WSU scores biggest recruiting win of 2026 class with commitment from 3-star edge Tyler Burnstein

PULLMAN – Washington State isn’t slowing down building its class of 2026.

The Cougars added their ninth member on Wednesday, securing a commitment from three-star edge rusher Tyler Burnstein, who hails from the Phoenix area.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, Burnstein turned down offers from Arizona State, New Mexico and Nevada, as well as a handful of FCS schools.

Last fall, Burnstein totaled 19 tackles (eight for loss), 5.5 sacks, 20 quarterback hurries, two pass deflections and a 22-yard fumble recovery for Liberty High of Peoria, Arizona. That season, the Lions captured the Open Division state championship, closing the season on a six-game winning streak.

Burnstein, who also held offers from FCS schools Montana, Northern Arizona and North Dakota, received his WSU offer in early May and took his official visit at the beginning of June. He’s the second edge rusher in the class, joining three-star prospect JaVon Joseph, who announced his commitment on Tuesday.

“Excellent skill set for a DE prospect that blends his size, length, and athleticism to be a disruptive playmaker working off the edge,” a Prep Redzone Arizona analyst wrote about Burstein. “He’s got an explosive first step showing good natural bend and initial quickness from the snap to engagement.

“He plays with a relentless motor and demonstrates excellent hand usage, shedding blocks effectively and maintaining good gap discipline.

“Against the run, he’s capable of containing the edge with good lateral movement and pursuit speed. He’s able to collapse the pocket as a pass rusher with a good mix of speed and power moves to get to the QB.”

Burnstein’s commitment amounts the biggest recruiting win of the cycle for WSU, which held off a Power Four foe for the first time in the class of 2026.

Burnstein was a coveted target of nearby Arizona State, which extended him his first offer, which came the summer after his freshman season. Burnstein also attended a number of camps at ASU.

Burnstein is also the son of former ASU player Brent Burnstein, who played defensive end for the Sun Devils from 1992-1996, making a key field-goal block in the 1997 Rose Bowl.

The other eight players in the Cougs’ class were pursued by schools at the Group of Five or lower levels.

The Cougars were also targeting a teammate of Burnstein, three-star defensive lineman Paz St. John, who took his official visit with Burnstein. But on Monday, St. John announced his commitment to Boise State, a future Pac-12 opponent of WSU’s.

The rest of the Cougars’ class of 2026 also includes:

• Three-star QB Hudson Kurland (Lake Oswego, Oregon).

• Three-star edge JaVon Joseph (Oak Ridge, El Dorado Hills, California).

• 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).