PULLMAN -- In the spring, when Jeremiah Noga entered the portal, he entertained all manner of offers. He had recently wrapped up his fourth season playing wide receiver for Oregon State, and as he looked to move on for his final year of eligibility, he received glitzy pitches from interested coaches.
Some promised him an outsized role. Others guaranteed he would be the guy. Noga appreciated the recruiting attention, but he remembers how he started his college career: As a walk-on, an underrecruited prospect, a guy who had to earn every drop of his playing time.
Which is why, when Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers called with a different kind of message, it resonated with Noga immediately. Rogers didn't promise anything. He knew Noga could shine, but to land a role in the Cougars' offense, he would have to earn it.
"Them telling me that," Noga said, "I just wanted to prove that I still belong here and I still can play at this level without just being given everything."
So that's how, on WSU's seventh day of fall camp Wednesday morning, Noga found himself settling under a deep ball at Gesa Field. Seconds after quarterback Jaxon Potter wound up and lofted it his direction, Noga sprung himself open and caught it in-stride, dashing the remaining handful of yards to complete a 65-yard touchdown reception -- the highlight of his fall camp.
For Noga, who is on track to carve out a consistent job in WSU's wideout rotation, the play mirrored his career's arc. On two occasions in Tuesday's practice, he said, he made mistakes on the same play. As he works to memorize the playbook, he had to work on his communication with quarterbacks.
"And then today, they ran the coverage that I like seeing on that route," Noga said, "and just broke away. Potts threw me a great ball and took it to the house. It was a nice play."
It amounted to one of several highlight plays to grace the Cougs' seventh preseason practice, which they're using to prepare for their Aug. 30 season-opener against Idaho. It was also one of several live reps for WSU's quarterbacks, who swapped their regular black uniforms for crimson ones, signaling defenders can tackle them if given the opportunity.
It was the second time they've done so during this fall camp. Zevi Eckhaus, Julian Dugger, Ajani Sheppard and Potter first played live Monday. They looked much more polished Wednesday, at least for the most part.
The best play belonged to Eckhaus, the likely front-runner in this four-way battle, who has now logged back-to-back sterling practices. On a designed quarterback keeper, Eckhaus faked a dropback, dashed to his left, made one defender miss and took off up the middle, using his oft-understated speed to win the footrace to the end zone, a 65-yard touchdown of his own.
A day after making one of his best throws of camp, Eckhaus submitted his finest rushing play. This one likely meant more to Rogers and offensive coordinator Danny Freund, who knew Eckhaus could spray the ball around with his arm. In their new offense, which will likely be anchored by the run, they want to see Eckhaus make more plays with his legs.
"I do think he's mobile," Rogers said. "It's just, at times, he's always trying to keep his eyes down the field. That was a (designed) run today. He split the defense in half and made a huge play. Zevi has a great command of the offense. He knows the playbook. It's just eliminating some mental mistakes at times and controlling the situation and knowing when I need to get down and play the next play, or when I need to try to make the play, and using his legs in order to do that. Today was a consistent day for Zevi, for sure."
It was less so for Sheppard, a transfer from Rutgers. In two live reps, he tossed two interceptions, both to veteran cornerback Jamorri Colson. A likely starter opposite South Dakota State transfer Colby Humphrey, Colson is entering his third and final season at WSU, drawing on his experience to establish a role for himself.
During this fall camp, it was never more apparent than on one play in Wednesday's practice, when he saw Dugger facing pressure and loading up for a throw in Colson's direction. Colson read the play like a Stephen King novel. He jumped the route, snagged the interception and bolted the other way, cruising into the end zone to cap his best day of camp thus far.
"I love Jamorri," Rogers said. "He's just got great energy. He's always happy. He loves playing football, and he loves the process of all of this, and he's grown himself into a leader, too, for us. We needed that. Him and Humphrey, those guys are great leaders in that group, and honestly, we need these young guys that follow their footsteps."
After one week of fall camp, Rogers and Co. have gotten something like a good look at their four quarterbacks, who remain in a four-way position battle. They're looking for consistency, command of the huddle, accuracy and mobility, a must in the Cougs' new physical, run-heavy system.
Eckhaus, the most experienced of the bunch, remains the likely front-runner. But it's a true competition. Coaches are in no rush to name a starter.
"It's been up and down," Rogers said. "One guy makes a huge play, and then they may take a sack when they really shouldn't, especially in those two-minute situations. What we're looking for is a guy to separate himself on a consistent basis, whether that's a huge play down the field, or whether that's a 5-yard check down rhythm throw.
"Are they making the correct decisions? And the more we put them in these situations where it's a time situation or moving the ball inside the red zone, the more we get to see their ability to process the importance of the play and making the right decision."