Tight ends adding unfamiliar dimension to WSU offense

Washington State coach Jake Dickert can’t help but chuckle when he recalls the question former WSU coach Jim Walden asked him during his introductory news conference nearly three years ago.

“Anybody (could ask) a question, which is always dangerous with coach (Walden) in the room and he says ‘We bringing the tight ends back,’ and at that time I couldn’t say anything ... but (I thought) ‘Hell yeah, we are,’” Dickert said. “Just from a defensive lens, that position creates complexity in offenses, creates diversity, creates physicality, and Coop’s (Cooper Mathers) done a good job of bringing that and Trey Leckner ... made a hell of a play to finish (practice).”

Credit to Jamey Vinnick of CougFan.com for recalling Walden’s exact question:

“Is there a chance in hell we ever see a tight end at Washington State again?”

The late former WSU coach Mike Leach and former coach Nick Rolovich did not use tight ends in the Cougar offense for a combined 10 seasons.

Not only did Dickert and then-WSU offensive coordinator Eric Morris bring the tight end position back to WSU, but Dickert and second-year OC Ben Arbuckle have unlocked a red zone scoring cheat code and added a dimension to the Cougars’ offense not experienced in decades.

Senior tight end Cooper Mathers set the WSU record for tight end touchdown receptions in a season and continues to add to the mark with his sixth touchdown catch on Saturday versus Utah State.

Mathers did not record a catch in WSU’s first three games of the season.

On Sept. 20 versus San Jose State, the senior from Seattle recorded two catches, both touchdowns.

The first came with 11-and-a-half minutes remaining in the second quarter and the Cougars leading 7-3.

WSU quarterback John Mateer took the third-and-goal snap, rolled out to his left, sprinted around the corner only to flick the ball like a shortstop throwing a runner out at second right before a Spartan took his legs out from under him. Mateer rainbowed the ball over three Spartans’ heads and into Mathers’ hands.

Mathers’ second catch — and touchdown — was a more direct dart on second-and-1 from the 7-yard line. Mathers ran directly forward, cut inside creating space from the Spartan defender and turned around to make the catch and put the Cougs up by two scores.

Since his first two touchdown catches against San Jose State, Mathers has caught a touchdown in five of the Cougars’ last six games, scoring against Boise State, Hawaii, San Diego State and Utah State.

“Coop’s just been ultra-consistent,” Dickert said. “He’s been kind of nagged by hamstring injuries most of his career. That has not come up this year because he’s had a focus of taking care of his body, and he’s prepared the right way, and he’s gotten tremendous results.”

Mateer said that his connection with Mathers is one developed over months of practice.

The two have been teammates for each of the past three seasons and have gotten a slew of opportunities to grow a connection in the two years Arbuckle has led WSU’s offense and the past year since Mateer was in the running and secured the starting quarterback position.

Mathers said that putting that connection on tape and turning it into touchdowns has allowed him to earn the trust of Mateer and Arbuckle.

“He adds a lot,” Mateer said of Mathers. “He’s had my trust, I don’t want him to think he hasn’t had my trust.”

WSU entered the season with four tight ends all listed as starters with “ors” between their names.

Dickert said at the time that he had listed “ors” between so many names because he believed in the competition of his roster.

With a combination of competition and injury, Mathers and redshirt freshman tight end Trey Leckner have emerged as the Cougars’ one-two punch at the position.

Junior tight end Andre Dollar and senior Billy Riviere III continue to recover from injuries.

Mathers had cemented a larger role even before their respective injuries, but the other upperclassmen’s unavailability has opened the door for Leckner — a 6-foot-3 redshirt freshman from Glacier Peak High School in Snohomish, Wash. — to make an impact.

Dickert said that Leckner made two significant plays on Saturday versus Utah State.

“He went and got one of the fumbles from Kris Hutson, and he was the guy that was down the field when they batted the ball out of the end zone. Playing really, really hard,” Dickert said. “So you do that, you put it on tape, you gain more confidence. So we kind of challenged him when he gets out there to take advantage of his opportunities, and I thought he did that.”

Leckner registered the most playing time in a game of his young career on Saturday. After making one catch for 33 yards in garbage time versus Portland State on Aug. 31, Leckner has made two catches of 16 and 7 yards respectively over the past three games and has spent more snaps on the field.

Hustling to recover fumbles is a huge part of why his number of snaps has continued to grow.

“If the ball’s out, I’m gonna of course go for it and that’s something I want to be known for is being a hustler,” Leckner said. “I mess up too, so when my guys put the ball on the ground I’m gonna try and make it right for them.”

Leckner is 6-3 while Mathers is 6-2, so both are smaller than the typical tight end across college football, but they have continued to contribute to a WSU offense that needs guys blocking and pass-catching with ease.

Leckner said he felt like he has always been able to keep up in the pass game but has sharpened his run blocking and pass protection thanks to tight ends coach Nick Whitworth and Mathers.

“Being an undersized guy like me and (Mathers) both are, he’s given me a lot of tips like just getting your hands inside, just different ways to do that,” Leckner said. “I mean, obviously we have shorter arms than a lot of guys with length on the edge. (Mathers) has helped me a lot.”

WSU turned in one of its best rushing performances on Saturday with 303 yards on the ground. Facing a New Mexico squad fighting for a bowl game and the bragging rights of beating a ranked team, the Cougs will need every block, hustle and red zone reception Mathers and Leckner can muster.

Wazzu, ranked No. 18 in Tuesday’s College Football Playoff rankings, faces the New Mexico Lobos at 6:30 p.m. Pacific on Saturday. FS1 will broadcast the game.

Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2268, staylor@lmtribune.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @Sam_C_Taylor.