WSU Cornerback Competition
Washington State Football Preseason Camp Nears, Intensifying Cornerback Battle with Transfers and Returners
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Washington State football opens preseason camp on August 6, and one of the hottest position battles will happen in the cornerback room. The Cougars desperately needed to restock the position, and they did — pulling in several transfers specifically to compete for starting spots, according to The News Tribune.
WSU brought in 32 transfers total this offseason. Multiple of those transfers play cornerback. Combined with a handful of returning players, the Cougars now have a crowded, competitive room heading into camp, Yahoo Sports reported.
Five Key Names Fighting for Starting Cornerback Jobs
The transfer group includes Khamari Terrell from Texas State, Jalil Tucker from Oregon State, and CJ Solis-Lumar from Cal Poly. Junior college transfer Elmo Wharton also enters the mix. All four arrived this offseason specifically to add depth at a position that was thin coming out of last season, according to The Olympian.
Returning players are also in the fight. Jamarey Smith, Kai Rapolla, and Ishmael Gibbs are all back and looking to hold their ground. The competition is wide open, with no starter locked in before camp even begins, Tri-City Herald reported.
Transfers Expected to Land the Biggest Starting Roles
The biggest roles will likely go to a mix of the new transfers and experienced defensive players. WSU's coaching staff leaned hard into the transfer portal this cycle to fix a clear weakness. The sheer number of incoming corners shows how serious the team is about rebuilding that unit, according to The Bellingham Herald.
Terrell and Tucker bring FBS experience from major programs. That background could give them an edge early in camp. Solis-Lumar steps up from the FCS level at Cal Poly, so he will need to prove he can handle the jump in competition, Yahoo Sports reported.
The Sleeper to Watch: A 6-Foot-3 Wildcard
One player could surprise everyone in camp. Wartson stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 174 pounds — a rare size for a cornerback. That height gives him a major advantage when covering bigger receivers. The News Tribune flagged him as the potential sleeper of the position battle.
At 6-foot-3, Wartson is unusually tall for the position. Most corners stand between 5-foot-10 and 6-foot-1. If he can hold up physically and match his size with technique, he could push past more experienced names on the depth chart before camp ends.
Camp Starts August 6 — Answers Coming Fast
WSU's preseason camp begins August 6. Coaches will get their first real look at how these players compete under live conditions. The cornerback room is one of the most important spots to watch. It was a clear weakness last season, and fixing it matters for the Cougars' chances this fall, according to Yahoo Sports.
The depth chart will take shape quickly once pads go on. With this many players competing for two or three starting spots, someone will emerge and someone will be left out. That battle alone makes WSU's camp worth following closely, Tri-City Herald noted.
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