This past Monday the 2026 Cougar football class worked out for scouts at WSU’s NFL pro day. Scouts from the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, defending champion Seattle Seahawks and a plethora of other pro teams showed up to watch last year’s Cougs ball out and show what they can do at the pro level.
The day started off with strength measurements, as athletes were given the chance to prove their strength on the bench. This was the time for the big men to show off. O-lineman Christian Hillborn and Brock Dieu both flexed their strength to the scouts, as Hillborn was able to get up 25 reps on bench, only five less than Dieu’s 30. Star Linebacker Parker McKenna also gave it his all on the bench, racking up 24 reps.
Following vertical and broad jump testing the athletes were given a chance to test their speed in the 40-yard dash. Defensive backs Jamorri Colson and Matt Durrance both stood out, as Colson was able to run a 4.54, only .06 seconds slower than Durrance’s 4.49. Quarterback Zevi Eckhaus also flashed his speed, running a 4.75, proving just why his dual threat game is so special. Yet, nothing compared to the best run of the afternoon. Running back Angel Johnson ran a blazing 4.33, only .07 seconds off of the fastest 40 time at the 2026 NFL combine.
After 40 times and agility tests were finished, athletes were finally given what they work for, a chance to show what they can do on the field.
Things started off strong with the defensive back group. Headlined by Colby Humphrey, Jamorri Colson, Matt Durrance and others, the corners and safeties were given the chance to show what they can do in coverage. Through agility drills, ball tracking exercises and other workouts, the defensive backs attempted to catch the scout’s eyes with their play on the gridiron.
A WSU football player testing his vertical jump at WSU Pro Day on March 30 2026.
Following the defensive back workouts, Eckhaus got his chance to showcase his talent at slinging the rock. Eckhaus ran through a series of different pass sets and throwing motions. Throwing deep balls, in and out breaking routes and even checkdowns, Eckhaus got the chance to show off his read progression’s and arm talent and boy did he impress. The signal caller had a day in front of NFL scouts and proved why he is not just a one dimensional athlete.
“If you told me yesterday this is how things were gonna go, I’d be pretty happy,” Eckhaus said.
It was not just Eckhaus that got the chance to shine during this section, the pass catchers got to show off as well. Receivers Josh Meredith and Leon Neal Jr. both got their chance to put their skills to the test during these drills, along with tight end Ademola Faleye and Johnson in the backfield.
While Johnson and Faleye worked checkdowns and short developing routes in the backfield and along the line of scrimmage, Meredith and Neal Jr. flashed their ability across the whole field. Despite Neal’s smaller figure, the pass catcher proved that he has the talent to work the whole field. Outside of his twitchy route running and quick 4.59 speed making him a strong slot receiver, he also caught passes deep and outside the hashes to prove his ability to be a strong option anywhere on the field, not just in the slot.
A former Coug football player reaches as high as he can on the vertical jump during WSU Pro Day March 30 2026.
Yet the strongest performance by a pass catcher came from Meredith. The 6-foot 193 pound receiver reminded scouts why he played such a key role in the WSU offense for the past two seasons. Meredith showed not just his ability at the catch point at any point on the field, but he also flashed his raw ability as a route runner. The receiver’s pro day success did not come without hard work however, as Meredith highlighted all the work he put in to make just those few catches at the pro day his best.
“The preparation was about 13 weeks long and we knew it just came down to a couple reps, and I took every rep one at a time,” Meredith said.
The day finished with offensive lineman, running backs and linebackers getting to show off their skills to the pro scouts. Headlined by star Cougs’ Dieu, McKenna and Johnson, the three position groups finished the day strong, wrapping up a promising pro day for this 2026 WSU class.
With Pro Day complete, the next big step for these athletes is the NFL draft. Although this class has not gotten as much pro attention as those in recent memory, after this showing, these Cougars have put themselves on the radar of many pro teams, and I would not be surprised if we see any of these names in the league this next NFL season.
