WSU lands commitment from edge JaVon Joseph, plus new bus service announced
PULLMAN – Washington State is beefing up its defense of the future.
On Tuesday, the Cougars landed a commitment from three-star class of 2026 edge rusher JaVon Joseph, who hails from the Sacramento, California, area.
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Joseph makes the eighth member of WSU’s class of 2026.
Joseph plays at Oak Ridge High in El Dorado Hills, California, where he has also earned offers from nearby Sacramento State and Delaware State, both FCS schools.
In the Cougars’ class of 2026, Joseph is the third defender, joining safety Bradley Esser and defensive lineman Jake Jones.
Last fall, Joseph totaled 25 tackles, including two for loss and one sack, according to MaxPreps.
Joseph announced his decision on Tuesday afternoon, shortly after WSU coaches extended an offer, indicating he didn’t need much time to think over his decision.
He gives the Cougars a rangy edge rusher with size, which is becoming the archetype of player head coach Jimmy Rogers and staff have often targeted in their sixth months on the job.
Joseph took an unofficial visit to Pullman in mid-April, he shared on social media, where he also posted unofficial visits and camps at Eastern Washington and Nevada.
It does not appear those schools offered Joseph.
Joseph’s official visit to WSU is set for later this month.
The rest of the Cougars’ class of 2026 also includes:
• Three-star QB Hudson Kurland (Lake Oswego, Oregon).
• Three-star WR Hudson Lewis (Timberline, Boise).
• Three-star TE Drew Byrd (Rocky Mountain, Meridian, Idaho).
• Three-star S Bradley Esser (Harrisburg, South Dakota).
• Three-star OL Kington Fotualii (O’Dea, Seattle).
• Three-star DL Jake Jones (Campo Verde, Gilbert, Arizona).
• Three-star ATH Landon Kalsbeck (Dakota Ridge, Littleton, Colorado).
New bus service launches for Cougar football gamedays
Good news for WSU fans in Spokane and the Tri-Cities: A new bus service will take fans to and from WSU football games at Gesa Field field this fall.
Tickets cost $65 each, and 10% of the proceeds to go WSU’s primarily NIL collective, the Cougar Collective, which played an instrumental role in launching this service.
The bus operation is being called Ol’ Crimson’s Back Home Bus, keeping in line with the branding for the Collective-backed coffee and beer products.
These bus trips are a way for WSU brass and supporters to alleviate lodging issues in Pullman, where hotels drive up prices for weekends of home football games, sometimes so much so that fans instead look to stay in the surrounding areas, including Moscow, Idaho; Clarkson/Lewiston and Spokane.
Last season, WSU’s first outside of a traditional Pac-12 schedule, the 33,000-seat Martin Stadium averaged only 22,413 fans per game. In 2023, the number was 28,023. In 2022, it was 26,185.
The first bus trips are scheduled for WSU’s season-opening home matchup against Idaho on Aug. 30.
Greg Woods can be reached at (509) 459-5587 or at gregw@spokesman.com.