2022 football preview: New frontman QB Cameron Ward brings an up-tempo rhythm in Jake Dickert’s first full season at Washington State

 

2022 football preview: New frontman QB Cameron Ward brings an up-tempo rhythm in Coach Jake Dickert’s first full season at Washington State

Wed., Aug. 31, 2022 By Colton Clark, Spokane S-R

WSU football schedule 2022

9/3: Idaho, 6:30 p.m.

9/10: at Wisconsin, 12:30 p.m.

9/17: Colorado St., 2 p.m.

9/24: Oregon, TBD

10/1: Cal, TBD

10/8: at USC, TBD

10/15: at Oregon St., TBD

10/27: Utah, 7 p.m.

11/5: at Stanford, TBD

11/12: Arizona St., TBD

11/19: at Arizona, TBD

11/26: Washington, TBD

And so begins the Jake Dickert era at Washington State.

For real, this time.

The Cougs played well under Dickert for the final six games of the 2021 season, after coach Nick Rolovich was dismissed for failing to comply with a state COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Yet Dickert’s seventh game at the helm – 6:30 p.m. Saturday versus Idaho – will signal the proper start to his head-coaching career at WSU.

He’ll be joined on the sidelines by the staff he assembled this offseason – eight new assistants, including two coordinators. WSU will debut its revamped version of the Air Raid offense. Several prized additions from Dickert’s first recruiting class will play starring roles.

It will be the team Dickert shaped, not the team he inherited.

Of course, many familiar faces are back from WSU’s 2021 roster, a group of players that handled last season’s turmoil with grace and came up one game shy of a Pac-12 championship berth. The Cougs had to replace 11 starters, but they return a strong core of leadership – especially on defense – and a handful of potential standouts who played behind established veterans last year.

WSU won a few important recruiting battles for coveted transfers this offseason. No Cougar player has attracted more public interest than the headliner of the 2022 class, quarterback Cameron Ward.

Side A (offense): The Cougs are counting on Ward to operate the Air Raid efficiently and live up to his ever-building expectations of stardom. He was a highly touted signal-caller coming out of FCS Incarnate Word – where he dazzled over the past two seasons under coach Eric Morris, who is now coordinating WSU’s offense.

This preseason, Ward looked the part, exhibiting the uncommon skill set that had made him one of the top-rated transfer players of this recruiting cycle. He has “elite pocket presence,” Dickert noted, plus mobility and the arm strength and precision to make any throw – even when he’s firing from off-balance footing.

“I was really amazed with his arm and I think everyone talks about his arm, but I don’t think people talk enough about his leadership,” slot receiver Lincoln Victor said.

Ward will be surrounded by a deep and talented group of pass-catchers, captained by Victor and seventh-year senior slotback Renard Bell, and including returning starters on the outsides in De’Zhaun Stribling and Donovan Ollie.

“It’s the best receiving corps I’ve been with,” Bell said.

WSU reloaded fast after losing its two leading receivers from last season in Calvin Jackson Jr. and Travell Harris.

Nakia Watson will shoulder running back duties after sitting last year behind the senior duo of Max Borghi and Deon McIntosh. But the Cougars will take a “by-committee” approach on the ground and play three or more tailbacks. Watson, a 500-yard rusher at Wisconsin between 2019-20, is the only Coug RB with game reps.

The key for WSU’s offense will be keeping Ward clean. The Cougs’ offensive line is unproven after being remade this offseason following several departures.

The Air Raid has returned to Pullman, but it will only partially resemble the system former coach Mike Leach employed from 2012-19. Although WSU’s new offense will lean on the passing game, it boasts the ability to ground and pound. Expect the Cougars to operate at a quick pace and send out a variety of formations – from five-wide sets to “bunch” formations with two tight ends.

“It’s a diverse offense,” linebacker Travion Brown said. “They’ve got a lot of stuff going on. It’s really good for the defense because it gives us a lot of looks.”

Side B (defense): The Cougs are staying mostly consistent with their defensive approach and building upon the foundation Dickert set as defensive coordinator over the past two years.

WSU’s new DC, Brian Ward, shares coaching philosophies and strategy with Dickert.

