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.