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Washington State freshman receiver Drue Jackson announces plans to transfer

WSU's Drue Jackson (9) catches the ball during practice on Friday, August 3, 2018, at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash. (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)
By Theo Lawson theol@spokesman.com(509) 459-5584

PULLMAN – Drue Jackson, a freshman outside wide receiver for the Washington State football team and one of the Cougars’ top-rated recruiting prospects in the class of 2018, has announced plans to transfer from the football program.

Jackson broke the news in a Twitter post Tuesday morning, thanking Washington State and its fans.

Following WSU’s practice in Pullman Tuesday evening, coach Mike Leach said Jackson transferred because he wanted to be closer to his home state of Texas.

“He wanted to get closer to home, was the biggest thing,” Leach said.

Leach said he wasn’t caught off guard by Jackson’s decision.

“No, not really,” the coach said. “Not really.”

The Dallas native was a four-star prospect according to ESPN’s recruiting services and chose WSU over offers from Louisville, Texas Tech, Illinois, Colorado, UCF, Utah, Wisconsin, Iowa, Duke and others.

The 6-1, 184-pound Jackson joined the Cougars for fall camp and spent time mostly at the “X” outside wide receiver position, where he was at least the third option behind sophomore Tay Martin and true freshman Rodrick Fisher. WSU elected to redshirt Fisher and move junior college transfer Calvin Jackson Jr. to “X,” where he now rotates with Martin.

WSU’s receiving corps is probably the deepest it’s been under seventh-year coach Mike Leach, and eight players have caught 20 passes or more this season for the 10th-ranked Cougars. Additionally, eight players have caught touchdowns from grad transfer quarterback Gardner Minshew.

The receivers are not just talented, but they’re young too. WSU will only lose one of them, inside “Y” receiver Kyle Sweet, to graduation this year and the Cougars currently have three outside receivers taking advantage of redshirt years: Fisher, Kassidy Woods and Brandon Gray.

Jackson, who graduated from Sachse High in the Dallas area, was a standout track and field performer in the Lone Star State and had planned to compete for the Cougars’ track and field program this spring.