QB Caden Pinnick, WR Tank Hawkins highlight WSU football's recruiting class
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Feb. 4—Another signing day has arrived at Washington State, where they seem to be piling up by the bushel.
It's the fourth signing day in two years for the Cougars because of the coaching changes that have befallen the program. In late 2024, they signed some 20 prospects under former coach Jake Dickert, only to sign another batch several weeks later after Dickert left and Jimmy Rogers replaced him.
Now, about two months after Rogers left and Kirby Moore took over the reins, he's signing another class. Almost all the 32 players in this group hail from the transfer portal, which closed in mid-January, and many have already put pen to paper. But WSU has also made a handful of late additions, which will also be listed below in handy capsules with all kinds of information: previous school, other offers, measurements and the like.
Some figure to grab bigger headlines than others, including UC Davis QB Caden Pinnick, Florida WR Tank Hawkins, SMU edge rusher DJ Warner and even Washington offensive tackle Maximus McCree. Those transfers profile as instant-impact players who could make a splash quicker than others.
Here is Washington State's February signing class.
Kalolo Ta'aga, OL
Former school: Utah
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: Listed at 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds, Ta'aga started his career in 2024 at USC, where he didn't see the field. He spent last season at Utah, where he played only 19 snaps in two games, 16 snaps of offense with a blowout win over Cal Poly out of reach, then three snaps of special teams against Texas Tech. After redshirting in 2024, Ta'aga will have three years of eligibility, giving himself some wiggle room with his development at WSU.
In his small sampling of offensive snaps, Ta'aga played right tackle, suggesting that's where he would play at WSU.
Paul Hutson III, DT
Former school: Marshall
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: After a winding four years of college football, Hutson played last season at Marshall, where he totaled 41 tackles, including 14 solo, four sacks and two interceptions, including a pick six.
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 260 pounds, Hutson started his career in 2022 at Campbell, transferred to Austin Peay in 2023, transferred back to Campbell in 2024 and then took his talents to Marshall.
Ryan McKendry, WR
Former school: Los Medanos College (Pittsburg, Calif.)
Other offers out of portal: Sacramento State, Cal Poly, Indiana State, Stony Brook, Towson, East Texas A&M
The lowdown: As a true freshman last fall, McKendry totaled 44 receptions for 1,221 yards and 14 touchdowns at Los Medanos College, leading the state's junior colleges in yards and touchdowns. He played in nine games, logging an average reception of a remarkable 27.8 yards, which also led California. After the season, he landed on the Region II All-State first team.
Last season, McKendry cleared the 100-yard receiving mark in six of his nine games, including a 235-yard game against Merced, a 188-yard showing against Cabrillo and a 182-yard effort against Siskiyous. He also enjoyed two three-touchdown performances, which came against Merced and Coalinga.
Jack Pedersen, TE
Former school: UCLA
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: Listed at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Pedersen spent four years with the Bruins, totaling 23 catches for 198 yards and one touchdown in that span. He played in one game in 2022, five in 2023, 12 in 2024 (with four starts) and 11 games with one start last season, reeling in 11 receptions for 72 yards in his final campaign with UCLA.
All told, Pedersen played in 29 games, starting six, across four seasons at UCLA. His single-game high for receiving yards is 37, which he set at Washington in 2024. His single-game best for catches is three, which he registered twice.
Max Dean, P
Former school: New Mexico State
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: Dean redshirted in 2024, then punted 55 times for an average of 42 yards last season, with a long of 59. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds, Dean is a native of Gisborne, Australia, where he trained at an academy called Pro Kick Australia — which produced former WSU punter Nick Haberer, a Cougar from 2021-2024.
Perhaps most notably about Dean: Last season at NMSU, he landed 20 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, a remarkable level of consistency and accuracy.
Daniel Blood, WR
Former school: Missouri
Other offers out of portal: Iowa State
The lowdown: Listed at 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds, Blood spent three years at Missouri, totaling 15 catches for 152 yards. He appeared in 35 games: 10 as a true freshman in 2023, 13 in 2024 and 12 last season, making five catches for 51 yards in his final season in Columbia. He was never at the forefront of the Tigers' receiver rotation, but he saw a handful of snaps in each game.
