Five weeks after taking over at WSU, Jimmy Rogers signs first prep class

PULLMAN – Jimmy Rogers was dealt what looked like a tough hand. When he accepted Washington State’s head coaching job, the standard transfer portal window had closed, and prep recruiting had all but wrapped up weeks prior in the early signing period.

So all Rogers did was add 18 prep recruits, 14 of whom had previously committed to Rogers at South Dakota State, his previous stop. Turns out, for Rogers, it might not have been the tall task it looked like from the outside.

“I don’t know if it was as much of a challenge as what people think,” Rogers said. “When we recruited these players, a large portion of them were committed to us already. They were committed to not just the university. They were committed to the people that recruited them, that developed relationships with them, that sat in their home, that talked to their parents, that got to know them for six months and were with them every step of the way, watching and calling them after their high school games.”

On Wednesday’s National Signing Day, which has largely flown under the radar in college football since coaches began prioritizing the early signing period, Rogers officially signed 18 of the 40 new players the Cougars added since he took over. WSU added two prep quarterbacks – Seattle product Dalton Anderson and previous SDSU commit Owen Eshelman – plus three offensive linemen, three defensive linemen, three defensive backs, one punter, one tight end, one wide receiver, one running back and two linebackers.

In a Wednesday news conference via Zoom, Rogers said the team is potentially looking to add more players, but not before spring ball gets underway.

Here are capsules and backgrounds on each player.

Dalton Anderson, QB (Roosevelt HS, Seattle)

Other offers: Utah State (previously committed), Montana, Boise State:

The fit: Anderson, more of a pocket passer compared to Eshleman, gives the Cougs an option at QB for the future. It’s likely incumbent Zevi Eckhaus will be WSU’s QB1 this fall, but Anderson gives WSU fans something to look forward to down the line.

“I felt like he was a no-brainer,” Rogers said. “Really strong arm, mobile player that’s local, and that could be competitive right away.”

Trevor Bindel, OL (Liberty (Missouri) High School)

Other offers: Missouri State, Central Arkansas, North Dakota, Northern Arizona, SEMO, Southern Illinois and UT Martin, Kansas State (PWO)

The fit: At 6-5 and 285 pounds, Bindel has the frame to play offensive line at a school like WSU. He might take some time to develop.

“Big, physical kid that moves well,” Rogers said. “He was at our summer camp (at SDSU). Don’t think he maybe performed the way he would have liked, but he also had taken, like, eight camps prior to us being able to work with him live. I think that he’s got a bright future ahead of him. Really good mover, explosive kid that’s physical.”

Jesiah Cornwell, TE (Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, Calif.)

Other offers: Ball State, Buffalo, Sam Houston State, Eastern Michigan, Eastern Washington, Robert Morris, SEMO, Weber State

The fit: The last WSU player to sign in the class, Cornwell has good size (6-4, 245) for the TE position, and his addition is another signal from the coaching staff: The Cougars want to run the ball. Cornwell only caught nine passes for 79 yards last season at his junior college, so it looks like WSU sees him as a run-blocker.

“Didn’t see a whole lot of catching and the ability to be have the ball thrown to him a ton,” Rogers said, “but being able to see some drill work and watching him from ground level – great hands, good mover, athletic kid that’s physical, and so we’re excited to add him, and especially with the size and physicality we expect out of our tight end position.”

Tyrone Cotton III, DB (Glenbrook South HS, Chicago)

Other offers: Indiana, Miami (Ohio), Akron, Buffalo, Western Michigan and Western Illinois

The fit: Cotton might appear on some WSU fans’ radars sooner than others in this class. With an offer from Indiana, Cotton’s upside was apparent to a host of coaches, including SDSU’s, who landed a commitment from him. He’s also expected to get a look at kick and punt returner.

“I do foresee him being maybe the most ready early,” Rogers said, “just as far as his length and his speed and his ability to cover man to man. He’s an exceptional player.”

Jorden Cunningham, OL (Brophy College Prep, Phoenix)

Other offers: New Mexico, New Mexico State, Bowling Green, Idaho, Eastern Washington, Northwest Missouri State

The fit: At 6-6 and 280 pounds, Cunningham is seen as a bit of a project by WSU coaches, who also expect him to develop quickly. He caught the attention of coaches at New Mexico and New Mexico State, adding up to a nice recruiting win for Rogers, who didn’t have Cunningham committed at SDSU.

