WSU CBs Colby Humphrey, Jamorri Colson look to anchor the Cougs’ position group

PULLMAN – Earlier this summer, when the new College Football 26 video game launched, Colby Humphrey hopped on and played as Washington State. He often controlled himself, at cornerback, sending his character on blitzes.

But soon enough, Humphrey noticed something about his player’s attributes. His speed rating was an 86.

“They nerfed his speed crazy,” Humphrey said with a laugh after one fall camp practice. “They gotta buff that up.”

As WSU’s Aug. 30 season-opener approaches, Humphrey and the Cougars’ cornerback corps is hoping the game developers realize they need to make that change. After spending the first two years of his career at Northern Arizona before transferring to South Dakota State last season, Humphrey is now a lock to start at cornerback for WSU.

Joining him in that effort will be fifth-year senior Jamorri Colson, who has had an up-and-down two years as a Cougar. He broke out in the final two games of the 2023 season, then looked like a lock to start last year before a preseason injury sidelined him for the first five games of the season. He returned to the field in a backup role, totaling one interception and 13 tackles on the year.

Those two are leading the charge helping their group replace two starters, Steve Hall and Ethan O’Connor. O’Connor transferred to Miami and Hall went to Missouri. Neither were perfect, but O’Connor tallied a team-best four interceptions, including one game-winning pick-six and several other turnovers that swung the tides of games.

Can Humphrey and Colson duplicate that kind of production? For his part, Humphrey has done something similar in the past. Starting all 15 games in his one year at SDSU, he posted five pass breakups and one interception, including an above-average Pro Football Focus coverage grade (70-plus) on three occasions. He also yielded receptions on a shade over half his targets, which is a solid percentage.

During WSU’s fall camp, which wrapped up on Aug. 15, Humphrey looked the part of a starting corner. He matched up well with opposing wide receivers. It was clear he had been honing his approach.

“The biggest thing is my footwork at the line of scrimmage,” Humphrey said of his biggest offseason focuses. “I’m just going every day before, after practice with teammates, working releases, things like that. Going in the film room, breaking down technique, everything like that.”

Still, among WSU’s cornerback corps, the honors for best individual day of fall camp went to Colson. On Aug. 6, he reeled in a trio of interceptions: One where he glided over to another matchup to make the catch, one where he picked off an overthrow intended for receiver Tony Freeman. His top highlight came as quarterback Julian Dugger evaded pressure near the line of scrimmag, and unfurled a wobbly toss, which Colson snagged and raced the other way for a pick-six.

To WSU coaches, it might have been the sign they were looking for: Maybe Colson can recapture the way he ended the 2023 season with a flourish, bursting onto the scene with a nose for the ball and an ability to swat away deeper passes.

“I love Jamorri,” Rogers said. “He’s just got great energy. He’s always happy. He loves playing football, and he loves the process of all of this, and he’s grown himself into a leader, too, for us. We needed that. Him and Humphrey, those guys are great leaders in that group, and honestly, we need these young guys that follow their footsteps.”

The good news for the Cougs is that even behind that duo, they have a few cornerbacks who look like capable backups. Perhaps the biggest surprise of fall camp was true freshman Trillion Sorrell, who is one of five players not expected to redshirt and play a consistent role, Rogers said last week. A class of 2025 prospect from Minnesota, Sorrell flipped to WSU when Rogers accepted the Cougars job.

Another name to watch at the CB spot: True freshman Kenny Worthy III, whose decision to stay out of the transfer portal and remain committed to WSU is already paying dividends. Look for him to get on the field, also in a backup role, to relieve Humphrey and Colson.

“Our defense, we like to say we’re rule-based and sound. We have a lot of rules, a lot of different checks,” WSU cornerbacks coach Mike Banks said. “So from the mental standpoint, for Trill to be where he is as a true freshman is just a testament to the hard work that he’s put in these past two months. Physically, he fits right in with everybody else. So that combined with where he is mentally, that puts him right in contention to get some reps.”

But for WSU, part of the cornerbacks’ success might involve scheme as much as ability. On several occasions last fall, Cougar cornerbacks yielded too many passes because they were lined up some 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, allowing opposing receivers to make easy catches on shorter routes.

Can Banks and other coaches turn that around? We’ll start to find out next Saturday, when WSU hosts Idaho in both teams’ openers.