In his snaps on offense, Blood usually found himself in the slot, where he was able to use his speed. His best game last season was a two-reception, 39-yard effort against Kansas, which included a 26-yard catch. He spread his other three catches across three more games.
He's the brother of WSU's new director of recruiting strategy, JR Blood.
Akio Martinson, DT
Former school: American River College
Other offers out of portal: Incarnate Word, Utah Tech
The lowdown: Martinson started his career with two seasons at San Jose State, where he played in just two games in two seasons, both in 2024. He played last season at American River College, which is in the Sacramento area, where he played in 10 games, totaling the following: 42 tackles, 61/2 tackles for loss, 31/2 sacks.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 305 pounds, Martinson's addition helps the Cougars build depth on their defensive line.
Darrius Clemons, WR
Former school: Oregon State
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: Listed at 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds, Clemons started his career with two seasons at Michigan, then spent the 2024 season at Oregon State, where he made 25 receptions for 292 yards and two touchdowns, starting the final six games of that season. Clemons didn't play last season due to an injury.
Clemons played sparingly in Ann Arbor, where he totaled only four catches for 40 yards in two seasons, so he hit the transfer portal after that season. He wound up closer to home, at Oregon State, roughly a two-hour drive from his hometown of Portland.
Balaam Miller, DT
Former school: Saint Francis
Other offers out of portal: Boston College, Memphis, Colorado State
The lowdown: Miller spent three years at Saint Francis, an FCS school in central Pennsylvania, where he posted 23 tackles (14 solo) last season, including 11/2 sacks and one pass breakup. He's listed at 6-foot-4 and 311 pounds.
Last season, Miller registered a total of nine quarterback pressures, including three with one sack against Louisiana-Monroe and two with one sack against Wagner.
Christopher Solis-Lumar, CB
Former school: Cal Poly
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: As a true freshman last season, Solis-Lumar logged 332 snaps in 11 games, breaking up three passes and making 23 tackles. He finished the season with a Pro Football Focus defense grade of 68.5, which is above average, and a coverage grade of 63.2.
In his one season of action at Cal Poly, Solis-Lumar allowed 17 catches on 23 targets, which is a rather high 74% catch rate. But he also played some of his best football against the toughest opponents on the Mustangs' schedule, breaking up two passes and earning a PFF coverage grade of 89.8 against Big Sky powerhouse Montana, which went on to make the semifinals of the FCS playoffs.
Jshawn Frausto-Ramos, CB
Former school: Arizona
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: Frausto-Ramos didn't play last season at Arizona, where he spent only one year. But he started his career at Stanford, where he played in 21 games in two seasons, including five starts. He totaled 40 tackles, one pass breakup and two sacks in that span, making a splash right away as a true freshman.
Listed at 6 feet and 200 pounds, Frausto-Ramos was a consensus four-star recruit in the class of 2023, fielding offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Ole Miss, USC, Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas, Colorado, Louisville and a handful of other Power Four schools at that time. But he chose the Cardinal, where he got on the field almost immediately.
Matyus McLain, DE
Former school: Idaho
Other offers out of portal: Utah, UCF, Kansas State
The lowdown: Listed at 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds, McLain started all 12 games last season for the Vandals, totaling 42 tackles, including 131/2 for loss and 41/2 sacks. That helped him earn All-Big Sky honorable mention honors on defense.
A native of Priest River, Idaho, McLain spent three years at Idaho, playing in 24 total games. Last season, he pocketed 34 quarterback pressures, registering at least four in five games — which includes a six-pressure game against St. Thomas.
DJ Warner, DE
Former school: SMU
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: As a sophomore last season at SMU, Warner played in all 12 games, totaling two sacks on 18 quarterback pressures. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 231 pounds, Warner played his true freshman season at Kansas, where he also played in 12 games. That means when he suits up for WSU, he'll have 24 games of Power Four experience to his name, which could help his team establish the same kind of defensive line depth that played a key role in the Cougs' 2025 success.
