Highlighting Cougars Noteworthy Returners for 2026 Football Season

With plenty being said about who stayed and who left during the Washington State Cougars’ busy offseason, Emerald City Spectrum is highlighting players who followed Jimmy Rogers to Pullman and decided to stay with the program to play for Kirby Moore in the 2026 season.

When Rogers left South Dakota State to take over at Washington State, several former Jackrabbits followed him to the Palouse. After Rogers left Washington State for Iowa State following just one season, those players were faced with another decision about their futures.

Instead of entering the transfer portal again, many of those players chose to remain with the Cougars and become part of Moore’s first roster in Pullman.

Here are the former South Dakota State players who followed Rogers to Washington State and remain on the Cougs’ roster, along with another Rogers-era transfer who decided to stay heading into 2026:

Kirby Vorhees

Running back Kirby Vorhees followed Rogers from South Dakota State to Washington State and quickly became one of the Cougars’ most productive offensive players out of the backfield last season.

In his first season in Pullman, Vorhees finished the 2025 season with 576 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 138 carries. He also contributed in the passing game with 19 receptions for 125 yards, finishing with more than 700 total yards from scrimmage.

Vorhees established himself as a reliable option in both the run and pass game and gained valuable experience in his first season at Washington State.

With Rogers now at Iowa State and Moore taking over in Pullman, Vorhees enters 2026 with another opportunity to play a major role. His experience and production from last season should make him an important piece of Moore’s offense as Washington State looks to establish its rushing attack.

Maxwell Woods

Woods is another former South Dakota State player who followed Rogers to Pullman and elected to remain with Washington State after Rogers’ departure.

Woods appeared in 12 games during the 2025 season and provided the Cougars with an explosive option out of the backfield. He finished with 225 rushing yards on 36 carries, averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

Woods also made an impact as a receiver, catching 18 passes for 138 yards. In total, he finished with 363 yards from scrimmage during his first season in Pullman.

His ability to contribute as both a runner and receiver gives the new Cougar coaching staff another experienced weapon to work with as Woods adjusts to a new coaching staff

Kaden Beatty

Kaden Beatty was not one of the players who followed Rogers from South Dakota State. Instead, the defensive tackle transferred to Washington State from Kent State and joined the Cougars during Rogers’ first season in Pullman.

The Virginia Beach, Virginia, native had already gained experience at Kent State before making the move west. In 2024, Beatty appeared in 11 games for the Golden Flashes and recorded 19 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and one pass breakup.

Beatty continued his career at Washington State in 2025, appearing in seven games. He finished the season with seven tackles, 0.5 sacks, and one pass breakup.

With another year of experience in Pullman, Beatty now has the opportunity to compete for a larger role along the defensive line under Moore and the new coaching staff.

Jack Stevens

Jack Stevens was Washington State’s starting kicker last season after appearing in two games for South Dakota State during the 2024 season before transferring to Pullman.

In his first season with the Cougars, Stevens quickly established himself as one of Washington State’s most reliable players on special teams. He finished the 2025 season 16-for-19 on field-goal attempts and was a perfect 33-for-33 on extra-point attempts.

Now entering his second season in Pullman, Stevens gives Washington State valuable continuity at kicker.

With Rogers gone and Moore taking over as head coach, having a proven player returning at a critical position on special teams gives the Cougars an experienced option to help put points on the board when the offense isn’t quite able to find the end zone, which could be the difference in several games in the next Pac-12.

Nick Bakken

Nick Bakken followed Rogers from South Dakota State to Washington State and enters 2026 looking to make a bigger impact after an injury-shortened first season.

Bakken appeared in six games as a freshman at South Dakota State in 2024 and preserved his redshirt season before transferring to Washington State. In 2025, he appeared in just one game for the Cougars because of an injury. Now healthy, he enters 2026 with an opportunity to compete for a starting role along the offensive line.

Reports out of fall camp have been positive, with Bakken expected to start at right guard when Washington State opens the season against Washington.

For Bakken, 2026 represents an opportunity to put his first season in Pullman behind him and show what he can bring to the Cougars offensive line.

A New Chapter in Pullman

The players who followed Rogers to Washington State originally came to Pullman to be part of his program. When Rogers left for Iowa State after one season, those players were faced with another decision about their futures.

Instead of entering the transfer portal again, they chose to stay with Washington State and become part of Moore’s first season as head coach, and that loyalty is quite rare in today’s college football.

Vorhees and Woods enter the season looking to build on their production from 2025 as Wazzu’s main backfield options. Stevens returns after a strong first season at Washington State, while Bakken enters the year healthy and ready to compete for a starting position.

Beatty’s situation is a little different. He came to Pullman from Kent State rather than following Rogers from South Dakota State, but he also chose to remain with the Cougars after the coaching change. After gaining experience in 2025, he will look to take another step forward along the defensive line.

For Washington State, retaining experienced players is especially important during another major coaching transition. These players may have arrived in Pullman for different reasons, but they have all chosen to remain Cougars.

Now, with Moore beginning his first season at Washington State, each will have an opportunity to help the program begin a new chapter successfully.