Three Washington State Players to Watch Against No. 18 Virginia In Saturday's Matchup

Washington State comes ovdr to Charlottesville from the west coast for this Week Eight matchup.

Oct 11, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Washington State Cougars running back Kirby Vorhees (9) and wide reciever Tony Freeman (0) react after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Virginia is riding high off their bye week, earning their highest ranking in the AP Top 25 since 2019. UVA moved up one spot to No. 18 this week, tying its ranking from six seasons ago. The Cavaliers can keep the momentum going if they can defend Scott Stadium once again against the Cougars this weekend.

Let's take a look at some key players on Washington State that the Hoos coaching staff and fanbase should be on the lookout for on Saturday.

QB Zevi Eckhaus

Sep 20, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Zevi Eckhaus (4) throws a pass against the Washington Huskies in the first half of Apple Cup at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

Eckhaus has only recently been getting more snaps under center for Washington State. Sophomore Jaxon Potter was named the starter to begin the season, but has been benched in favor of Eckhaus. Potter had two solid starts against Idaho and San Diego State, but threw three picks against North Texas. The senior's first appearance came in that game against North Texas, where he threw just 10 passes. Since then, Eckhaus has thrown around 30 passes in the last three games for WSU. Eckhaus has thrown six touchdowns to two interceptions, while completing just under 69% of his passes and rushing for two scores.

Eckhaus is now in his fifth season of college football. The California native spent his first three seasons at Bryant University before transferring to Washington State in 2024. Eckahus passed for over 8,500 yards and 75 touchdowns in 33 games at Bryant. After his junior year, the quarterback entered the portal and chose WSU. Last season, Eckhaus threw just 50 passes but threw four touchdowns.

RB Kirby Vorhees

Aug 30, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars running back Kirby Vorhees (9) is tackled in the backfield by Idaho Vandals defensive lineman Trevor Miller (99) in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

Washington State has to fill a Kyle Williams-sized hole left in its offense in 2025. Williams logged just under 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns to lead the Pac-12 last season. According to Washington State Athletics, his 14 scores are second-most in program history, while Williams was the first receiver to break the 1,000-yard mark since 2019. Filling in some of the production lost with Williams' departure is Kirby Vorhees.

Vorhees is a sophomore in his first season at Washington State. Vorhees received a redshirt his first season at FCS South Dakota State. The next season, the running back was named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Newcomer Team. Vorhees rushed for 581 yards and eight scores on 7.7 yards per attempt. This season, Vorhees leads WSU in rushing, coming off his strongest performance against a formidable opponent in Ole Miss last week. Vorhees was just shy of 90 yards on the ground and scored his first touchdown of the season against the No. 4 team in the country.

DE Isaac Terrell

Nov 23, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Trent Walker (7) catches a pass and is tackled by Washington State Cougars edge Isaac Terrell (88) during the fourth quarter at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

On the defensive side of the ball, we are taking a look at defensive end Isaac Terrell. The junior is now in his third season with WSU, playing in 21 games with the Cougars entering the 2025 season. According to 247Sports, Terrell signed with Washington State as the 7th best player in Utah and a top-75 edge rushing prospect in the country.

Terrell's first season was uneventful, appearing in a handful of games but not recording a stat in 2023. The Utah native then appeared in 12 games his sophomore season, securing 12 tackles, including one tackle-for-loss. The 2025 season has gotten off to a solid start for Terrell, who already has 9.5 tackles-for-loss, including 4.5 sacks plus a forced fumble through six games. The defensive end could be breaking out with the eligibility to play another season of college football next year.