WSU QB Julian Dugger may be a ‘laid-back’ guy. His game is anything but

PULLMAN – Julian Dugger talks about his game with the enthusiasm of a bored algebra student. He describes his vicious juke moves as “going free,” his decision to evade pressure and push upfield as only “stepping up in the pocket,” the opportunity to run wild for a touchdown of some 60 yards as a “credit to my O-line.”

“Just getting through the pocket and running to the end zone,” Dugger said.

But truth be told, Washington State’s new quarterback is being much too modest. A transfer from Pittsburgh, Dugger’s arrival signals the changing times in the Cougars’ offense, which is prioritizing signal-callers of his mold: Dual-threat athletes who feel just as comfortable making plays with their legs as with their feet.

Dugger is one of four quarterbacks vying for WSU’s starting QB duties, alongside returners Zevi Eckhaus and Jaxon Potter and fellow transfer Ajani Sheppard. During the Cougars’ 14-practice fall camp, which wrapped up on Friday, Eckhaus looks like the front-runner thanks to a compelling blend of experience, arm talent and improved mobility.

In an effort to protect competitive advantages, WSU coach Jimmy Rogers and staff have been loath to detail the race. Rogers will not make a public announcement on the starter before the season, he said earlier this week, adding a layer of intrigue to the four-way QB competition. If he has his way, those outside the team will find out the starter at the same time: when he jogs out for the first snap against Idaho on Aug. 30.

Will it be Dugger? Signs from fall camp point more toward Eckhaus, who has the most experience of the quartet, but Dugger is hanging around in the No. 2 range. It’s also possible coaches keep a package of plays for Dugger, who might be the best athlete of the group, as he showed on a bevy of occasions during fall camp.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds, Dugger a left-hander, who runs with speed and strength, is not the kind of player who has often played quarterback for Washington State. But he is pushing for playing time, and even if Eckhaus wins the starting job, Dugger might still see the field. With improving arm accuracy and devastating big-play potential with his legs, coaches might not have a choice.

“Whatever presents itself, whatever needs to be done, I can do,” said Dugger, a Pittsburgh native. “If I need to throw the ball, then I will do that. But also, if a play breaks down, or there is a run play that I have to run a ball, I can do that also. It’s both of them.”

Dugger has exactly one college game under his belt, an appearance against Toledo in last year’s Sports Bowl, which Pittsburgh lost in a wild six-overtime affair. Dugger’s final numbers: 7 of 13 passing for 72 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, plus 21 carries for 88 yards and one score on the ground.

Because that was Dugger’s only game of the season, he preserved his redshirt, giving him an extra year of eligibility. But it also speaks to the lack of experience for Dugger, who entered the transfer portal after the season, landing him a chance to chat with Rogers about an opportunity at WSU.

On the phone, Rogers told Dugger what he told many of the recruits the Cougars pursued out of the portal, often to promising results: Dugger would not exactly have a starting spot locked up if he came to Pullman.

“But he did say that I could compete if I do come here,” Dugger said, “and that’s all I was looking for, an opportunity. And I felt like he was being honest. I feel like a lot of coaches can be not up front, and I could feel that he was being honest with me.”

“Julian, he’s smooth, man. He’s a smooth runner,” WSU offensive coordinator Danny Freund said. “He’s got a very accurate arm. Played in the bowl game last year for Pitt, and obviously (earlier) had the big run. But he’s been a guy that I think has a ton of potential and a ton of upside, so we’re continuing to develop him.”

Since arriving on the Palouse this summer, Dugger says he’s had to work on his intangibles. He might have the raw athleticism to play right away, but one of the qualities Rogers and Freund are looking for in their starter is an ability to command the huddle, to rally teammates and earn their respect.

That may not come naturally to a second-year college player in his first year on a new team. It doesn’t even come naturally to Dugger, who described himself as a “laid-back person.” It comes off in the way he talks in conversation, in the way he describes his sheer athleticism with the most vanilla of terms.

It all belies the truth, Dugger is a compelling athlete with spellbinding potential. Will he see the field this year in the crimson and gray? That is unclear, but the more he grows, the more likely an outcome that becomes.

“Really just leading, working on leading the guys,” Dugger said of his recent development. “Just talking to everybody and just trying to become a leader, more vocal, just that aspect. That means a lot as a quarterback.”