WSU football notebook: TE Nathaniel Salmon no longer with team, Cougs score commitment from 3-star CB

PULLMAN – Washington State’s tight end room has shrunk by one player.

Tight end Nathaniel Salmon is no longer with the program, a source confirmed to the Spokesman-Review on Sunday, ending his roughly six-month stay in Pullman. A native of New Zealand, Salmon participated in spring practices but missed a handful due to injury.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and 274 pounds, Salmon was expected to compete for a key role in the Cougars’ tight end room, which could have used his size and athleticism. Salmon is relatively new to American football – recently, he played three seasons of pro basketball in New Zealand and Australia – but his physical tools made him a coveted target in the college football market.

Like many players do, Salmon returned home when WSU’s academic year ended in early May, flying back to his hometown of Porirua, New Zealand. But the Cougars were due back in Pullman on June 1 for summer workouts, and Salmon opted to stay home and depart from the team, according to a source.

247 Sports was the first to report the news of Salmon’s absence.

Within WSU’s tight end room, that likely means more reps for returner Trey Leckner and UCLA transfer Jack Pedersen, the latter of whom shined during the Cougs’ spring ball slate in March and April. Leckner missed spring practices with an injury, but he’s expected to be ready for the beginning of fall camp. Other tight ends, like Beau Baker and Hudson Cedarland, could also get more opportunities.

Salmon didn’t pick up a football for the first time until 2024, when he was invited to an NFL academy in Gold Coast, Australia. In December of that year, he was one of 14 players selected to the NFL’s International Player Pathway, which is a program run by the NFL to increase the number of players from outside the U.S. and Canada in the league.

After picking up the tight end position, he was invited to train at IMG Academy in Florida, where he spent 10 weeks, and he was later granted four years of eligibility by the NCAA.

Last summer, Salmon attended mini-camp with the Los Angeles Chargers. It doesn’t appear that Salmon actually signed a contract with L.A., perhaps explaining his college eligibility, but it still amounted to a remarkable tale: A player who tried their hand at the NFL, then turned around and suited up for a college program.

WSU lands commitment from 3-star CB

Also on Sunday, the Cougars earned a commitment from three-star cornerback Gianni Hayes, who shared his decision on social media. Hayes is the 18th member of WSU’s class of 2027.

Listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds, Hayes is a versatile player but figures to play more cornerback for the Cougs, who also have two other defensive backs in the class. Hayes, a product of Cathedral High in Los Angeles, also fielded offers from a host of schools, including Utah, Cal and Pac-12 foes Utah State and Oregon State, turning those down to become a Cougar.

Hayes’ full list of offers also includes San Jose State and New Mexico, plus FCS school Cal Poly.

WSU’s updated class of 2027:

• Gianni Hayes, 3-star CB, Cathedral High (Los Angeles, California)

• Sonasi Maka II, 3-star edge, Deer Valley HS (Antioch, California)

• Randolph Santiago, 3-star OL, Kailua HS (Kailua, Hawaii)

• Sirjewel Glover, 3-star WR, Rainier Beach HS (Seattle)

• Richard Orosco, 3-star edge, St. John Bosco HS (Bellflower, California)

• Landon Guenter, OL, Redwood HS (Visalia, California)

• Tautai Meredith, edge, Lehi HS (Lehi, Utah)

• Nate Obasanjo, 3-star S/LB, Mount Rainier HS (Seattle)

• Noah Clark, 3-star CB, Inglewood HS (Inglewood, California)

• Tomas Dixon, WR, San Joaquin Memorial HS (Fresno, California)

• Jettson Gillam, 3-star TE, Mountain View HS (Bend, Oregon)

• Colton Richter, 3-star DE, Shadow Ridge HS (Las Vegas, Nevada)

• Adrian Barnett, ATH, the King’s Academy (Sunnydale, California)

• Owen Yurosek, 3-star TE, Bakersfield HS (Bakersfield, California)

• Ryan Harrington, 3-star QB, Anacortes HS (Washington)

• Josiah Rand, 3-star LB, Chaminade HS (West Hills, California)

• Marquez Wimberly, 3-star RB, Nazareth HS (Nazareth, Pennsylvania)

• Lopeti Malupo, 3-star DL, Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco)

• EJ Coleman, 3-star ATH, Folsom HS (Folsom, California)