After an (8-5) season that included seven conference wins, the WSU football team opened up spring practice on Thursday afternoon on the Rogers Practice Field.

Seven starters are returning for the Cougars on the offensive side of the ball, including redshirt senior quarterback Luke Falk and a unanimous All-American in redshirt senior offensive lineman Cody O’Connell.

WSU is looking to replace two of their top targets at receiver, as Gabe Marks and River Cracraft graduate this spring. Head Coach Mike Leach does not see this being a problem due to the fact that his gunslinger, Falk, is returning.

“The return of Luke gives us good continuity and leadership,” Leach said. “He does a good job of elevating the players around him, which is the most important job for a quarterback.”

Leach also has high hopes for sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Johnson-Mack who caught 35 passes for 246 yards this past season.

“Isaiah has looked really good in the weight room,” Leach said. “If he keeps moving along at his current pace, he will be just fine.”

The practice started with players splitting up into their position groups and doing some drills before coming together to work on some offensive and defensive sets. After a while, the team moved over to Martin Stadium to do some non-contact scrimmaging.

This was the Cougars’ first official practice with newly signed Defensive Line Coach Jeff Phelps. He found success at his last job with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who ranked third in the Big-10 in sacks.

“[Phelps] is a really sharp and smart guy,” Leach said. “He can teach guys to overcome their limitations, he was a great addition.”

Phelps is known around the country for his aggressive philosophy about defensive line play.

“We want to get some destruction on the offensive line,” Phelps said. “We want our bodies to be on the other side of the line of scrimmage.”

The return of redshirt junior defensive lineman Hercules Mata’afa and sophomore rush backer Derek Moore will give Phelps power to work with.

“Derek Moore quietly had one of the best freshman years in the conference,” Leach said. “He came in ready to play and was consistent.”

The first practice of the season was also a sneak peek for some of the incoming freshman from the most recent recruiting class who enrolled in school early.

“The kids who enrolled early looked good,” Leach said. “And I’m not just saying that, I was actually impressed with the group.”

The next Cougar football practice will take place on Saturday at the Rogers Practice Field and Martin Stadium.