“Brian Ward has a very similar scheme – same philosophy,” edge-rusher Brennan Jackson said. “There’s still a big emphasis on turning the ball over, being ballhawks and just sprinting to the ball – 100% effort, every play.”

The Cougars played a resilient, swarming style of defense in 2021 and finished the season fifth nationally in takeaways (29).

WSU’s defense is paced by the edge-rushers, a deep and disruptive group that brings back all-conference stalwarts/team captains in Jackson and Ron Stone Jr. WSU is fortified up front with an ultra-experienced rotation of tackles.

“You can’t take off days when you play against this type of defense,” Cameron Ward said.

The Cougs landed a professional-caliber recruit this offseason in senior Nevada transfer Daiyan Henley, an outside linebacker who quickly distinguished himself as one of the team’s top pound-for-pound players. He’ll pair with co-starters Brown and Francisco Mauigoa to form an athletic linebacking corps that shouldn’t take a step back despite graduating longtime starters Jahad Woods and Justus Rogers.

Nickel Armani Marsh, a Spokane native, reprises his role as captain of the WSU secondary, which lost both of its starting safeties and its lockdown corner – Jaylen Watson, now with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Cougs gained an impact transfer to take the job at strong safety in senior Jordan Lee. Otherwise, WSU isn’t blessed with experience at the safety spots.

The cornerbacks might lack star power, but the group is fairly tested and has four reliable pieces. The primary question for WSU’s CBs: Can senior Derrick Langford Jr. replace Watson effectively and blanket the Pac-12’s best receivers?

Extras (special teams): The Cougs have few concerns – if any – regarding their kicking and punting units.

Dean Janikowski emerged last season as the Pac-12’s most accurate placekicker and claimed first-team all-conference honors. Australian punter Nick Haberer impressed in his first season playing American football and took home freshman All-America honors.

WSU should be effective in the return game with two of its most electric offensive playmakers – Victor and Bell – catching kicks and punts.

Surprise hits: Two dynamic young skill players had breakout performances this preseason and both are expected to contribute significantly off the bench in 2022.

True freshman tailback Jaylen Jenkins wowed onlookers throughout fall camp with his elusive running style and exceptional top-end speed. He offers a change of pace for a running back group that will be spearheaded by a power-centric ball-carrier in Nakia Watson.

Receiver Orion Peters, a second-year freshman, established himself as WSU’s No. 3 option at slotback early this preseason. Peters made sharp cuts to shake off defensive backs and came up with plenty of highlight-reel sideline receptions this preseason to secure a key rotational role in WSU’s pass-heavy offense.

Producer: A first-time head coach, Dickert earned his title through both chance and merit.

He led a defensive resurgence as a WSU coordinator in 2021. When a uniquely odd situation left the Cougars coachless at midseason, Dickert seemed like the best choice to steer the ship on an acting basis.

Dickert proved himself as a unifying presence, pulling the fractured team together and guiding it to a winning season and a rare Apple Cup triumph. His interim tag was removed in late November. It wasn’t how he imagined, but Dickert had become a head coach after 15 years climbing the occupational ladder.

After an encouraging offseason of program-building, Dickert is all set to debut his remade team, the “New Wazzu,” he calls it.

Album review: The Cougars have the makeup of a winning team, so we’re comfortable predicting an above-.500 finish and a bowl berth. We’re going to stay conservative with our estimate, considering the uncertainties that come with a first-year staff, a freshly installed offensive system and several new faces occupying key roles on the field. WSU certainly has the potential to outperform our record prediction. But let’s not get too carried away before we see the “New Wazzu” in action.

Prediction: 7-5

2022 football preview: Game-by-game predictions for the Washington State University Cougars

2022 football preview: Game-by-game predictions for the Washington State University Cougars

Aug. 31, 2022 by Colton Clark S-R of Spokane

 

Pac-12 picks

Colton Clark's predicted order of finish:

1. Utah

2. Oregon

3. USC

4. Washington State

5. Oregon State

6. UCLA

7. Washington

8. Arizona State

9. Stanford

10. Cal

11. Arizona

12. Colorado

Washington State’s nonconference football slate features two favorable matchups against lower-level opponents and one major test on the road against a notable Power Five foe. The Cougars open Pac-12 play with a grueling month-long stretch, during which they will face four of the conference’s best projected teams – including defending champion Utah. WSU’s schedule for November is much less daunting. The Cougars close their season with four very winnable games, all against opponents they beat in 2021.

