Washington State secures commitment from offensive lineman Christy Nkanu, a grad transfer from Southern Utah

PULLMAN – Washington State’s football program secured help for a position group that desperately needed it, picking up a commitment from an experienced offensive lineman who should make an immediate impact.

Christy Nkanu, who started at Southern Utah for most of the past two years, pledged to WSU on Sunday. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound grad transfer chose the Cougars over Cal, BYU, Virginia and Troy.

Nkanu appeared in 23 games for the FCS Thunderbirds between 2020-22. He worked his way into a playing role ahead of the abbreviated spring 2021 season and held down a first-team job at offensive tackle during the fall campaign.

In 2022, Nkanu made eight starts and split time between four positions – he seemed to line up most often at right guard, but saw plenty of snaps at left guard and both tackle spots, too. Nkanu was named to the Bluebloods All-WAC first team.

He entered the NCAA transfer portal on Dec. 14 and offers started rolling in shortly afterward.

According to his Twitter profile, Nkanu received 14 FBS offers within 10 days. He revealed his five finalists on Dec. 27.

Nkanu grew up in the Los Angeles metro and prepped at St. Paul High in Santa Fe Springs, California. He joined Southern Utah in 2018 as an unranked recruit and took a redshirt as a true freshman, then played sparingly in 2019 before earning a first-team job the following year.

Nkanu is the sixth offensive lineman in WSU’s 2023 recruiting class, and the second transfer addition – along with tackle Eliesa Pole, a well-regarded junior college product who is expected to compete for a starting job next season, according to Cougars coach Jake Dickert.

Although Nkanu has experience at multiple positions up front, it seems more likely that he’ll play guard at WSU – perhaps replacing right guard Grant Stephens, who graduated.

Christian Hilborn occupied the left guard position for most of his redshirt freshman season in 2022, but slid over to left tackle later in the year in place of Jarrett Kingston, who sustained a season-ending injury Nov. 5. Kingston, the team’s top performer up front this season, entered the transfer portal last month.

Hilborn will presumably return to the guard position next season. Pole and sophomore Fa’alili Fa’amoe, who entered the starting lineup midway through the 2022 season, are the early favorites to start at the tackle spots. Center Konner Gomness, a team captain, was the only first-string offensive lineman to remain at one position throughout the year.

No WSU position group caused more concern last season than the offensive line, which lacked depth and struggled to find consistency with several new faces in the trenches. The Cougars surrendered 46 sacks – more than all but three teams in the nation. Shoring up the offensive-line is WSU’s priority this offseason. The Cougars lost two starters after the 2022 season, but might have already found replacements.