“His future is really bright, and I just felt really convicted on what he’s gonna become,” Rogers said, “as far as talking to him. Extremely mature individual that’s really competitive and believe knows what he’s capable of long term, but I know he knows that he needs to work at it, and it’s not just gonna happen.”

Owen Eshelman, QB (Norman North HS, Norman, Okla.)

Other offers: South Dakota State

The fit: If Anderson is the pocket passer of the class, Eshelman is the dual-threat quarterback. As a senior at Norman North, he completed 171 of 321 passes (53%) for 2,691 yards, 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, adding 224 carries for 1,383 yards and 19 touchdowns. At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Eshelman has good size for the position.

“He’s a phenomenal human being, just a great student athlete, 35 ACT,” Rogers said. “Really, a locked-in individual with great leadership qualities to him, and has the intangibles to be a really, really special college football player.”

Donovan Fitzmaurice, DL (Marquette HS, Ellisville, Mo.)

Other offers: North Dakota State, Missouri State, Illinois State, Northern Arizona

The fit: The Cougars lost their top three defensive linemen over the offseason, so adding Fitzmaurice was critical for Rogers, who might not wait long to get Fitzmaurice on the field. Listed at 6-4 and 285 pounds, Fitzmaurice recorded 50 tackles (19 for loss) and nine sacks as a high school senior, adding two forced fumbles and four blocked kicks.

“Really, really explosive kid,” Rogers said. “Got great lateral bend and quickness, extremely physical. May come in as pound for pound the strongest kid on the team. He’s a weight room junkie, and he is really physical and violent.”

Dylan Hildebrand, OL (Verona (Wisconsin) HS)

Other offers: New Mexico, Ball State, Northern Illinois, SDSU, SEMO, St. Thomas, Western Illinois

The fit: One of the bigger offensive linemen in this class, Hildebrand was one of three prep recruits Rogers landed who wasn’t previously committed to South Dakota State. Local Wisconsin reporters pegged Hildebrand a tackle, but Rogers likes him at guard, perhaps providing a window into the versatility Hildebrand could provide as a Cougar.

“Big, physical kid that has somewhat cut weight and has gotten more athletic since six months ago when we saw him live,” Rogers said. “So just being able to get some of the footage and watching him in his games and how he’s developed over the season, really physical kid.”

Adlai Lounsbury, P (Van Meter HS, Adel, Iowa)

Other offers: SDSU, Drake, Grand View (NAIA), Minnesota State (DII), Pittsburg State (DII)

The fit: WSU has a hole at punter after Nick Haberer transferred, which is where Lounsbury and his 6-3 frame could fit in. He’ll likely have competition with transfer punter/kicker Dylan Mauro.

“He has done really everything. He’s a kicker, he’s a punter, and he does field goals,” Rogers said. “He’s kind of a do-it-all guy that has great flexibility and range to be able to hit balls in certain angles that most high school players can’t get.”

Brody Miller, S (Shakopee (Minn.) HS)

Other offers: South Dakota State, North Dakota, St. Thomas

The fit: A speedy prospect who could bounce around the secondary, Miller was committed to SDSU before Rogers brought him to WSU. Miller has also excelled with his speed in track and field, which is why Cougars coaches figure he can play safety or cornerback at the college level.

“A really rangy kid, and he’s really developed into his body somewhat late,” Rogers said. “Explosive kid, another kid probably going to run close to 10.7 (seconds) this year in track. Explosive player that has huge feet, and features that he’s gonna blossom into his body. He’s just doing it later than most high school players do.”

Carter Pabst, WR (Eisenhower HS, Wichita, Kan.)

Other offers: SDSU, North Dakota

The fit: The owner of several Kansas state records, Pabst hauled in 29 touchdown passes as a senior last fall, and with good size at 6-1, he is a player who could get on the field a little quicker than expected. He is the only receiver in the class, a rare development at WSU.

