Full Scouting Report: What Zevi Eckhaus Brings To Washington State's Offense

Zevi Eckhaus began making his mark on college football the moment he stepped foot on campus at Bryant as a freshman. The California native produced the greatest freshman quarterback season in school history, earning NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year and First Team All-NEC honors—two accolades that had never before been achieved in the same season by a quarterback in conference history.

In his sophomore season in 2022, he became just the second quarterback in Bryant history to surpass 3,000 passing yards in a single season while also breaking the school record for total offense with 3,393 yards.

His final season at Bryant, in 2023, was his most significant. That year, he set the school record for career touchdown passes with 75, was named Big South Offensive Player of the Year, earned First Team All-Big South honors, and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award—finishing top 10 across multiple statistical categories in the FCS.

By the time his Bryant career wrapped up, Eckhaus had rewritten the record book and left as one of the most accomplished players in program history.

Eckhaus then made his way back west to Pullman, where he primarily served as the backup to now-Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer. In his first season as a Cougar, he appeared in three games—including a start in the Holiday Bowl against #21 Syracuse, where he went 31-of-43 for 363 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 28 yards and a score.

With Mateer’s departure, Eckhaus brings a wealth of experience and a history of prolific production to the table as the Cougs usher in a new era under Head Coach Jimmy Rogers.

Height: 6’0
Weight: 209
Class: Redshirt Senior
Hometown: Culver City, CA
High School / Previous School: Culver City HS / Bryant

AT BRYANT:

NEC Rookie of the Year (2021)
All-NEC First Team (2021)
Second Team All Big-South (2022)
Big South Offensive Player of the Year (2023)
First team All-Big South (2023)
Walter Payton Award Finalist (2023)
Bryant Career Touchdown Pass Leader (75)

POCKET PLAY – CREATING TIME AND SPACE
In the pocket, Eckhaus plays with a calm demeanor. His poised presence can be attributed to many aspects of his game—his knowledge of the offense, his confidence in his process, and more. But another key contributor may be his ability to create time and space.

What does that mean?
It means that when defenders begin closing in or the pocket starts to collapse, Eckhaus shows a keen ability to buy himself just enough time and space to find a platform to release the ball—often through subtle, instinctive movements.

One example of this comes at the 0:12 mark in the video linked below. The defense brings a Cover 0 blitz with seven pass rushers. Bryant has a “switch” concept called to the top of the screen, which typically features the outside receiver running a post and the slot receiver running a post-corner. Due to the tight man coverage the defense is playing in the secondary, the two receivers nearly run into each other, disrupting the timing of the concept.

With an all-out blitz bearing down, this is a throw that normally has to come out quickly. But with the timing of the concept off and the receivers needing to reset, Eckhaus adapts. Instead of panicking, scrambling, or throwing the ball away, he maintains his poise—taking a few composed steps away from the pressure coming off his blind side. That subtle movement buys just enough time and space for him to reset and deliver a perfectly placed ball as his receiver regains the route path—resulting in a 44-yard touchdown.

Whether it’s a quick adjustment within the pocket or a calculated escape from it, Eckhaus consistently keeps himself alive as a passer when others might take a sack or force a rushed decision.

OFF-SCRIPT – CREATIVITY BOTH AS A PASSER AND RUNNER
Not only does creating “time and space” serve Eckhaus well as a passer in the pocket, but it also becomes a weapon when the play completely breaks down. Eckhaus is an elusive player with a knack for making defenders miss—both within and outside the pocket.

On multiple occasions, Eckhaus has encountered defenders in position to blow up a play, only to escape with a quick juke or spin move that keeps the play alive. A great illustration of this comes on a play-action bootleg to the left at the 1:19 mark in the video linked below. Eckhaus looks dead to rights. An unblocked outside linebacker has a clear path to him. But as the defender closes in, Eckhaus spins out of the tackle and quickly delivers a strike to his receiver running a drag across the field for a first down.

As a runner, he showed similar creativity against UNLV in 2023. Fast forward to the play at 2:08 in the linked video: Bryant runs an RPO with the tight end slicing across the formation into the flat, while the receivers secure the perimeter with blocks. Eckhaus’ job is to read the box—evaluate blockers vs. defenders—and decide whether to throw to the flat based on leverage and numbers.

When he pulls the ball, the play appears set up perfectly. But the corner, despite being engaged by a blocker, works into the throwing lane. Eckhaus double clutches, pulls the ball down, sidesteps the free defensive end, and—without hesitation—spins and breaks into open field for a 36-yard gain.

It’s plays like these that highlight Eckhaus’ improvisational ability. He adds a whole other dimension to the offense—making the play right even when everything goes wrong.

PASSING UNDER DURESS
A commendable aspect of any quarterback’s game is his willingness to deliver under duress—meaning when defenders are in his face or when he has to stare down the barrel and knowingly take a hit to make the throw the play demands. Doing this takes more than just guts; it requires a keen sense of timing and touch to get the ball where it needs to be, when it needs to be there, despite compromised mechanics.

Eckhaus has shown this multiple times on film. Whether from within the pocket or outside of it, he’s demonstrated the ability to complete passes even when his base is disrupted or his mechanics are thrown off by pressure.

Take the play beginning at 5:07 in the video below. Brown brings a Cover 0 blitz—sending six pass rushers while every defensive back plays tight man coverage. One of the interior linemen breaks through untouched, bearing down on Eckhaus. Unable to step into the throw, Eckhaus nonetheless delivers a touchdown strike just before absorbing a big hit.

Quarterbacks who are both willing and able to make throws like these do more than keep the offense moving—they earn a different level of respect from both teammates and coaches.

DOWNFIELD PASSING
A main driving force behind Eckhaus' historic success at the FCS level with Bryant was his downfield passing ability. He proved to be a master of trajectory and accuracy when throwing deep—perfecting the “moon ball” by putting plenty of air under his passes, giving his receivers a chance to run underneath them, and dropping the ball right on their upfield shoulder. This not only protects the throw from trailing defenders but also allows receivers to maintain their stride through the catch.

A great example of this can be found at the :33 mark of the video linked below. The defense is in quarters coverage—also known as Cover 4. In this defense, the safeties are responsible for run support at the snap, but once they identify pass, their eyes go to the slot receiver. If the slot receiver runs a route in the 10–12 yard range, the safety will match him in man coverage, leaving the defense vulnerable to a deep shot. Bryant has the perfect play dialed up to attack this. They call another “switch” concept, similar to the one mentioned earlier. Sure enough, the safety drives on the slot receiver running a corner route, and the outside receiver running the post gets behind the defense cleanly. Eckhaus, with ease, sees the play unfold exactly as designed and delivers a 50+ yard strike.

Delivering the deep ball from a variety of platforms and situations is one of Eckhaus’s signature strengths. Whether it’s off play action, from the opposite hash, or on an off-script throw during a scramble drill, he consistently finds a way to push the ball downfield with both timing and precision.

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