West Virginia Freshman All-American Lamonte McDougle announces transfer to Washington State

PULLMAN – A Big 12 defensive tackle who nabbed Freshman All-American honors last season has decided to spend the remainder of his college career at Washington State.

Lamonte McDougle, a high-profile transfer from West Virginia, signed a letter of intent with Mike Leach and the Cougars Wednesday. McDougle played in all 13 games for the Mountaineers in 2017 and won’t be eligible to play for WSU this fall, but will have three years remaining when his eligibility clock restarts in 2019.

The 5-foot-10, 295-pound defensive tackle didn’t take long to become one of the Big 12’s most productive run-pluggers as a college rookie. McDougle finished the year with 23 tackles, including four tackles for loss, had two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

The Mountaineers, who went 7-6 and lost to Utah in the Heart of Dallas Bowl last season, restricted McDougle from transferring to a handful of schools, including every Big 12 program and 10 future nonconference opponents, including Florida State, Tennessee and Missouri.

McDougle carries some strong football lineage. His father, Stockar, played offensive line at Oklahoma in 1999 while Leach was the Sooners’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach – perhaps one reason Lamonte decided to move cross-country and finish up his college career in Pullman. The Cougars also offered McDougle out of high school.

He spoke highly of his recruiting visit to WSU, which came in April the same weekend the Cougars were holding their third spring scrimmage.

Originally from Pompano Beach, Florida, McDougle prepped at Deerfield Beach High School and registered 47 unassisted tackles, 31 assisted tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 14 sacks as a senior. Deerfield Beach posted a 10-3 record in 2016.

McDougle earned a three-star rating from every major recruiting service and received offers from Arkansas, Purdue, Penn State, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Minnesota, Syracuse and UCF, along with WSU.

Stockar McDougle was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2000 and played with three clubs in seven NFL seasons, starting in 56 of the 81 games in which he appeared. Lamonte’s uncle, Jerome, played at Miami and spent time in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles. Jerome and Stockar host the annual McDougle Bowl – a rivalry football game between Deerfield Beach and Blanche Ely. The game’s MVP receives a $1,000 academic scholarship from the McDougle Family Foundation.