Colson Yankoff

Washington Commanders

The Commanders opened the 21-day practice window on the former Coeur d'Alene High star on Wednesday. Yankoff was placed on injured reserve by Washington on Nov. 9 with a hamstring injury. Prior to that, Yankoff, a rookie tight end from UCLA, had seen action in six Commanders games, mostly on special teams. Washington plays at Tampa Bay on Sunday (5 p.m., KHQ/Peacock) in an NFC wild-card game.

Derek Pearse

Montana Tech football

Pearse, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound senior tight end from Post Falls High, proved pivotal for Montana Tech as a red-zone receiving threat and a dominant run blocker. The honorable mention all-conference pick was a key cog in the 15th-best rushing offense in the NAIA, and five of his seven catches on the season went for touchdowns. The mechanical engineering student holds a 3.91 GPA. 

Matthew Whitcomb

Montana Tech football

Whitcomb, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound safety from Lake City High, led the Orediggers and ranked seventh in the NAIA with 111 tackles on the season. His 15 tackles-for-loss led the conference and ranked 18th in the country, and he added 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, an interception, and a fumble recovery on the year. The first-team all-conference performer carries a 3.73 GPA in his exercise and health science major.

Capri Sims

Central Washington basketball

Sims, a 6-foot forward from Post Falls High, had a season-high 16 points on 8 of 10 shooting with nine rebounds and five assists for the Wildcats (9-3, 2-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) in an 87-54 win over Alaska-Fairbanks on Jan. 2 in Ellensburg.