Countdown to camp: Which WSU receivers will stand out and separate themselves?

Jul. 20—PULLMAN — The first Washington State football season under a new reality, without the Pac-12 as we know it, is about a month away.

The Cougars play rival Washington in September, in a nonconference game. They'll play back-to-back road games at Boise State and Fresno State, as part of a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West Conference, and they'll visit fellow conference holdover Oregon State for their Thanksgiving weekend game.

But before all of that, WSU will go through fall camp, which kicks off July 31. In the 10 days leading up to Day 1, we'll run a story every day to prepare you for the storylines and personnel to watch. Here's the first installment.

Which wide receivers will step up and separate themselves?

It might be an understatement to say WSU has a logjam at the wide receiver spot.

The Cougars return a couple of key cogs in senior Kyle Williams and sophomore Carlos Hernandez, but they will also have several new receivers to sort through: Austin Peay transfer Tre Shackelford, junior college transfer Tony Freeman, Oregon transfer Kris Hutson and Louisiana Tech transfer Kyle Maxwell, who missed most of spring ball with a leg injury.

That's to say nothing of redshirt junior Josh Meredith, who took first-team reps during spring practices.

Outside of Williams and Hernandez, who likely has spots locked up, and which receivers will begin to stand out and make a case for a starting job when the season starts?

If spring ball were any indication, Shackelford is off to a nice start. Often taking first- and second-team reps, Shackelford looked reliable and confident. To WSU head coach Jake Dickert, he also showed another important characteristic.

"We need some big-body, outside guys," Dickert said. "It's good to see Maxwell back out there. But (Shackelford) has brought a toughness to that group. And when you put it on tape, that toughness is infectious because you can say, 'Hey, look at Tre doing it. We all have to do it.' "

The Cougs would also do well to get some meaningful production out of Maxwell, who remains a bit of a mystery after missing most of spring ball with the injury. Last season at Louisiana Tech, where he played five seasons, he had 20 receptions for 363 yards and two touchdowns, with a long reception of 47 yards. He played nine games, starting in seven.

At WSU, his best attribute might be his size (6-foot-3). It's an attribute the Cougs might benefit from at the position. Most of their receivers are 6-foot or under — Shackelford (6-1) is the lone exception — and while they've made it work in recent years, the Cougars could use a receiver who can just go up and get it — especially as they work to establish a connection with quarterbacks John Mateer and Zevi Eckhaus.

Then there's the case of Hutson, who might be the fastest of all the receivers, a 5-10 player who fell out of the rotation in his last season with the Ducks. Before taking a redshirt year in 2023, he combined for 75 catches for 891 yards and two touchdowns in his previous two seasons, which might be evidence that he can be a productive, reliable receiver.

Can he show it at Washington State? That much might depend on how much his expectations line up with reality, and how much he can unleash his speed on the field.

"Obviously, they throw the ball a lot," Hutson said during spring ball. "I wanna put my skills to the test and see if I can rock with this type of offense. It just fits me as a player."

Finally, Meredith didn't get many chances to show it last season — most of his highlights came in the blocking game — but he has come along. A staple in first-team reps during spring practice, Meredith has experience and size on his side, a 6-foot, 180-pound athlete who is entering his fourth season at WSU.

When it comes to building a rapport with Mateer and Eckhaus, the two quarterbacks battling for this season's starting job, Meredith might have everyone else beat. If he proves it in fall camp, continuing to stand out and proving he's more than just a run-blocker, he might earn some meaningful playing time when the season kicks off.

"Last year being the biggest slot (receiver), and this year I think I still am the biggest slot receiver," Meredith said during spring ball, "they've used my body to get some big-time blocks, and I'm just adding that to my game.

"If I can block and catch the ball, I'm gonna be a playmaker for the team."