PULLMAN, Wash. – Matyus McLain is staying close to home while taking on a new challenge.
The Priest River native transferred to Washington State from Idaho this offseason after a strong 2025 campaign. McLain finished last season with 42 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, earning honorable mention All-Big Sky honors.
Now, he’s looking to prove he can put up those numbers at a higher level.
“I want to prove that I can do it again, anywhere, anyplace, anytime against any opponent,” McLain said.
That opportunity will come against a schedule that includes Big Ten and Big 12 opponents.
“I’m just super excited for that overall,” he said. “Just to prove that I can do it against that caliber of teams.”
The transition to Pullman hasn’t been a difficult one for McLain. His family is from the area, and he grew up attending Washington State games.
“I mean, I love it here in Pullman,” McLain said. “Growing up, coming to the games, I mean, it’s just a dream come true for me.”
McLain has also quickly settled into Washington State’s new coaching staff. He said the attention to detail from head coach Kirby Moore, defensive coordinator Trent Bray and defensive line coach Andrew Browning has stood out.
“Everyone is on the same page, I think, it’s just the attention to detail,” McLain said.
That same approach has become a focus for McLain during camp. He said he watches film repeatedly, looking for small things he can clean up in his game.
“Whether it was my foot, my toe turning too much or not, just getting my hands in the right spot or my eyes are too early,” McLain said. “It just helped me a lot.”
McLain has already set a high bar for what he wants the Washington State defense to accomplish.
“We want to be the number one defense in the Pac-12, number one defense in the country,” he said.
Now, the former Vandal has the rest of the season to help make that goal a reality.
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