Countdown to fall camp: What kinds of roles will WSU’s new tight ends play?

PULLMAN – Here is the fourth installment of our countdown to Washington State fall camp, which starts on Wednesday. This issue covers the Cougars’ tight ends.

What kinds of roles will WSU’s new tight ends play?

During the past seven months or so, as coach Jimmy Rogers has taken over the reins at Washington State and established what figures to be a much more physical approach to the Cougars’ offense, a certain expectation has seeped into some subsections of onlookers: Tight ends won’t figure prominently into this new look.

On some level, it makes sense, and perhaps there is some truth to it. Since arriving on campus in late December, WSU coaches have added tight ends that seem to fit their vision for the position, all bigger athletes who can help run-block: Michigan State transfer Ademola Faleye (6-foot-7, 253 pounds), junior college transfer Jesiah Cornwell (6-4, 245 ) and South Dakota State transfer Beau Baker (6-6).

Even converted linebacker Hudson Cedarland has some size (6-3, 240 ), as does returner Trey Leckner (6-3, 232 ), both of whom are expected to be in the mix for snaps this fall.

But even with the physical, athletic archetype Rogers and his staff have established at the position, don’t expect the Cougars’ tight ends to be one-trick ponies who use their size to clear the way for running backs and quarterbacks. During WSU’s 15-practice spring schedule, first-teamer Faleye caught a good chunk of passes in the flare, as did Leckner, who often ran with the second-team units.

Based on South Dakota State’s numbers from the past couple of seasons with Rogers at the helm, WSU figures to have bigger plans for its tight ends than immobile run-blockers.

Last season, Jackrabbits tight ends combined to catch 43 passes for 598 yards and four touchdowns, including 14 catches from one tight end and nine apiece from two more.

Those totals are more than double the number of receptions WSU tight ends made last fall, and they are nearly double the yards.

The year before that, SDSU’s third-leading receiver was a tight end, Zach Heins, who hauled in 27 catches for 410 yards and seven touchdowns. He made at least one catch in all but three of the Jackrabbits’ 15 games that season.

“There’s a lot to our tight end group,” Rogers said in April. “Just the amount of motions and shifts and nuances with the blocking schemes that they have to know, and then also being an adequate pass-catcher.”

The top WSU candidates competing for snaps include Faleye and Leckner, both of whom were on campus for spring practices, but it’s also worth monitoring those who were not. Among that group, the one to keep an eye on is Cornwell, who spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at two junior colleges (Riverside City College and Mt. San Antonio College, both in southern California) before transferring to WSU after spring practices.

At Mt. San Antonio, Cornwell developed into more of a pass-catcher, with nine catches for 79 yards in seven games. Those numbers aren’t huge, but taken in tandem with the size that WSU coaches clearly value at the position, Cornwell becomes a candidate to see playing time this fall.

But the Cougars will likely spread out the snaps, leaving room for their top option out of the spring, Faleye.

Faleye spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons at FCS Norfolk State before transferring to Michigan State in time for the 2023 season, which he redshirted, then played all 12 games for the Spartans last season. He made two catches for 18 yards that year.

The Cougars figure to switch off tight ends for their needs in different situations.

During fall camp, look for those candidates to separate themselves.