Sep. 28—PULLMAN — Washington State tight end Trey Leckner is on track to return earlier than anybody quite expected.
That's the word from coach Kirby Moore, who said Monday that Leckner will be a game-time decision Saturday evening against Fresno State , adding that he "will be back full -go this week in practice."
A likely starter if he were healthy, Leckner suffered a foot injury over the summer. At the beginning of the season, Moore said Leckner was expected to miss the first half of the season, which would have put his return a few more weeks away. But it appears Leckner has made quicker progress than anticipated.
Whenever he returns, Leckner figures to provide a nice boost to the Cougars ' offense, which is still finding its footing amid the team's 1-3 start to the season. Leckner is the team's best pass-catching tight end, which could help unlock a WSU offense that has lost seven total turnovers.
In Leckner's absence, WSU's starting tight end has been UCLA transfer Jack Pedersen, who has caught five passes for 20 yards and one touchdown, which came against FCS Duquesne.
"We wanna be able to utilize both those guys. Obviously, try and get our best players on the field on offense," Moore said. "That'll probably be determined how (Leckner) looks today, Tuesday, Wednesday with the big work days. But I think he's really progressed from the previous week, last week, and so he's definitely shown that in the past, and we're excited to get him out there."
A redshirt junior from Snohomish, Leckner started nine of 13 games last season, catching 24 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns, which tied for the third-most by a tight end in WSU single-season history. In 2024, he played in 12 games (two as a starter), reeling in three passes for 56 yards and one score.
Tucker remains questionable
Starting cornerback Jalil Tucker remains "game-to-game, day-to-day," Moore said. Tucker has now missed three straight games after sustaining an injury in the Sept. 6 Apple Cup. A transfer from Oregon State, Tucker dressed and warmed up for each of the Cougars' past two games, but he hasn't been able to play.
In Tucker's absence, WSU has tried a couple different approaches. Against Kansas State, the Cougars went with redshirt senior Kai Rapolla, who had a forgettable game, missing two tackles and allowing three catches on four targets. Against Duquesne and Arizona , they moved nickelback Jamarey Smith to cornerback and brought safety Jackquintin Bal off the bench, the latter of which turned out to be a great decision from WSU — Bal returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown.
If Tucker can't play Saturday against Fresno State, look for coaches to go with the same approach. They might even give more snaps to Bal, who played a career-high 67 snaps last weekend against Arizona, earning an expanded role in defensive coordinator Trent Bray's unit. He also recorded nine tackles against Arizona, tops on the team and also Bal's career-best.
"Just doing my 1/11th, trying to be myself and just try to be the best person I can be in my position," Bal said after the Arizona game, "no matter if it's boundary safety, field safety, just doing my part."
Extra points—Moore seemed to stand by his decision to let 40 seconds tick off the clock at the end of Saturday's first half against Arizona, when the Cougars had first-and-10 from the Wildcats' 12-yard line. WSU got a field goal, but Moore explained that he didn't want to give the ball back to Arizona QB Noah Fifita and his explosive offense.
"Whether we scored or we kicked a field goal too early, giving the ball back to that quarterback," Moore said, "I did not think was in our best interest before the half."
—How can the Cougars generate more explosive plays, which Moore has often expressed a need for, when those are the times QB Caden Pinnick has lost turnovers? Moore said this: "It's definitely a balance. It's dialogue during the week. If something's there, if it's not there, self-preservation, making sure we're playing the next play. Every play has a life of its own, and we had some of that come up on Saturday."
