WSU lands commitment from Oregon State transfer CB Jalil Tucker for first portal pledge

PULLMAN — Washington State has landed its first commitment via the transfer portal this offseason.

The Cougars earned a pledge from Oregon State transfer cornerback Jalil Tucker, who shared his decision on Saturday evening, choosing to spend his final year of eligibility playing for WSU. It’s the first new commitment for head coach Kirby Moore.

But this likely came together thanks to defensive coordinator Trent Bray, who coached Tucker last season at Oregon State, where Bray was head coach in 2024 and part of 2025. Listed at 6 feet and 170 pounds, Tucker totaled five pass breakups and one interception for the Beavers, playing 11 games with 10 starts.

This season, Tucker registered a Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 54.2, which is below average. He allowed 27 catches on 47 targets, a respectable catch rate of 57%, but he also gave up four touchdown receptions.  

A product of Lincoln High in San Diego, Tucker is well-traveled. He started his career in 2022 at Oregon, where he played only seven snaps in one game, preserving his redshirt season. He then played the next two seasons at San Diego Mesa College, where he played in 19 total games, posting four tackles and one pick in 2024 and one tackle in 2023.

It’s a key addition for the Cougars, who are likely losing both of their starting cornerbacks from this season. Senior Colby Humphrey is out of eligibility, and while fellow senior Jamorri Colson probably is as well, he started his career at junior college, perhaps opening the door for another season of eligibility with recent court rulings extending the careers of those with similar backgrounds.

The Cougs are set to lose even more elsewhere in their secondary. Veteran safeties Tucker Large, Cale Reeder and Matthew Durrance are all out of eligibility, which means Moore and coaches will have to construct a makeover of that position group as well.

Tucker will be coached by new WSU cornerbacks coach Brandyn Thompson, who held the same position at Cal Poly last. Thompson played his college ball at Boise State, which is how he first connected with Moore. 

Tucker is also re-uniting with WSU linebacker Keith Brown, who also started his career at Oregon, where he was teammates with Tucker in 2022.