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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Determining depth: A projection of Washington State’s 2017 two-deep

WSU quarterback Luke Falk (4) is all but certain to start the opener on Sept. 2 against Montana State. (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)

Washington State practice is closed to the public for the rest of the season, meaning fans and reporters who still haven’t gotten their fix of preseason football will have to get creative if they still wish to view the Cougars.

(The bridge adjoining the Compton Union Building and nearby elevator is a popular lookout point and any patron of the Holland & Terrell Library can see Rogers Field in its entirety from the large windows on the north end of the building.)

After two days of practice in Pullman, seven in Lewiston, then 11 more on the Palouse, we have a relatively good idea of what the depth chart will look like when it’s released next week before the Sept. 2 season opener versus Montana State.

My observations from the first 20 practices of the 2017 season tell me the opening-week depth chart will appear something like this.

Offense

Quarterback

Luke Falk, 6-4, 223, Sr.; Tyler Hilinski, 6-3, 213, So.

The skinny: It’s Falk’s show, of course, but the Cougars should feel all right about Hilinski stepping in if something were to happen to the starter. “I think he’s ready,” Mike Leach said of Hilinski. “I think he’s ready and he moves the ball every day.”

Running back

James Williams, 5-11, 195, So., OR Jamal Morrow, 5-9, 203, Sr.; Gerard Wicks, 6-0, 221, Sr.; Keith Harrington, 5-8, 190, Jr.

The skinny: Williams and Morrow should get the largest share of carries – in that order, I tend to think – but Wicks’ bruising style makes him a valuable asset in short-yardage/goal line situations and Harrington is too quick and elusive to keep off the field completely. I see all four contributing in some capacity.

Offensive line

LT – Andre Dillard, 6-5, 3-6, Jr.; Nilsson Gaisoa, 6-5, 318, Fr.

LG – Cody O’Connell, 6-9, 368, Sr.; Liam Ryan, 6-5, 281, Fr.

C – Frederick Mauigoa, 6-3, 315, So.; Noah Osur-Myers, 6-4, 295, So.

RG – B.J. Salmonson, 6-4, 310, Sr.; Robert Valencia, 6-6, 291, Jr.

RT – Cole Madison, 6-5, 314, Sr.; 6-4, 292, Sr.; Josh Watson, 6-4, 292, Fr.

The skinny: The sixth man is Valencia, who can play just about every position up front if needed. But he hasn’t been a full participant in practice for some time now and with Madison also limited, Watson has been the next man up. If the five starters are healthy, this could be one of the strongest groups in the land. If not, some of these underclassmen will have to get comfortable in a hurry.

Wide receiver

“X” receiver – Tavares Martin Jr., 6-1, 183, Jr.; C.J. Dimry, 6-5, 211, Sr.

“Y” receiver – Kyle Sweet, 6-0, 193, Jr.; Easop Winston, 5-11, 189, Jr.

“H” receiver – Travell Harris, 5-9, 177, Fr.; Jamire Calvin, 5-10, 152, Fr.

“Z” receiver – Isaiah Johnson-Mack, 6-3, 216, So.; Dezmon Patmon, 6-4, 212, So.

The skinny: Robert Lewis didn’t finish Saturday’s scrimmage and has been limited in practice ever since. That could mean either Harris or Calvin starting against Montana State. Calvin looked the part of a freshman phenom early in camp, but Harris has been the better since the Cougars returned to Pullman. As for the outside receivers? An army of 6-foot-somethings should make life easy for Falk.

Defense

Defensive line

DE – Nnamdi Oguayo, 6-3, 237, So.; Derek Moore, 6-1, 248, So.

NT – Daniel Ekuale, 6-3, 305, Sr.; Garrett McBroom, 6-3, 281, Sr.

T – Hercules Mata’afa, 6-2, 252, Jr.; Nick Begg, 6-5, 264, Jr.

The skinny: Speaking of skinny, the Cougars average just 264 pounds up front, making them one of the thinnest groups in the Pac-12. And that’s after the 15 pounds Ekuale put on this offseason. Thankfully, Mata’afa is an elite player and Oguayo might be on the verge of becoming one with his length and speed. It’s tough to get a gauge on the backups. Logan Tago is playing with his hand on the ground now, so he’ll get looks along with Kingston Fernandez and a few others.

Linebackers

Rush – Frankie Luvu, 6-3, 235, Sr.; Chima Onyeukwu, 6-2, 220, Jr.

WLB – Isaac Dotson, 6-1, 232, Sr.; Nate DeRider, 6-1, 231, Sr.

MLB – Peyton Pelluer, 6-0, 225, Sr.; Fa’vae Fa’vae, 6-0, 207, Fr.

The skinny: Dylan Hanser entered fall camp as a likely candidate to get the start at Rush linebacker, but one week out from the opener, it’s not clear if he’ll be in game shape. Behind Dotson and Pelluer, expect to see a four-man rotation including DeRider, Fa’vae, Jahad Woods and Dillon Sherman. “We’ve got some depth to where we can make those choices in game situations,” inside linebackers coach Ken Wilson said. “Each guy’s got a little different skillset for run game, pass game, nickels, dimes. All the blitz game. So we’ve got some options, which is nice for us.”

Secondary

N – Hunter Dale, 5-10, 190, Jr.; Kirkland Parker, 6-1, 190, Sr.

CB – Darrien Molton, 5-10, 185, Jr.; George Hicks, 6-0, 179, Fr.

SS – Jalen Thompson, 6-0, 191, So.; Skyler Thomas, 5-9, 186, Fr.

FS – Robert Taylor, 5-10, 186, Sr.; Sean Harper, 6-2, 186, Jr.

CB – Marcellus Pippins, 5-10, 178, Sr.; Marcus Strong, 5-9, 177, So.

The skinny: The battle at nickel remains neck-and-neck, though it does seem that Dale is getting a few more first-team reps than his position mate, Parker. Pippins has a slight edge on Strong at this point, but the senior can’t afford many mistakes if he wants to hold off the sophomore this fall. Molton, Thompson and Taylor are entrenched in starting roles again and even in a world without Shalom Luani, the Cougars should feel good about what they have in the defensive backfield.

Special teams

K – Erik Powell, 6-1, 202, Sr.; Jack Crane, 6-2, 190, Fr.

P – Kyle Sweet, 6-0, 193, Jr.; Erik Powell, 6-1, 202, Sr.

LS – Kyle Celli, 6-1, 240, Jr.

PR – Jamal Morrow, 5-9, 203, Sr.; Jamire Calvin, 5-10, 152, Fr.

KR – Robert Taylor, 5-10, 186, Sr.; Renard Bell, 5-8, 162, Fr.

The skinny: Powell’s consistency during camp is an awfully good sign. The senior kicker may have to handle additional punting duties as Sweet becomes a bigger part of the offensive gameplan, but the Cougars still prefer a rugby punt over a traditional one and the junior receiver will get all the work he can handle on special teams. The return options seem endless, with Taylor, or @Runitback_Rob, in the mix at kick return and Morrow at punt return. Calvin, Bell and Travell Harris will also get chances to strut their stuff.