Tsion Nunnally shines in return from injury, plus other notes from WSU's seventh fall practice

Aug. 9—PULLMAN — Tsion Nunnally might as well have been a ghost across the past few days of fall camp. In reality, Washington State's sophomore wide receiver went shirtless for several practices to nurse an upper-body injury that held him out for the first week of practice, .

On the sidelines of the Rogers Practice Field, Nunnally ran sprints, chatted with teammates, tried to stay active. At 6-foot-3, it's hard to miss him, but it was hard to know the seriousness of his injury or if he might miss time this season.

It was easy to find Nunnally in Wednesday's practice, the Cougars' second in full pads, when he returned to action. If you hadn't noticed he was wearing a yellow noncontact jersey, you might have guessed he was completely healthy. He hauled in three touchdown passes in 7-on-7 action, beating defensive backs for short and long routes.

That's good news for WSU on several fronts, but one especially: Among receivers who figure to play meaningful snaps this fall, Nunnally is one of just two with previous experience at the school. Last year, he appeared in 11 games for the Cougars, totaling seven catches for 70 yards, including a long reception of 39 yards.

He also supplies real size at the receiver position, and for as talented as WSU's wideouts are, none can match Nunnally in that department.

Senior Lincoln Victor stands 5-9. Juniors DT Sheffield and Kyle Williams are 5-10 and 6-foot, respectively, and redshirt junior Josh Kelly stands 6-1.

Nunnally gives the Cougars something they don't have otherwise. Fortunately, he made that easy to understand in Wednesday's practice, announcing his return to the practice field with three impressive catches in the end zone.

"How encouraging was that?" Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. "Three touchdowns, and again, it comes back to that competitive depth, like, 'Hey, that guy hadn't been out here, but he's been working on the side, making sure he stays in condition, making sure he strengthens up his little injured area right there.' And he came out and he's ready to play, and he was ready to ball out. So I was fired up with Tsion."

Where Nunnally fits in the Cougars' receiver depth chart remains fluid. He's still working his way back from injury, so he's probably somewhere behind Sheffield, Williams, Kelly and maybe fellow transfer Isaiah Hamilton, who practiced with the No. 2s on Wednesday.

But he isn't far off — which WSU will take.

Jenkins makes strong impression early in campIf you've been following WSU recently, you might not be surprised to hear running back Jaylen Jenkins' name come up. You might not be surprised that he's been impressive. What might matter more is he's fitting in well with Arbuckle's system.

"We've utilized him a whole bunch of different ways, and he's answered the call every single time," Arbuckle said. "Making big plays in the pass game, in the run game, finding the crease, hitting it, sticking his foot in the ground. He's twitchy as can be. And just his overall mindset between meetings and practice and rehab and prehab. Jalen Jenkins has been a very, very bright spot."

Like last season, Jenkins will likely back up starter Nakia Watson, who on Wednesday was named to the watch list for the Doak Walk Award, which goes to the nation's top running back.

But under the watch of Arbuckle, who is finding new ways to incorporate tight ends and running backs in the Cougars' passing attack, he might see the field more this fall.

Gusta compartmentalizes violence, kindnessWSU defensive lineman David Gusta, who has earned consistent reps with the No. 1s, likes to summarize his approach on the field.

"I feel like my main idea is, like I said last time, to really just cause havoc and to really just hurt people," Gusta said. "Because that's probably my favorite part of this game is that you can legally hurt somebody. And that's what I feel like ... I'm on the interior to do.

"But I feel like (that) off the field. I'm probably one of the nicest people you could ever meet."

Gusta knows how to square those two parts of his personality.

"Especially when I get on the field, I will definitely shake your hand as I'm hurting you," Gusta said. "But the thing is, I will still hurt you. ... When I was little, my mom, she made this joke because I was an angry kid. She would tell me, 'Just go hurt them — and just be happy outside.' That's how I like to separate myself."

To be clear, Gusta said, his mom encouraged him to only hurt people on the field. Turns out, it's paying dividends years later.