“Really a special talent for his size,” Rogers said. “He’s probably a little under 6-2, so he’s a longer 6-1, and he’s put together. He’s probably a little over 200 pounds. Really good with the ball in hands, making people miss, the ability to break tackles.”

Travon Pankey, RB (Oak Park HS, Kansas City, Mo.)

Other offers: SDSU, Army, South Dakota, Northern Iowa, Illinois State

The fit: Pankey, the only running back in the class, used his versatility to stand out to Rogers and the SDSU coaches. Rogers described him as a “violent” runner, which is where his 6-0 size helps, but he also indicated Pankey is capable of much more.

“A little bit bigger back, but very violent runner,” Rogers said. “Can make people miss in a small space, can catch the ball out on the perimeter, and then also just be able to continuously break tackles play after play when he’s given the opportunity to run the football.”

Damarius Russell, S (Waseca (Minn.) HS)

Other offers: Listed as an athlete in some spaces online, Russell will fit in at defensive back at WSU, which is suddenly deep at that position. South Dakota State transfers Cale Reeder and Matt Durrance will probably man the safety spots for this fall, but look for Russell to play his way onto the field not long after.

“Damarius is a special player,” Rogers said. “He plays everything for his team. He’s a basketball player. He runs track. He’s the best player, or the best athlete by far, probably in that area of Minnesota. He’s just a dynamic player. He could play wide receiver if we needed him to.”

Sullivan Schlimgen, LB (O’Gorman HS, Sioux Falls, S.D.)

Other offers: Texas Tech, Air Force, Army

The fit: The No. 3 overall recruit in South Dakota, Schlimgen was coveted by Texas Tech, but he pledged to Rogers at South Dakota State. Now a Cougar, Schlimgen figures to be able to use his solid frame to make a splash sooner rather than later.

“His overall desire to be great excites us more than any other 40 time or measurable thing that you can measure,” Rogers said, “because I think that is the hardest thing to measure. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s gonna come in and have a certain desire to compete right away and do everything that we ask him to do to have success.”

Trillion Sorrell, CB (Edina HS, Bloomington, Minn.)

Other offers: North Dakota State, South Dakota, Northern Iowa, St. Thomas

The fit: Sorrell might fit more into the longer-developing category of prospects in this class, but as a true cover corner, his future might not be entirely far away.

“Watching him move and redirect and be able to cover people man to man,” Rogers said, “and then just overall his competitiveness, is what attracted our staff to him. Just watching him constantly compete inside of drills was really, really impressive.”

Connor Sullivan, DL (Loyola Academy, Glenview, Ill.)

Other offers: Akron, Army, Air Force, Ball State, Bucknell, Illinois State, Lehigh, SDSU, Lindenwood

The fit: Sullivan tore his ACL as a high school senior, taking away a chance for Sullivan to field what Rogers figured would have been several FBS offers. In that way, Sullivan projects to have high upside when he’s totally healthy.

“He’s really long, he is physical and he is tough,” Rogers said. “Excited to get him on campus and just watch him develop and move and come fall camp, when he’s 100%, I think we’re gonna be ecstatic about what he could do for us.”

Josh Wedel, DL (Chaska (Minn.) HS)

Other offers: Army, Ohio, Cornell, SDSU North Dakota State

The fit: Another previous Jackrabbit commit, Wedel will fit in at the edge position, though Rogers called it the previous iteration: Defensive end. Wedel, a two-star prospect, is listed at a hulking 6-5 and 245 pounds.

“He can bend really well and he is explosive,” Rogers said, “but he has the frame to potentially move inside and play D-tackle if need be later on throughout his career.”

Erimus Wright, LB (Hillcrest HS, Hazel Crest, Ill.)

Other offers: Ole Miss, Michigan State, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, SDSU

The fit: With offers from the likes of the SEC’s Ole Miss and the Big Ten’s Michigan State, Wright’s quick ascension was no surprise to Rogers, who held on to Wright at South Dakota State thanks in large part to the relationship cornerbacks coach Mike Banks had developed with him. Wright’s pliability is a huge part of what makes him a top target.

“Really a violent kid that’s a great space player, plays running back, plays linebacker,” Rogers said. “Dynamic player that I could see making an impact early in his career at linebacker.”