Warner is a native of the Phoenix area, where he earned offers from Oregon, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State and others as a class of 2024 prospect. He eventually took his talents to Kansas, where he picked up five QB pressures in his 12 games, playing in a backup role.
Eduwa Okundaye, DE
Former school: Arizona
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: Okundaye played in eight games in two years at Arizona. He played four games on special teams in his true freshman season in 2024, then four more on defense last season, posting one QB pressure. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 243 pounds, Okundaye was a class of 2024 prospect, landing offers from Houston, Kansas State, San Diego State and others at that time. He could compete for a starting role early at WSU.
Linus Zunk, DE
Former school: Vanderbilt
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: Zunk played in 36 games across three seasons of action at Vanderbilt, tallying three sacks on 13 pressures last season. A native of Berlin, Germany, Zunk is listed at 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, a hulking pass rusher who figures to make an immediate splash with the Cougs. Last fall, he also registered 15 tackles, including 31/2 for loss, giving him 38 tackles (7 1/2 for loss) and five sacks for his Commodore career.
Maximus McCree, OL
Former school: Washington
Other offers out of portal: LSU
The lowdown: Listed at 6-foot-6 and 302 pounds, McCree started three games for UW last season, playing 242 snaps in seven total games. He came off the bench to play in games against FCS UC Davis and Ohio State, then started three straight games at left tackle, filling in for an injured starter against Maryland, Rutgers and Michigan, sustaining his own injury in the final contest.
At UW, McCree took over left tackle starting duties in the middle of the 2024 season, making four straight starts before a thumb injury sidelined him until the Huskies' bowl game.
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, McCree has authored a winding career. He played his first two seasons in 2020 and 2021 at Iowa Central Community College, where he was named an NJCAA first-team All-America offensive lineman in the latter season. He then spent the 2022 season at Maryland, where he played only 13 snaps in two games.
McCree didn't play football at all in 2023. Instead, he returned home to Kansas City to care for his mother, Nicole, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. After Nicole's condition improved, he returned to Iowa Central in the spring of 2024, where he worked with coaches to get back into playing shape, landing at UW.
Ike Okafor, DT
Former school: Cal
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: Okafor redshirted and didn't play as a true freshman at Cal last season. Hailing from Nigeria, Okafor is listed at 6-foot-3 and 280 pounds, the kind of size that could pair well with Warner on the Cougars' defensive line. For Okafor's pledge, WSU might be able to thank new defensive ends coach Andrew Browning, who spent the previous eight seasons with the Golden Bears.
As a class of 2025 prospect, Okafor picked up offers from Texas Tech, Minnesota, Houston, ASU, Pittsburgh, UNLV and a handful of other schools. With his size and raw potential, he had huge upside — and he still does, according to WSU coaches, who might hand him real snaps in short order.
Nathaniel Salmon, TE
Former school: N/A
Other offers: Utah, Arizona State, Arizona, Baylor, North Carolina, West Virginia
The lowdown: Listed at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, Salmon is a native of New Zealand, where he played professional basketball, a career that later brought him to Australia, where he averaged a cool 15 points and five rebounds in a city called Gold Coast.
In fact, Salmon didn't pick up a football for the first time until 2024, when he was invited to an NFL academy in Gold Coast. In December of that year, he was one of 14 players selected to the NFL's International Player Pathway, which is a program run by the NFL to increase the number of players from outside the U.S. and Canada in the league.
After picking up the tight end position, he was invited to train at IMG Academy in Florida, where he spent 10 weeks, and he was later granted four years of eligibility by the NCAA. And now he's a Cougar, heading to Pullman to try and find a niche in Moore's offense, which might yet have a role for him.
Caden Pinnick, QB
Former school: UC Davis
Other offers out of portal: Colorado
The lowdown: As a redshirt freshman last season, the 6-foot Pinnick completed 240 of 345 passes (70%) for 3,206 yards and 32 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, winning Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors. He also registered 125 carries for 437 yards and three scores, good for an average rush of 3.5 yards, underscoring his dual-threat capabilities.
