WSU opens fall camp ahead of 2015 season

The Cougars won't play a meaningful football game for nearly another month, but the road to the season opener officially begins today in Lewiston where WSU will hold its first fall camp practice. There were spring football practices and offseason workouts, but this will be the first full-fledged practice since the end of last season.

It will also be the first practice for a number of players, including most of the incoming recruiting class. There will be new faces and plenty of new players in new places as WSU tries to sharpen a two-deep depth chart. WSU returns 39 letter winners, but that leaves plenty of room for new players and up-and-comers to fill in.

The biggest questions heading into the season are on the defensive side of the ball where Alex Grinch will need to work quickly to improve the unit and find a capable depth chart. The secondary figures to be an open competition with a dozen or more players competing for a few spots.

Offensively, the Cougars return their starting offensive line and several starting receivers. Dom Williams, River Cracraft and Gabe Marks headline an experienced wide receiver corps. There will be a few new faces among the backups, and it will be especially interesting to see who gets playing time at the outside spots.

Then, of course, there is the quarterback spot. Luke Falk will open training camp atop the depth chart, but it's not a certainty that he will stay there. Peyton Bender is the strongest competition with freshman Tyler Hilinski also possibly in the mix. There will be a heavy focus on those three and in an ideal world, one will separate from the pack early so WSU can effectively prepare for the season.

What will you be watching as fall camp begins?

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Football:

Camp questions: Washington State - Pac-12 Blog - ESPN
Fall camp has hit the Palouse. Here are three questions that need to be answered for Washington State over the next month.

Washington State opens fall camp seeking a new quarterback | The Seattle Times
Washington State goes into preseason practice looking for a new leader of coach Mike Leach’s “Air Raid” offense.

Players to watch as Cougars open football camp - Spokesman.com - Aug. 7, 2015
Today the Washington State Cougars will hold the first of 23 practices before they open their season in Martin Stadium against Portland State on Sept. 5.

Washington State Cougars 2015 preview: Can the Cal Bear Raid outrace the Air Raid? - California Golden Blogs
Cal's homecoming game (October 3rd) will be against the Washington State Cougars. What should we expect from WSU this season? What's Mike Leach been up to lately? How is Cal going to fare with Jared Goff leading the charge against that horrid Cougar defense?

Women's basketball:

Women’s Basketball Releases Nonconference Schedule - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Returning to the court after two-consecutive postseason berths, the Washington State women’s basketball team will host four nonconference games in Beasley Coliseum, in addition to an exhibition game, WSU Head Coach June Daugherty announced Friday.

Volleyball:

WSU Pair to Play Professionally in Sweden - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Two recent graduates of Washington State University are set to play volleyball professionally in Sweden this year.