Sept. 3 vs. Idaho

After a five-year hiatus, the Battle of the Palouse is back. The border neighbors are both led by first-year coaches in Dickert and Jason Eck, who were coworkers at a couple of past coaching stops. That adds intrigue to a farmland feud that has been largely uninteresting over the past two decades – the Cougs have outscored the Vandals 396-99 over nine straight wins. WSU will be a heavy favorite over Idaho, which dropped back down to the Football Championship Subdivision in 2018. WSU, 45-10.

Sept. 10 at Wisconsin

Dickert returns to his home state for one of WSU’s most anticipated nonconference games in some time. The Badgers eventually wear WSU out with their powerful running game, combined with a tenacious defensive front and a booming home-field advantage of more than 80,000 fans. Wisconsin, 30-24.

Sept. 17 vs. Colorado State

WSU gets back on track against a Mountain West Conference bottomfeeder and cruises to a well-rounded victory. WSU, 37-13.

Sept. 24 vs. Oregon

The Cougs go toe-to-toe with a ranked Ducks team before a rowdy crowd at Gesa Field, but the Air Raid can’t find enough cracks in an Oregon defense led by first-year coach Dan Lanning, who guided the Georgia Bulldogs’ superpowered defensive unit over the past three seasons. UO, 33-26.

Oct. 1 vs. California

WSU comes out firing on homecoming and maintains its big early lead over a middling Cal team. WSU, 40-24.

Oct. 8 at USC

Southern Cal is off to the Big Ten Conference in two years. So, the Trojans have a target on their back and will probably get everyone’s best shot this season. But USC also has a talent advantage over perhaps all of its Pac-12 peers. The Trojans, who rejuvenated their program this offseason with the addition of a vaunted head coach (Lincoln Riley) and a host of standout transfers, present matchup issues for WSU’s secondary. USC, 41-28.

Oct. 15 at Oregon State

This one is a toss-up, but history points to WSU as the favorite. The Beavers’ stout rushing attack and play-action game gives WSU’s defense a considerable challenge, but the Cougars’ aerial attack proves too explosive for Oregon State’s defensive backs to contain. The Cougars extend their winning streak over OSU to nine games. WSU, 34-26.

Oct. 27 vs. Utah

Utah, visiting Pullman for the first time in four years, grinds out its fourth consecutive win over the Cougars. The Utes, the favorites to win the Pac-12 this season, churn out a few long possessions behind veteran QB Cam Rising, and their loaded defensive front rattles WSU’s unproven offensive line on a bitter Thursday night. Utah, 27-16.

Nov. 5 at Stanford

Cameron Ward outduels touted Cardinal QB Tanner McKee, and the Cougars’ veteran-laden defensive line clamps down on Stanford’s persistent ground game as WSU extends its winning streak in the series to six games. WSU, 30-17.

Nov. 12 vs. Arizona State

The hosts shouldn’t drop this one against a rebuilt ASU team and its embattled coach, but we’re going to stick an oddball upset loss here – just because there always seems to be a wacky home game on WSU’s schedule each year. The Cougs and Devils trade blows in a shootout for much of the night during a wild edition of “Pac-12 After Dark.” Ward leads an up-tempo possession in crunch time but a potential walk-off field goal misses the mark in wintry conditions. ASU, 31-29.

Nov. 19 at Arizona

The Cougs take out their frustrations on a struggling Wildcats team led by former WSU QB Jayden de Laura, who sees steady pressure in his pocket throughout the night. WSU, 40-14.

Nov. 26 vs. Washington

The Cougars retain the Apple Cup trophy. Dickert improves to 2-0 in the rivalry series. Why not? UW is also playing under a first-year coach. The Huskies won’t be the same four-win team that we saw last year, but how much better can they be? WSU, 38-27.