Pinnick could start right away for the Cougs, who don't have a clear-cut QB1 otherwise. Pinnick has the most experience of any QB the team is set to return, and in the offensive-minded Moore's system, Pinnick could really flourish.
Tank Hawkins, WR
Former school: Florida
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: In two years with the Gators, Hawkins played in eight games, totaling 12 catches for 116 yards and one touchdown. He played in six in 2024, then after playing in four games last season, he chose to opt out of the rest of the year — preserving his redshirt season and giving him three more years of eligibility.
A consensus four-star recruit out of IMG Academy in the class of 2024, Hawkins fielded offers from Alabama, Penn State, Oregon, Miami, Nebraska, Wisconsin and others at that time. He has blazing speed, running a reported 4.25-second 40-yard dash at an Ohio State camp.
Jack Bal, safety
Former school: Arizona State
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: Bal played in three games in three years with the Sun Devils, all coming last season, which comes out to 27 snaps in total. He redshirted as a true freshman in 2023, then recorded only one stat in three games last season, which was allowing one reception on one target against FCS Northern Arizona.
Jeremiah Bernard, safety
Former school: Cal Poly
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: As a redshirt freshman last fall, Bernard played in 12 games, with eight starts. He recorded six pass breakups and four interceptions, including one in three of his last four games of the season. Listed at 6 feet and 195 pounds, Bernard totaled 57 tackles, 33 solo and three for loss, plus one sack and one forced fumble. He earned All-Big Sky second-team honors.
Bernard's arrival will help WSU offset the loss of its top three safeties: Tucker Large, Cale Reeder and Matthew Durrance, all of whom have exhausted their eligibility.
Nylan Brown, LB
Former school: Kent State
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: Listed at 5-foot-11 and 235 pounds, Brown comes to WSU after two years at Kent State, where he started one of 11 games last season. He totaled 58 tackles across those two seasons, including three tackles for loss. He pocketed four quarterback pressures last year.
An Indianapolis native, Brown was a three-star prospect out of Ben Davis High, where he picked up offers from Kent State, Indiana, Marshall, Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green and others.
Jaylen Thomas, CB
Former school: San Jose State
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: A native of the San Jose area, Thomas totaled 59 tackles, six pass breakups and one tackle for loss as a redshirt freshman last season, starting in all 12 games. He earned a PFF coverage grade of 64.8, which ranked below former WSU CBs Colby Humphrey and Jamorri Colson last season, allowing 30 catches on 54 targets — a solid reception rate of 56%.
Listed at 6 feet and 186 pounds, Thomas was a three-star prospect out of Los Gatos High, where he earned offers from hometown SJSU and FCS club Cal Poly.
Jalil Tucker, CB
Former school: Oregon State
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: A pledge that likely came together thanks to defensive coordinator Trent Bray, who coached Tucker last season at Oregon State, where Bray was head coach in 2024 and part of 2025. Listed at 6 feet and 170 pounds, Tucker totaled five pass breakups and one interception for the Beavers, playing 11 games with 10 starts.
This season, Tucker registered a PFF coverage grade of 54.2, which is below average. He allowed 27 catches on 47 targets, a respectable catch rate of 57%, but he also gave up four touchdown receptions.
A product of Lincoln High in San Diego, Tucker is well-traveled. He started his career in 2022 at Oregon, where he played only seven snaps in one game, preserving his redshirt season. He then played the next two seasons at San Diego Mesa College, where he played in 19 total games, posting four tackles and one pick in 2024 and one tackle in 2023.
Oliver Bender, WR
Former school: Nolensville High School, Nolensville, Tenn.
Other offers: Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Miami (Ohio), Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State
The lowdown: A late pickup for WSU, Bender visited Pullman over the weekend and announced his commitment Tuesday, giving the Cougars a big-bodied wideout. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 170 pounds, Bender prepped at Nolensville High (Nashville area), where he tallied 47 catches for 910 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior, piling up 1,104 all-purpose yards as well.
