WSU gets commitment from OL Jaylin Caldwell, a transfer from Division II Grand Valley State

PULLMAN — In recent weeks, Washington State coaches have made one thing clear by their transfer portal additions: They want to beef up their front lines.

The Cougars backed it up with their latest commitment, which comes from Division II Grand Valley State transfer offensive lineman Jaylin Caldwell, his agency Tier 1 Recruiting announced Monday night. Listed at 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds, Caldwell will have two years of eligibility after starting two seasons with the Lakers.

Caldwell chose WSU over offers from Kentucky and Missouri, according to his social media posts, with offers also coming in from Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, North Texas and others. Caldwell also took a visit to Florida State, but it’s unclear whether he held an offer from the Seminoles.

Caldwell’s addition is the 12th of the spring for the Cougs, including their third at the offensive line position, alongside veteran New Mexico State transfer AJ Vaipulu and Idaho transfer Sone Falealo. WSU lost a lot at that position over the offseason, including three starters and a handful of backups this spring, making this trio of transfers particularly meaningful for the Cougars.

Caldwell, one of the hottest names in the spring transfer portal window, likely becomes a starting candidate at WSU. Caldwell played tackle at GVSU, meaning at WSU, he’d be in competition with tackles Christian Hilborn (multi-year starter), Ashton Tripp and even Vaipulu, himself a candidate to start. 

WSU coaches can use fall camp to sort out position battles on their offensive line. What’s clear is that with Caldwell’s commitment, they’ve scored a significant recruiting win, landing a beefy offensive lineman with the potential to shine at a higher level.