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WSU center Devin Kylany announces he’s moving on from the Cougars’ program

Washington State Cougars offensive lineman Devin Kylany (70) celebrates after a touchdown with tight end Cooper Mathers (24) during the second half of a college football game on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Gesa Field in Pullman, Wash. WSU won the game 49-28. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
By Greg Woods gregw@spokesman.com(509) 459-5587

PULLMAN — Washington State’s offensive line will look different next season.

Redshirt junior center Devin Kylany is moving on from the program, he announced Sunday, ending his five-year stint at WSU. After playing as a reserve his first four years, Kylany earned the starting center role for the 2024 season, playing in 11 of 13 games, with a knee injury sidelining him for two.

For the season, Kylany earned a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of 76.9 (above average) and a run-blocking grade of 64.6 (about average). He allowed two sacks on 17 pressures, including zero-pressure outings against San Diego State and Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl. He missed games against Oregon State and Wyoming, the final two of the regular season, with his injury.

Kylany is the third offensive line starter the Cougs are losing headed into next season, joining left tackle Esa Pole (declaring for the NFL Draft) and right tackle Fa’alili Fa’amoe (transferring to Wake Forest). Set to return are guards Brock Dieu, Christian Hilborn and Rod Tialavea, the last two of whom battled for the starting left guard spot for much of the season.

Dieu earned the team’s best pass-blocking grade in 2024, picking up a figure of 86.5, No. 11 nationally among guards with 400-plus pass-blocking snaps. Hilborn’s pass-blocking grade was 79.8, fifth on the team, while Tialavea’s was 65.3, No. 16 on the team.

Dieu filled in at center when Kylany was out of service, leading former head coach Jake Dickert to call his performance “phenomenal.” If Dieu does indeed return, his versatility figures to give Rogers and new OL coach Taylor Lucas some options on the offensive line.

A native of Lake Stevens, Washington, Kylany appeared in seven games in 2022 and 12 in 2023, mostly on special teams in both campaigns. Kylany became a team captain in 2024 and anchored a WSU offensive line that ended the season ranked No. 3 nationally in PFF’s pass-blocking grades, earning a figure of 87.1 — behind only Texas and Oklahoma State.

In a Dec. 17 post on X, formerly Twitter, Kylany jokingly faked fans into thinking he was entering the transfer portal: “Pullman, thank you. This is not tough (to) say, with all the love I have received from Cougs everywhere. I want to take a second to thank Miss Huddys and YiaYiaNikkis. I hereby declare I will be going to Spokane. Just for the day. #jobnotfinished”

A few weeks later, it appears Kylany is entering the portal for real this time. 

Former WSU offensive line coach Jared Kaster, who spent the 2024 season as the Cougs’ offensive line coach, is following Dickert to Wake Forest. WSU head coach Jimmy Rogers’ replacement is Tayor Lucas, South Dakota State’s assistant offensive line coach in 2024, and new assistant OL coach Mike Iupati.

As of Sunday, four former Cougars had committed to Dickert and Wake Forest: Fa’amoe, wide receiver Carlos Hernandez and cornerback Jaylon Edmond (both of whom made their announcements on Sunday), plus freshman offensive lineman AJ Hasson.

So far, WSU has retained all four offensive linemen in their class of 2025, all of whom have the option to be released from their NLI because of the team’s coaching change: Aidan Martin, Turner Bertrand, Liam Vaughan and Arion Williams, all three-star prospects.