Greatest hits: From Cooper Kupp’s 428 receptions to Rueben Mayes’ 357 yards rushing, these records probably weren’t made to be broke

 Greatest hits: From EWU Cooper Kupp’s 428 receptions to WSU Rueben Mayes’ 357 yards rushing, these records probably weren’t made to be broken

By Dan Thompson For The Spokesman-Review 8/31/2022

The saying suggests that records are meant to be broken, but the circumstances of these records – all of them the best in their respective program and some at their respective level of college football – make these marks particularly unique and difficult to surpass.

Here’s a look at records from Washington State, Washington, Idaho, Eastern Washington and Whitworth that would require something – or someone – to be remarkable in order to be supplanted.

Tristen Taylor, EWU

Program career record: 60 starts

Like all players who were eligible during COVID-19, Taylor had the chance to play more games than athletes of prior eras, and he made the most of it, setting Eastern’s career starts record from 2016 to 2021 with 60, eight more than anyone else in program history. Since Taylor started every game of his career, his 60 games played are also a program record.

Cooper Kupp, EWU

Program career record: 428 receptions

It’s hard to pick just one record for a player whose name appears 41 times in the FCS record books, nevermind all the times he is mentioned in Eastern Washington’s. But this is perhaps the most unbreakable of Kupp’s records at Eastern, considering that no one else has more than 253 career receptions. Consider also: Kupp’s four single-season reception totals of 117, 114, 104 and 93 are all top-five records in their own right. He made those receptions count, too, as his 6,464 receiving yards are an FCS record.

EWU offense

Program record: 9-minute, 29-second scoring drive

During the COVID-19 spring season of 2021 in a game against UC Davis, Eric Barriere and the Eagles opened a second-quarter drive with 12:06 left at their own 6-yard line. They then ran 22 consecutive plays – also a program record for longest drive – over the next 9:29. They converted on three third downs, one fourth down and finally scored from 21 yards out on a Talolo Limu-Jones touchdown catch.

Eric Barriere, EWU

Program (and FCS) single-half record: 53 passing attempts

If anyone’s name appears as much as Cooper Kupp’s in Eastern’s record book, it might be Eric Barriere. The quarterback won the Walter Payton Award last season as the best offensive player in the FCS and in the process became the program’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns (121), completions (1,007), yards (13,809) and total offensive yards (15,394). But his last appearance as an Eagles quarterback epitomized just what he meant to the program, as Barriere attempted 53 second-half throws in a 57-41 playoff loss to Montana. His 34 fourth-quarter attempts in that game is, like the 53, an FCS record for that duration.

Eastern Washington Eagles

Program record: 20 consecutive home victories

This streak began in 2017 after a loss to Weber State and ended last season with a loss to Weber State. Between those games, Eastern built up what was the longest active home winning streak in the FCS. That included three playoff victories in 2018 on the Eagles’ way to a national title game appearance, a 38-24 loss to North Dakota State in Frisco, Texas.

Bryan Peterson, Whitworth

Program and D-III single-game record: 58 completions

In a wild game in California that featured six lead changes, quarterback Bryan Peterson completed 58 of 82 passing attempts, including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Fullman with 30 seconds left that gave Whitworth a 50-48 victory at La Verne on Sept. 20, 2014. Peterson – who set school records for competitions, attempts and passing yards (580) in the game – also did not throw an interception, making those 82 attempts an NCAA D-III record for most in a game without also being picked off.

Whitworth Pirates defense

Program single-season record: 34 points allowed, 34 interceptions

In the first of three straight one-loss seasons, this Sam Adams-coached Pirates team in 1959 fielded a suffocating defense, holding opponents to 34 total points across a nine-game season. The 34 interceptions in nine games (nearly four per game) is also a program record. During Adams’ seven-year tenure from 1958 to 1964, the Pirates had six winning seasons.

Walt Spangenberg, Whitworth

Program single-game record: 4 fumble recoveries

Spangenberg holds one of the more obscure records in Whitworth’s history, set in 1953, when he recovered four fumbles in one game against Western Washington. The offensive and defensive lineman played three seasons for the Pirates, and during that stretch from 1953 to 1955 the Pirates went 24-1 and won three Evergreen Conference titles.

