8 Best Washington State Cougars Football Players

The Cougars have never won a national championship but won the Rose Bowl in 1915. 

Today, you can bet online on the Cougars college football odds at the BetMGM sportsbook. 

Before you dive into their current football odds, though, check out my list of the eight best Washington State players of all time. 

8 Best Washington State Cougars Football Players

1. Ryan Leaf

Leaf played at Washington State from 1995 to 1997. While there, he threw for 7,433 yards (sixth), 59 touchdowns (fifth), 7,262 total yards (sixth), and 73 total touchdowns (fifth). 

Leaf was a first-team All-American, Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Pac-10, and also won the Sammy Baugh Trophy. 

While there for three seasons, he didn’t play much as a freshman, attempting just 97 passes. 

In his final season, he threw for 3,968 yards, 34 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and ran for six scores.

He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, just behind Peyton Manning. 

2. Drew Bledsoe

Like Leaf, Bledsoe played at Washington State for three seasons.

While there, he was a second-team All-American, Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Pac-10, and second-team All-Pac-10. 

Bledsoe finished his career there with 7,373 passing yards (seventh), 46 passing touchdowns (ninth), 7,200 total yards (seventh), and 56 total touchdowns (eighth). 

When he finished his career there, he was second in passing yards and passing touchdowns. 

He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft. 

3.  Mel Hein

Rewinding the clock to 1928 to 1930, Washington State saw Hein suited up as a center and linebacker for the squad. 

He was a first-team All-American and first-team All-PCC. The program retired his No. 7, and he’s enshrined in the Washington State University Hall of Fame. 

Hein is also enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

4. Rueben Mayes

Mayes holds the school’s all-time records in rushing yards (3,519) and fourth in rushing touchdowns (fourth).

Mayes also holds the single-game rushing record with 357 in 1984 against Oregon. 

He won the Pop Warner Trophy, was two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year, was a consensus All-American, and two-time first-team All-Pac-10.

Mayes is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

5. Luke Falk

Playing at Washington State for four years (2014 to 2017), Falk finished his career with 14,481 passing yards, 119 passing touchdowns, 14,081 total yards, and 123 total touchdowns. 

These are all records at the school. 

While at the school, he won the Burlsworth Trophy, was first-team All-Pac-12, and second-team All-Pac-12. 

6. Gardner Minshew

Minshew played at three schools during college, including Northwest Mississippi, East Carolina, and Washington State.

His Washington State stint lasted just one season, 2018. 

That season, he threw for 4,779 yards, 38 passing touchdowns, 4,898 total yards, and 42 total touchdowns. 

As far as single seasons go, all those stats, except for the total touchdowns, are second in program history. 

With that season, he won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, was Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, and was first-team All-Pac-12. 

7. Jason Gesser

Another signal-caller who played for the Cougars, Gesser, was there from 1999 to 2002. He attempted just 95 passes in 1999. 

Despite that lack of production as a freshman, he finished with 8,830 passing yards (fourth), 70 passing touchdowns (fourth), 9,007 total yards (fourth), and 74 total touchdowns (fourth). 

He was the co-offensive player of the year, first-team All-Pac-10 in 2002, and second-team All-Pac-10 in 2001. 

8. Jack Thompson

Thompson quarterbacked the Cougars from 1975 to 1978, taking over as starter in 1976. 

He threw for 7,818 passing yards (fifth), 53 passing touchdowns (sixth), 7,698 total yards (fifth), and 63 total touchdowns (sixth). 

He was a two-time first-team All-Pac-8/10 and was also second-team All-Pac-8. 

The program retired his No. 14. He was the record holder in passing yards until the turn of the century.