WSU is losing a lot on the defensive line. What does it mean for the Cougars, and who are they targeting in the portal?

PULLMAN – Two days into the transfer portal window, Washington State coaches should have a pretty good idea of the position group they need to target most; The defensive line.

As of Saturday evening, 29 Cougars have entered their names into the transfer portal, and many of their most costly departures have come at that position. The names include star defensive end Isaac Terrell, starting defensive tackles Max Baloun and Bryson Lamb, starting defensive end Malaki Ta’ase, backup defensive tackle Mike Sandjo and freshman Donovan Fitzmaurice, who authored a promising first season of college football this fall, plus reserve Titus Miller.

That’s all four starters and two backups, meaning new coach Kirby Moore has his work cut out for him. His new defensive line coaches, Andrew Browning and Eti Ena, will have to hit the portal for replacements. How they fare might play an outsize role in Moore’s debut season next fall.

That also makes no mention of the WSU defensive linemen who are out of eligibility, including Soni Finau and Darrion Dalton, the latter of whom started the final eight games of the season after Baloun went down with a season-ending injury.

There is still some good news for WSU. On Saturday afternoon, the program announced that defensive tackle Kaden Beatty has re-signed with the Cougars, who have now inked 19 players to new revenue-sharing NIL deals for next season. The list also includes rising junior defensive end Malachi Wrice, who has yet to see meaningful playing time, rising sophomore QB Owen Eshleman and rising sophomore linebacker Isaiah Hung. All three were announced on Saturday.

The rest of the list includes wide receiver Tony Freeman; tight ends Beau Baker and Trey Leckner; RBs Kirby Vorhees and Maxwell Woods; OLs Ashton Tripp, Jonny Lester, Kyle Martin, Jaylin Caldwell, Noah Dunham and Nick Bakken; LBs Keith Brown; safety Trey Ridley; K Jack Stevens.

On the defensive line, how could things shake out for the Cougars? First, let’s examine what they could be losing. As with any portal talk, it’s important to keep this in mind: Players can choose to withdraw their names from the portal. It may be likely that the players listed below have played their final snaps at WSU, but it’s no guarantee.

Terrell, whose departure is likely the biggest on the team, led the Cougs with seven sacks and 12 TFLs, starting six of 12 games. In WSU’s loss to Ole Miss in October, he made four tackles for loss, tying the program record for most in a single game.

A Utah native, Terrell added six more QB hurries and logged one safety, underscoring the versatility and aggression he brought to WSU’s defensive line. Terrell clearly took steps forward this season with his motor and athleticism, which unlocked his ability to lead the way up front.

WSU is losing another starter in Baloun, a meaningful development. But Baloun played in only four games before going down with a season-ending knee injury, and as a longtime South Dakota State player under former coach Jimmy Rogers, he could be on his way to Ames already to join Rogers at Iowa State.

The more surprising portal entrance centers around Lamb, who played three seasons at WSU, where he started all 12 games and totaled 25 tackles this season, including 3.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks. Lamb, a reliable and physical presence on the interior, also blocked a field goal against Colorado State, underscoring the growth he showed in his redshirt junior campaign this fall.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 301 pounds, Lamb finally broke out the way he was waiting for earlier in his career. Among rotation players, Lamb finished seventh on the team with a run defense Pro Football Focus grade of 68.8. The Bellingham native spent four seasons at WSU, playing in 27 total games .

Then there’s the exit of Ta’ase, a former transfer from New Mexico State who spent just one season in Pullman. This fall, he totaled 16 tackles (four for loss) and 2.5 sacks. He played in all 12 games, including one start against Toledo. A native of the Phoenix area, Ta’ase played about 21 snaps per game for the Cougars, whose defense benefited from the depth he helped provide.

Who could WSU target as replacements?

Here are a couple names to consider: North Texas defensive tackle Fatafehi Vailea, who has scheduled a visit to WSU for Jan. 9-10, he announced on social media. But this weekend he’s on a visit to Oklahoma State, where his coach at UNT, Eric Morris, is now the head coach. So he could be enticed to become a Cowboy.

Vailea started the first four games of the season before suffering a season-ending injury against Army. He totaled 15 tackles on the year, including a career-high 10 against Army before his injury.

WSU also has an offer out to Division II Central Washington defensive tackle Mikaio Edward, who is listed at 6-foot-2 and 275 pounds. This season, he posted 41 tackles, including 10 for loss, and seven sacks. But the Cougs will have competition for Edward, who also has offers from Boise State, New Mexico, Wyoming, San Jose State and others.