Scott Miller, Whitworth

Program record: 105-yard kickoff return

By definition, this record, which Miller set in 1984, is unbreakable – the NCAA counts any return that begins in the end zone as starting at the goal line, so 100 yards is the official maximum.

Connor Halliday, WSU

Program and FBS single-game record: 89 passing attempts

Just 10 minutes into a game against No. 2 Oregon on Oct. 19, 2013, the Cougars were already down by double-digits, and Halliday just kept throwing and throwing and throwing. Halliday’s record-setting day was not the only time the quarterback was asked to throw and throw and throw to get the Cougars back into a football game, but it was certainly the most statistically memorable. The Ducks won the game, 62-38, but Halliday set a program and FBS record by attempting 89 passes. He completed 58 of them for 557 yards, which was his second-highest single game total behind the school -and FBS- record 734 he had against Cal in 2014.

Luke Falk, WSU

Program single-game record: .914 (32-35) completion percentage

If Connor Halliday epitomized the early years of Mike Leach’s Air Raid tenure in Pullman, then Luke Falk can serve as the poster child for a more mature and successful mini-era for the former WSU coach. In 2016 the Cougars lost their first two but then rattled off eight consecutive victories, one of which was a 69-7 drubbing of visiting Arizona. Falk, whose name appears among the top 15 in various FBS career record categories, was perhaps at his very best in this game when he completed 32 of 35 passes for 311 yards and four touchdowns. No other WSU quarterback has had such an efficient line while attempting at least 10 passes. Tyler Hilinski, who took over for him later in the game, came close, completing 15 of 17 attempts for 163 yards and two more touchdowns. They combined, then, to complete 47 of 52 attempts that day. WSU won its next game but then lost its last three.

Jason Hanson, WSU

Program and FBS record: 20 field goals from 50-plus yards

No other Cougars kicker has come anywhere close to beating Hanson in this category. His 20 made field goals of at least 50 yards from 1988-91 is 15 more than anyone else to kick for the Cougars (Rian Lindell is second with five), and Hanson’s total also represents an FBS record. Hanson also holds the FBS record for made (and attempted) field goals from 40-plus yards, having made 39 of 66 attempts from such distances. His career long of 62 (against UNLV in 1991) is still a program best, though Andrew Furney came close with a 60-yarder against Eastern Washington in 2012.

Rueben Mayes, WSU

Program single-game record: 357 rushing yards

Set in a 50-41 victory over Oregon in 1984, Mayes’ single-game team record of 357 rushing yards was at the time also the Division I record as well. Twelve FBS running backs have since surpassed his mark, but Mayes’ total still stands as the best in WSU history, and it’s not all that close. Bernard Jackson remains second with the 261 yards he had against Oregon in 1971. Jerome Harrison has the next three best totals of 260, 247 and 240 set during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Mayes went on to play parts of six seasons in the NFL for the Saints and Seahawks.

Willis Smith, Idaho

Program career record: 8.73 career yards per carry

From 1929 to 1932, Willis Smith averaged 8.73 yards per carry, more than two yards more than any other Vandals running back with at least 80 career carries. Smith went far beyond that minimum, too, rushing 347 times for 3,029 career yards, which ranks third-most in program history.

Tom Hennessey, Idaho

Program single-season record: 180 tackles

As a senior in 1986, Hennessey broke what was then Sam Merriman’s single-season tackle record by 35 tackles in just one more game. Hennessey, a linebacker, averaged 15 tackles a game that season. In the years since, two other Vandals have surpassed Merriman’s mark of 145 tackles, but David Vobora (148 in 2007) and Jason Shelt (148 in 1993) were still far from Hennessey’s record. Tre Walker made a run at it in 2019, when he had 138 tackles, tied for sixth-most in team history.

John Friesz, Idaho

Program career record: 305.6 passing yards per game

Friesz, who also set an Idaho record by throwing for at least 300 yards in 14 consecutive games, set this record during a memorable four-year career from 1986 to 1989. Doug Nussmeier, his successor and Idaho quarterback from 1990 to 1993, is second on the list with 277.5 yards per game. At the FCS level, Friesz’s average ranks 13th all-time, but of the 12 names above him, only five played more than the 35 games Friesz did.