Bender is only the second prep commit for Moore, whose arrival at WSU didn't coincide very well with the recruiting calendar. When he was hired, on Dec. 12, nearly all high school prospects had signed with schools during the December early signing period.
Lance McGee, RB
Former school: Sumner High
Other offers: Oregon State, Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, Nevada, Memphis
The lowdown: In one of the bigger recruiting wins of the cycle for Moore, McGee flipped his commitment from Oregon State to WSU, which is getting one of the state's most decorated prep players. Washington's 4A state player of the year, McGee rushed for 2,489 yards and 42 touchdowns last fall, leading Sumner to a state championship. In the Spartans' final two playoff games, McGee carded back-to-back 300-yard rushing outings, piling up 11 combined touchdowns in those two games alone.
Many of the schools that pursued McGee saw him as a linebacker, which is a key reason he took his talents to Oregon State.
Moore might have gotten an assist from his defensive coordinator. As the head coach at OSU, Bray shared a solid relationship with McGee, who committed to the Beavers last summer. But after OSU started the season 0-7, Bray was fired, and McGee decommitted the same day.
Still, on the first day of the early signing period in December, McGee signed with Oregon State, only to get out of his agreement earlier this month. A few days later, he's bound for Pullman, where he could make an impact in all kinds of ways.
Damarjhe Lewis, DT
Former school: SMU
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: Lewis' career started at Indiana in 2020, then he transferred to SMU, where he played the 2021 campaign and missed 2022 with an injury. In 2023, he took his talents to Purdue, where he played only two games due to an injury. He played a second season with the Boilermakers in 2024, totaling seven tackles, before winding up back at SMU last season, playing just six snaps in two games.
Elmo Wartson, CB
Former school: Modesto Junior College
Other offers out of portal: Baylor, Mississippi State, Boise State, Fresno State, UConn, Cal Poly, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Campbell, Fordham, Tennessee State, Chicago State
The lowdown: Wartson played two seasons at Modesto College, where he totaled 36 tackles and six pass breakups last fall. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, he recorded as many as three pass breakups, which came in a win over College of the Sequoias, and he posted another two in a victory over Reedley.
Jordan Dees, WR
Former school: West Georgia
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: Dees started his career in 2024 at West Georgia, the same year the program made the jump from Division II to Division I, joining the FCS ranks. Dees redshirted and played in four games as a true freshman that year, but last season, he broke out, totaling 36 receptions for 508 yards and three touchdowns.
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, Dees profiles as an outside receiver for WSU, joining Oregon State transfer Darrius Clemons in that cohort. Both have good size — Clemons is listed at 6-foot-3 — and even junior college transfer wideout Ryan McKendry has a 6-foot-2 frame, giving the Cougs a few options for outside receivers next fall.
Khamari Terrell, CB
Former school: Texas State
Other offers out of portal: Unclear
The lowdown: Terrell spent the first three years of his career at Oregon, where he totaled 14 tackles and one pass breakup in that span. Then he transferred to future Pac-12 member Texas State, where he registered 36 tackles, three pass breakups and one interception last season, helping the Bobcats go 7-6 with a bowl game win over Rice.
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Terrell came off the bench for the first four games of last season, then started each of the final eight contests. He also picked up one quarterback pressure, a hurry against Louisiana-Monroe. On the season, he allowed 24 catches on 38 targets, a decent catch rate of 63%.
Jirah Leaupepetele, DT
Former school: Eastern Washington
Other offers out of portal: UMass, Hawaii, UTEP and North Texas
The lowdown: Listed at a massive 6-3 and 322 pounds, Leaupepetele spent three seasons at Eastern Washington, posting 18 tackles, 11/2 for loss and half a sack, plus one pass breakup last season. He played in seven games as a true freshman, four as a sophomore and all 12 last season, giving him 23 games of experience as he heads to WSU.
A native of the Southern California town of Apple Valley, Leaupepetele didn't start any of those games, but he piled up 574 total snaps in that span, an extensive foundation of experience for his first year of FBS ball.
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