Camp Preview: New Faces to Know on Washington State's Defense

With just under a month until Washington State opens the 2026 season, there are plenty of new faces on the Cougars’ defense.

Washington State enters the season with a new coaching staff led by head coach Kirby Moore and defensive coordinator Trent Bray. The Cougars also saw significant turnover on defense during the offseason, with several players entering the transfer portal and a number of veterans exhausting their eligibility.

That leaves Bray with the challenge of putting together a new-look defense in a short amount of time without much personnel that was in Pullman last season. While Washington State still has returning pieces such as linebacker Keith Brown, much of the defense will feature players who were not on the field for the Cougars last season.

Washington State brought in several experienced transfers to help fill those holes. Four players in particular could have a major impact on the Cougars’ defense this season.

Here are four new faces you need to know:

Linus Zunk

One of Washington State’s biggest additions along the defensive line, the 6-6, 264-pound Zunk transferred to Pullman from Vanderbilt, adding some much-needed talent at defensive end.

Zunk brings two years of SEC experience to the Cougars and enters the 2026 season as a redshirt senior. He played in all 13 games for Vanderbilt in 2025, finishing with 15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks. He also recorded two sacks in Vanderbilt’s win over Utah State.

At 6-6, Zunk brings plenty of size and length to the edge. Coming from the SEC, it will be interesting to see how he performs with the change in competition level, potentially opening the door for a breakout final collegiate season. He will have an opportunity to become one of the leaders of a revamped defensive front and should see significant playing time in Bray’s defense.

After spending the past several seasons competing in the SEC, Zunk also knows what it takes to play against high-level college competition. Now, he will look to bring that experience to Pullman and help establish an identity along the defensive line.

Jalil Tucker

Washington State also added experience to its secondary with the addition of Jalil Tucker, a 6-0, 173-pound cornerback who transferred from Oregon State.

Tucker enters his senior season after starting 10 of Oregon State’s 11 games in 2025. He finished the season with 25 tackles, one interception and five pass breakups. His interception came against Fresno State, where he returned the pick 31 yards.

The experience Tucker gained at Oregon State could be extremely valuable for a Washington State secondary that underwent significant turnover on the back end during the offseason. His familiarity with Bray should also help, as Tucker previously played under Washington State’s new defensive coordinator.

With Washington State needing new contributors in the secondary, Tucker brings starting reps from a conference opponent to Pullman. That experience could make him one of the more important newcomers in the defensive backfield and someone to keep an eye on this season.

Khamari Terrell

Another veteran addition to the secondary is Khamari Terrell, a 6-1, 187-pound cornerback from Killeen, Texas.

Terrell comes to Washington State after spending the 2025 season at Texas State. He played in 12 games for the Bobcats and finished with 36 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception, and three pass breakups. His best performance came against Troy, when he recorded a season-high eight tackles.

Terrell has an interesting path to Pullman. Before Texas State, he spent three seasons at Oregon, where he saw action primarily on special teams and in limited defensive snaps.

Coming out of high school, however, Terrell was considered a highly regarded prospect. He was a four-star cornerback according to 247Sports and ranked among the top 40 cornerbacks nationally by both 247Sports and Rivals.

After getting a larger opportunity to play defense at Texas State, Terrell now gets another chance to establish himself in the new Pac-12.

Matyus McLain

Perhaps one of the most intriguing additions to Washington State’s defensive line, the 6-4, 263-pound McLain comes to Pullman from nearby Idaho after putting together a strong 2025 season at defensive end for the Vandals.

McLain played in 12 games last season and recorded 42 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He also forced a fumble and earned honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference honors.

McLain was particularly disruptive in the backfield, recording 3.5 tackles for loss against Eastern Washington and 1.5 sacks against St. Thomas. He also recorded a career-high seven tackles against St. Thomas.

Now, he gets the opportunity to take that production from the FCS level to the FBS level.

McLain made a significant jump from his freshman to sophomore season. After recording just seven tackles as a redshirt freshman in 2024, he finished with 42 tackles as a redshirt sophomore in 2025.

He took a major step forward in his second season, and it will be interesting to see what type of jump he can make going from the Big Sky Conference to the Pac-12. If he can carry over his production from Idaho, he could become a key piece of Washington State’s defensive line.

A New-Look Defense

Washington State’s defense will look significantly different in 2026. The Cougars have a new coaching staff, a new defensive coordinator, and plenty of new players competing for starting jobs. Fall camp will be especially important as Bray works to establish his defensive system and determine which newcomers can step into major roles.

Zunk and McLain give Washington State experienced options along the defensive line, while Tucker and Terrell bring much-needed experience and upside to a revamped secondary.

If Washington State is going to compete in the rebuilt Pac-12, these new faces will have to become important pieces of the defense. With the season opener approaching, all eyes will be on how quickly they can adjust to their new home in Pullman.