Jeff Robinson, Idaho

Program career record: 57.5 quarterback sacks

The NCAA didn’t start officially collecting sack statistics until 2000, so Robinson’s total, which he racked up from 1989 to 1992, does not rank among the NCAA record books. But it is certainly the most in Vandals history – 18 more than the 39.5 Ryan Phillips had from 1993 to 1996. Robinson set a single-season Idaho record with 20 sacks in 1991. A graduate of Ferris High, Robinson was twice named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year.

Sonny Sixkiller, Washington

Program single-game record: six interceptions thrown

There are some memorable names lower on this list: Cody Pickett once threw five interceptions, as did Don Heinrich and Brock Huard. But Sixkiller’s six drive-killers in a 1970 game against Oregon State stand as a Huskies’ single-game record, one that is all the more remarkable because it came in a Washington victory, 29-20. In passing yardage, Sixkiller ranks eighth all-time among Huskies quarterbacks with 5,496. But he does hold one record all to himself: 51 interceptions, seven more than anyone else.

Spider Gaines, Washington

Program career record: 23.6 yards per reception

The Huskies have had many a speedster wideout in the years since Gaines played for them from 1975 to 1978, but none have really come all that close to the receiver’s career yards per reception average of 23.6 (with a minimum of 50 receptions). Next best is Brian Slater’s 19.2 yards per catch (from 1985-88), and the last player to come anywhere close was Hunter Bryant (2017-19), who caught 85 passes at an average of 16.4 yards. Gaines had eight receptions of at least 50 yards in his career, a number bested only by John Ross, who had 11. In all, Gaines had 70 receptions for 1,651 yards.

Chuck Nelson, Washington

Program and FBS record: 30 consecutive made field goals

Nelson made his last five field-goal attempts in the 1981 season, and then he began the next year by making 25 more in a row to set an FBS record. Even great Huskies kicker Jeff Jaeger – who holds the program career record with 85 field goals – never had a streak longer than 16. Infamously, Nelson’s streak ended in the fourth quarter of the Huskies’ final regular season game, when they trailed the Cougars, 21-20. Nelson missed a 33-yarder to the right of the goalpost, and the Cougars won the game, 24-20.

Hugh McElhenny, Washington

Program record: 100-yard punt return for a touchdown

In the years 1950, 1951 and 1952, the NCAA saw five players return punts for 100 yards, and McElhenny – in a 20-13 loss to USC in 1951 – had one of them, still the longest in program history and among the 12 longest ever in the FBS (Idaho’s Keo Shiloh, in 2007, had another 100-yard punt return). Rarely do returners field a punt at their goal line any longer, and in Huskies history the next-longest return belongs to Steve Bramwell, who brought a punt back 92 yards against Oregon State in 1963. Aaron Fuller’s 88-yard punt return touchdown in 2019 is the fifth-longest in Huskies’ history and most recent among the program’s top 10.

Sources: Football media guides from Washington State, Washington, Idaho, Eastern Washington and Whitworth; NCAA record books for FCS (2022), FBS (2021) and Division III (2022) from ncaa.org.

2022 football preview: WSU counting on transfers Cameron Ward, Daiyan Henley to deliver big numbers

 

2022 football preview: WSU counting on transfers Cameron Ward, Daiyan Henley to deliver big numbers

By Colton Clark Spokesman-Review of Spokane/Inland Empire  8/31/2022

Standout transfers talk new home

New Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward was raised in West Columbia, Texas, a rural town in the southeast corner of the state. He spent his first two years of college in San Antonio, the nation’s seventh-largest city, before returning to a smaller, tight-knit community on the Palouse.

“I never know where football is going to take me,” he said. “I’m just blessed to be in a town that not only cares about the team but cares about us as people, too. Pullman has made me more of a caring person than I already was.”

Fellow transfer Daiyan Henley grew up in the heart of the Los Angeles metro in Crenshaw, California, then lived for five years in Reno, the “Biggest Little City in the World.” The linebacker enjoys the change of pace that Pullman offers and the fervent support for WSU.

