Sumner star RB Lance McGee flips commitment from Oregon State to WSU

PULLMAN — Washington State is getting one of the most decorated high school players in the state’s history.

Three-star Sumner High running back Lance McGee has flipped his commitment from Oregon State to WSU, he announced on social media Sunday evening, a seismic development that gives the Cougars a versatile athlete and an explosive running back.

Washington’s 4A state player of the year, McGee rushed for 2,489 yards and 42 touchdowns last fall, leading Sumner to a state championship. In the Spartans’ final two playoff games, McGee carded back-to-back 300-yard rushing outings, piling up 11 combined touchdowns in those two games alone.

It’s the first high school recruit for new WSU coach Kirby Moore, who might have gotten an assistant from his defensive coordinator. As the head coach at Oregon State, Trent Bray shared a solid relationship with McGee, who committed to the Beavers last summer. But after OSU started the season 0-7, Bray was fired, and McGee decommitted the same day.

Still, on the first day of the early signing period in December, McGee signed with Oregon State, only to get out of his agreement earlier this month. A few days later, he’s bound for Pullman, where he could make an impact in all kinds of ways.

But which will it be for McGee, a class of 2026 star? He stole the show last season at running back, prompting Sumner coach Keith Ross to call McGee the best player he’s ever coached in a TV interview after the Spartans’ championship game win. But McGee began his high school career playing linebacker at A.C. Davis High School in Yakima, where he registered 115 tackles and six sacks as a junior, plus 868 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.

Before transferring to Sumner, McGee caught the attention of several FBS schools on the West Coast and collected offers from WSU, Oregon State, Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, Nevada, Memphis. All those schools saw him as a linebacker, though.

“It’s baffling for me that (college) teams don’t see him as a running back,” Ross told The Seattle Times in December. “I think it’s safe to say he’s a linebacker because they know he can do that.”

It is worth noting that the Cougars are in good shape at running back, at least for next season. Starter Kirby Vorhees and key backup Maxwell Woods have re-signed with the team, and incoming junior Leo Pulalasi recently announced he’s pulling out of the transfer portal and returning to WSU. Those are the three running backs who project to spearhead the Cougs’ rushing attack next fall.

What about linebacker? That’s a position WSU isn’t as deep at. Incoming sixth-year senior Keith Brown is returning, and he projects to start at middle linebacker. The Cougs also signed Kent State transfer Nylan Brown, who also figures to be squarely in the mix for a starting role. But after losing their top four linebackers from last season — Caleb Francl and Parker McKenna graduated, while Anthony Palano and Sullivan Schlimgen each transferred out — perhaps McGee could get on the field quicker on defense.

That much will be up to Moore and Bray, who have a dynamic athlete either way in McGee, the No. 7 recruit in Washington and the No. 56 athlete nationally in the class, according to 247 Sports. It’s unclear where he’ll play at WSU, but if his senior season of high school ball was any indication, McGee figures to make a splash sooner than later with the Cougars.