2025 Washington State Football Predictions: Cougars Ranked 86th in RJ Young's Ultimate 136
Published
Aug. 10, 2025 8:52 p.m. ET
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This isn't your average college football ranking.
My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it's my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:
Who do I think is good?
Why do I think they're good?
What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?
Here is a look at where Washington State lands in my Ultimate 136.
Washington State ranking: 86
Last year's ranking: 93
Top player: OL Brock Dieu: Has started 18 games in the last two seasons; in 2024, played in 508 blocking snaps and allowed just seven pressures with no sacks.
[Washington State's 2025 schedule]
RJ's take: Jimmy Rogers is in Year 1 at Washington State after spending the past 12 years at South Dakota State, with the last two years as head coach. Out is the playmaking point guard at quarterback, John Mateer, and Cam Ward before him. In is 2023 FCS national championship coach Jimmy Rogers, who got the call-up to the majors after posting an 11-3 record last season as South Dakota State's head coach.
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Look to running backs Angel Johnson and Kirby Vorhees to see how good the Cougars can be. Johnson averaged more than 7 yards per carry on 91 rushes for 646 yards, while Vorhees went for 581 on 75 rushes. There are 1,500 yards in that tandem and at least one 1,000-yard back, even with them taking the step up to The Show.
But the unit anchoring the program will be Jesse Bobbit's Jackackrabbits defense, which gave up just fewer than 12.5 points a game last season. And he brought a wrecking ball with him from Brookings, South Dakota in linebacker Caleb Francl, who collected 64 tackles and 7 tackles for loss last year.
[ Check out RJ Young's Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here ]
Washington State Win Total Odds: Over 5.5 (+140) Under 5.5 (-172)
Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school's rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young , and I'll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.
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