“It’s a different type of support here than I had at Nevada,” he said. “That’s not a shot at Nevada. I love those people. They raised me. But being in Pullman, it’s a different vibe here because it’s such a smaller town compared to where I’ve been. Cougar athletics, we hold a lot of weight in the community and we can make people’s days good, and we can make a lot of days bad. Being embraced like this and having that type of support is something I haven’t got to feel.”

PULLMAN – Cameron Ward understands that the attention “comes with the territory.”

He’s a high-profile transfer quarterback who will lead Washington State’s new offense – a pass-heavy Air Raid system – this season under a first-year coaching staff.

So, Ward isn’t surprised by all the public interest surrounding him. It’s part of the job.

“I think I’ve handled it well, but at the end of the day, I don’t really believe in pressure,” Ward said recently. “It’s football. I’ve been doing it since I was 8 years old. I’ll just take it one snap at a time and whatever happens, happens. I know it’s in God’s plan for me.”

The hype began to build when Ward signed with WSU in January as a prized recruit out of Incarnate Word. The expectations have only grown since.

He seems to be taking it all in stride.

“Cam loves it. He’s born for it,” Cougars coach Jake Dickert said earlier this month. “I really believe that, when you get around him a lot and you really get a chance to sit down and talk to him, he lives for the moment.”

WSU retained a strong nucleus of veteran players from last year’s squad, but the Cougars made several significant additions via the transfer portal this offseason as they reshaped their program and laid the foundation for the Dickert era. WSU signed 10 immediate-impact transfers, a haul headlined by a pair of potential superstars in Ward and senior linebacker Daiyan Henley, a former Nevada standout.

“I realize that I’m walking into something that’s already built, and it’s an honor to be a part of it,” Henley said. “I’m walking into a great culture. There are guys in the locker room that are already leaders and faces of the team, and they welcomed me into the union, ‘We know you’re going to be needed. You’re an older guy and we need you to be a senior leader.’ ”

WSU’s two most touted transfer players are relishing the opportunity to assume key roles for their new team and to prove themselves on a national stage. Ward and Henley sat down with The Spokesman-Review last week to share their thoughts on becoming first-time Cougar leaders at a notable juncture in the program’s history, ahead of a highly anticipated season.

“I tend to push all of that to the side,” Ward said when asked about the magnitude of this moment in his career. “I stick to my job, which is to go to school and play football for coach Dickert. Him bringing me here in January and giving me the keys to the kingdom, it just showed me a lot about how much he believes in me and trusts me to operate this system. The team feels that way about me and I trust the team. I feel like we’re going to be one of the best teams in the country by the end of the season.”

Ward, a third-year sophomore, produced staggering stat totals over the past two seasons while steering the Air Raid at Incarnate Word under coach Eric Morris – now the Cougars’ offensive coordinator. Ward raked in All-FCS honors, then became one of the most valuable transfer QBs on the market after experts started noticing his uncommon passing abilities. He essentially clinched WSU’s starting job on arrival. His physical tools were instantly impressive. Ward eased himself into a leadership role among his new teammates.

“I had to approach it a different type of way, coming in with coach Morris and with everything that had happened, with their head coach getting fired and all that,” he said, referencing Nick Rolovich’s dismissal in October over his failure to comply with a state COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

“I approached it the way I needed to. It’s worked out for myself and for the team. The team knows me now and they trust me to get our offense in the best situations to win games.”

Beginning before spring camp, Ward guided offseason exercises with the Cougs’ offense to expedite the installation process of the Air Raid. His on-field leadership qualities have grown tremendously over the past month, according to his coach.

“How he carries himself, how he understands that his voice matters in everything he does – we’re just seeing him take those steps,” Dickert said. “How you run off the field matters, especially when you’re a leader and have that many eyeballs on you. I’ve been happy with his development, and he doesn’t make excuses. He takes a lot of ownership. He expects to play at a high level and he holds himself to that every day.”

Ward describes himself as “level-headed” and “a humble dude” – good traits to have for someone in the spotlight. The Cougs’ fan base has been discussing his prospects all year while eagerly awaiting his debut. Fellow students recognize him on campus. His name has come up a few times among national media members as a “breakout FBS star” candidate. Ward was named recently to the watch list for the Maxwell Award, given annually to the best all-around player in college football. Of course, he’s heard the chatter.

