshirt senior would be the clear pick. However, Rogers begs to differ.

“I think the play on the field throughout fall camp will determine the starter,” he said. “There is going to be a competition. They are going to get graded daily and they’re going to be pushed on the things to improve on and the best player will play.”

That sentiment is not exclusive to the quarterback room.

“I would say that is for every position,” Rogers said. “That is not just at quarterback.”

In terms of Eckhaus’ mindset around competition for the starting spot, Rogers emphasized his faith in the veteran QB’s mentality.

“You know Zevi is a competitor, and I don’t know if you would expect anything less,” he said. “I think bringing in the two transfers tells him that… there was a need for competition in the room and a guy that kind of really pushed in the spring was Jaxon Potter who showed up a lot.”

With a deep quarterback room, Rogers has quite a few weapons at his disposal. How he leans on those weapons is still up in the air.

“Could there be a role for multiple quarterbacks?” Rogers said. “We’ll address that if that is the case, but right now those guys are all working extremely hard to master their craft and to be the best teammate they can be.”

House Settlement Shake up   

Rogers has also been faced with the uncertainty that the recent house settlement has placed on college athletics. Specifically, he has been hesitant to make cuts and prefers to keep a larger roster on hand.

“This is a unique year, and I have tried to handle it the best with what is a lot of uncertainty in college football and trying to protect a team,” he said. “I do believe in being able to double rep at practice. Once you start to cut to 105 [players], you somewhat lose that ability just due to injuries and number of bodies.”

Injuries are without a doubt present on the Cougar roster, Rogers said.

“[Javon Clark is] going to probably be week to week. He has got some stuff going on with his back,” he said. “Mike Sanjo will be out a couple weeks, but we’re expecting him for the first game.”

Transfers and South Dakota carry overs

During the off-season, the Cougs picked up key offensive-line transfers Jaylin Caldwell and AJ Viapulu. Rogers understands their necessity to the team and emphasized their role on the squad.

“We brought them in for a reason: to try and see if they can impact the team,” Rogers said. “There is going to be competition at every position and these guys have an opportunity to learn. They have been doing player led practices and player led walk-throughs all summer…they have had the ability to kind of digest the offense at a slower pace and now we’re on that second phase for them where we’re installing it all again…hopefully they push themselves into somewhat of a rotation at the O-line position.”

Rogers was not alone on his journey to Pullman. Stuffed into his luggage he brought four safeties from South Dakota State, namely Tucker Large, Matt Durrance, Cale Reeder and Trey Ridley. Rogers was eager to express their mentalities coming into camp.

“I think they know what it takes to win,” he said. “They don’t want to lose. They are going to be doing everything they can to make sure that this last year is something to remember.”

Pre-Camp Standouts and Potential Freshman Starters

Looking back at the offseason and certain players’ development over the summer, one name caught Rogers’ attention immediately.

“One guy that stands out offensively right away is [Josh] Meredith,” Rogers said. “He has noticeably gotten faster from spring and from my time here and I think he feels faster…he is maybe the most productive offensive player that we have.”

The Cougs have a number of first-years joining the roster this year. Two of them have caught Rogers’ eye early on.

“Sullivan Schlimgen is extremely intelligent for his age. He kind of reciprocates information back to you and understands at a really high level. Has great speed…he is physical,” Rogers said. “Trillion Sorrell was another kid that has gained weight, has taken the offseason really serious. In his overall size and strength, he’s intelligent enough to impact us. In what capacity? It is going to be dependent on how fall camp shakes.”

Goals and Communication

Rogers went on to explain his overall goals and success structure for the camp, explaining his nebulous approach.

“Our team goals have no result base to them, they are more things that you can live by on a day-to-day basis,” Rogers said. “One of those is that you come into the building everyday with elite focus which is having precise clarity with your intentions…big thing for me in my life has always been to finish what you start and do it to the best of your ability… I am excited about what this team can do.”

Rogers also harped on how important communication is for his team and his program.

“I think every play starts and ends with communication,” he said. “You’re having a conversation with the guy next to you to play with him. Everybody has to be on the same page.”

Staff Mentality and Approach

With Rogers bringing some key members of his SDSU coaching staff with him to Pullman, he said how their philosophy with the Jackrabbits will play a major role in the program’s approach.

“There is a lot of reasons why I brought the staff,” Rogers said. “They know what is expected of them. They know how to push their players. I think everything starts with what you focus on and how you finish. Those things will probably never change as long as I am the head coach. I am a real simple person that tries to work hard and do my best, and our staff will do the same thing to give our best to the players.”

Considering Rogers’ comments, it seems that this year’s fall camp can be broken down into a few key words: competition, communication and elite focus. With a little more than four weeks to go until opening day at Martin Stadium, fall camp will give fans a look into how the team is shaping up, both the good and the bad.