Washington State Professional Athletes

Washington State alumni are showing up — and moving around — as NFL rosters take shape during the 2026 preseason.

Kyle Williams Is Forcing New England's Hand

The clearest Coug story of the week belongs to Kyle Williams, who has turned the Patriots' wide receiver room into a genuine competition. Williams caught two passes for 74 yards and a touchdown in New England's 24–21 preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles, flashing the big-play ability that has coaches paying attention.

That performance didn't happen in a vacuum. Williams and fellow wideout Efton Chism have created what the Patriots' staff is calling a "good problem" in the receiver room, with both making a case for significant roles heading into the regular season. The pressure those two are applying internally may have already influenced roster construction: Drake Maye, Williams, and Mack Hollins are all named as players impacted by New England's trade of Kayshon Boutte and Jaylen Reed to the Texans. When a team moves pieces around you, it's usually a sign you're staying put — and in Williams' case, likely rising.

For a program that doesn't always get its pass catchers hyped on the national stage, Williams' emergence in one of the league's most scrutinized markets is a genuine breakthrough moment.

Ron Stone Jr.'s Revolving Door in Denver

It was a busier week for Ron Stone Jr. than most players would prefer. The Denver Broncos first agreed to terms with the Washington State defensive end, cutting wide receiver Hakeem Butler to make room — then turned around and waived Stone shortly after. The rapid turnaround suggests a depth-chart numbers game rather than a performance issue, but Stone now heads to the waiver wire looking for his next opportunity.

Stone's situation is a familiar one for fringe roster players navigating the late-summer cut scramble. Getting signed and waived inside of a week is jarring, but it also signals teams view him as a live option — otherwise, Denver wouldn't have brought him in at all.

Jaylen Watson: A Ram to Watch

While Stone's Denver stint was brief and Williams is commanding headlines in Foxborough, Jaylen Watson is quietly generating buzz in Los Angeles. The cornerback was flagged among the Rams' "hidden gems" heading into 2026, identified alongside defensive lineman Byron Young as a contributor who could help the team avoid the pitfalls that have tripped up previous rosters assembled with championship ambitions. Watson's value to LA's secondary may not show up in highlight reels yet, but his inclusion in that conversation says something about how the coaching staff views his ceiling.

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Three Cougars, three different preseason narratives — a receiver staking his claim, a pass rusher caught in the roster shuffle, and a corner earning quiet respect in a loaded defensive backfield. Washington State's NFL footprint is scattered across the league, but this week, the stories were worth telling.

Washington State doesn't produce first-round headliners every year, but its alumni have a way of showing up when the lights come on. In NFL preseason week one, three Cougars gave their respective fan bases something to feel good about — and all three are pushing for meaningful roles heading into the regular season.

Kyle Williams, New England Patriots

The most telling sign that Kyle Williams has turned a corner? The Patriots aren't sweating him as a roster bubble case at all.

Williams, a wideout out of Washington State, apparently rediscovered his stride during training camp, saying publicly, "For me, I finally felt like I got my groove back." That's a confident declaration at a position where New England has been retooling its options around a new-look offense under Mike Vrabel. Per Boston.com, the Patriots' brass isn't treating Williams as a fringe player in the wide receiver competition — a distinction that matters enormously as final cuts loom. For a Cougs fan base that watched Williams develop in Pullman, this is the kind of story that rewards patience.

Frankie Luvu, Washington Commanders

The Commanders have a legitimate Super Bowl contender conversation going into 2026, and linebacker Frankie Luvu is squarely in the middle of their defensive identity. Dan Quinn named Luvu one of 10 players to watch in Washington's preseason opener against the Lions — notable not just because Quinn is planning to play "a good amount of starters," but because Luvu is clearly in that conversation.

Luvu has been one of the more underrated linebackers in the NFC over the past two seasons, and his inclusion on a featured watch list for a game with legitimate first-team reps signals the Commanders expect him to be a factor early and often. A fellow Cougar, wide receiver River Cracraft, is also on the Washington roster, though it's Luvu generating the preseason buzz.

Jaden Hicks, Kansas City Chiefs

Defensive back Jaden Hicks is making a case in Kansas City — and he's getting the snaps to prove it. Per Yahoo Sports' snap-count breakdown of the Chiefs' preseason opener, Hicks logged extended time, a meaningful indicator on a roster where playing time in exhibition games is often the clearest signal of where a player stands on the depth chart.

The Chiefs have the luxury of being selective with who they invest reps in during the preseason. That Hicks earned significant time isn't a throwaway detail — it suggests Kansas City's staff sees something worth developing, if not something already worth deploying.

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For a program that plays in Pullman, Washington — not exactly a recruiting hotbed by geography — getting three alumni featured in NFL preseason coverage in a single week is a statement. Williams is cementing his place in New England, Luvu is anchoring a defense with championship ambitions, and Hicks is earning real opportunities on the defending dynasty's roster. The Cougs are well-represented — and far from done.

Williams Turning Heads in Foxborough

Washington State's pipeline to the NFL is alive and well in August, and no Cougar is generating more early camp buzz than Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams.

Head coach Mike Vrabel didn't mince words during Friday's training camp availability, offering high praise for the sophomore receiver as New England opens its 2026 camp. For a second-year wideout trying to carve out a permanent role on a roster in transition, a public endorsement from Vrabel carries real weight. Williams entered the league as a raw but athletic prospect out of Pullman, and the early signal from the coaching staff suggests the offseason work has translated onto the practice field.

It's the kind of camp moment that can define a young receiver's trajectory — coaches talk glowingly about plenty of players in August, but Vrabel has a reputation for no-nonsense evaluations. Williams earning that public stamp of approval heading into his sophomore season is a genuine storyline to watch as New England's depth chart takes shape.

Luvu Making Noise in Washington

Williams isn't the only Cougar worth tracking this week. Over in Commanders camp, linebacker Frankie Luvu surfaced as one of the standout names from early practices in Ashburn. Luvu was among a short list of players — alongside Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin, Sonny Styles, and Sam Cosmi — specifically called out for performing well in the early going.

Luvu has carved out a reputation as one of the more versatile and high-motor linebackers in the league, and another strong camp showing only reinforces his standing on Washington's defense. For Cougar fans keeping tabs on their alumni, it's a notable data point ahead of the regular season.

The Broader Cougar Footprint

Between Williams in New England and Luvu in Washington, Cougars are visible on both coasts this week. The broader WSU alumni presence across the league remains substantial — Gardner Minshew II continues to push for snaps with the Cardinals, Daiyan Henley is in camp with the Chargers, and Jalen Thompson is with the Cowboys, among more than a dozen former Cougars currently on NFL rosters.

But the August narrative belongs to Williams. A sophomore receiver drawing Friday praise from a demanding head coach is exactly the kind of signal that precedes a breakout — or at the very least, a meaningful step forward. Patriots camp will be worth monitoring closely over the next two weeks to see whether the buzz holds.