“I see some of the stuff on social media. My friends always send me things,” Ward said. “At the end of the day, you still gotta prove it on the field.”

Teammates sometimes tease Ward for his semi-celebrity status.

“I’ll be walking around campus and they’ll see me and be like, ‘Whoa, that’s Cam Ward!’

“I’m like, ‘Chill,’ ” Ward said, chuckling. “They always got their jokes with me. They know I don’t really like it like that. I’m a low-key dude. It comes with the territory, but I’m always going to be humble and feel blessed to be here.”

After an offseason of rising expectations, Ward will finally have a chance to show his potential when he makes his major college football debut at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at home against Idaho.

“My first time being able to play with more than 3,000 fans, playing in a packed stadium, especially in a town like Pullman – a town that just loves their football – it’s a blessing,” Ward said. “I wanted to play at a Power Five school coming out of high school, but I had to take my own route.

“Everything happens for a reason and I know I was put here for a reason. I’m ready.”

Henley is poised to make a splash this year in his first and only season with WSU. He spent the past five years at Nevada – first as a receiver/return man, then as a defensive back before transitioning to outside linebacker fulltime in 2020. Henley exhibited a high motor and hard-hitting abilities in a dynamic skill set last year and earned All-Mountain West honors as the Wolf Pack’s defensive ace.

He was one of the top-rated defensive transfer players in the 2022 recruiting cycle. Henley passed up several high-level offers and chose to follow Brian Ward – WSU’s first-year defensive coordinator and the former DC at Nevada – to Pullman.

“You’re always a little bit unsure about someone who’s new, but they knew I was a player and I appreciate them for accepting me,” he said. “There’s always doubt that comes with transfers. So, the first thing on my mind when I got here was to prove myself and earn their trust. … The biggest thing for me was being genuine, being myself and not letting the outside noise corrupt who I am as a person. I think the guys could see that I’m 100% genuine.

“It’s not something that’s easy to do, jumping into a new group of guys and thinking they’ll trust you. Coming into this season, I feel like I’ve earned their trust and they believe in me.”

Henley gained respect quickly among his new teammates for his deft play and deep knowledge of the game. He fit in “seamlessly on the field,” considering that he’s “coming into a defense I already know.”

Clearly, Henley passes the eye test. Without question, he’s one of the team’s most talented players – that became apparent during spring ball, and it was obvious throughout fall camp. Henley should be a major playmaker this season for WSU and will make a fine replacement for Jahad Woods, who graduated after starting at outside LB for five years. Henley landed on the watch list recently for the Butkus Award, presented annually to college football’s top linebacker.

“Having the opportunity to be a so-called ‘face’ of the team and whatnot, it’s an honor,” Henley said. “It’s not taken lightly. I appreciate that regard. It matters, but it’s not my focus. I just want to be a part of the team and provide my contribution.

“I have a high regard for them. If I wasn’t the right guy, they wouldn’t have chosen me … accepting me to talk. I feel like they listen to me now, more times than not. They fact that they do it all shows there’s love and respect for me and I love and respect them just as much.”

Henley “took it to heart” when coaches asked him to share leadership responsibilities with a host of proven returners in WSU’s defensive front. His exuberant personality and high-energy playing style mix nicely with the spirited character of the Cougs’ defense, which returns a corps of vets that spearheaded a breakthrough campaign for the unit in 2021.

“It isn’t something I had to help build,” he said. “That’s why I can’t completely agree with me being a ‘face’ of the team and all that. This was a unit that was already built. I got to witness it last year. They rallied after everything they went through, beat the rivals up there – we don’t talk about those guys – and made it to a bowl game. I saw them battle.

“I’m another puzzle piece.”

After relocating and joining a new program in what he calls “the longest offseason I’ve ever had,” Henley is anxiously awaiting Saturday night.

“All the anticipation, the transfer, and just understanding my new team and getting to become brothers with these guys … for me, this is big,” he said. “I get a new feeling, a new vibe. I get to play with some guys that I have really, really wanted to play with.”