5 Biggest Transfer Portal Losses for Washington State Football Ahead of 2025

As is the case for a lot of programs across the college football landscape, the winter transfer portal was not kind to Washington State. The Cougars saw a heap of players leave in December and, with them, a whole lot of production from the 2024 season.

Who are the five biggest departures that the team lost to the portal so far this offseason and where are they all now?

5. Fa'alili Fa'amoe

The Cougars offensive line took a big hit when redshirt junior and team captain Fa'alili Fa'amoe left to follow former head coach Jake Dickert to Wake Forest. After missing the first three games last year with an injury, Fa'amoe appeared in WSU' remaining nine regular season contests and helped anchor the front for an offense that put up 442.8 yards per game. The Cougs' O line paved way for a rushing attack that found the end zone 28 times and averaged over 160 yards per contest. Fa'amoe was a big reason for the success on the line and his absence will be one that will be difficult to replace.

4. Ethan O'Connor

The secondary was one of the position groups that said farewell to the most talent for the Cougs and one big name they lost was cornerback Ethan O'Connor. O'Connor, who is now with Miami, played a pivotal role on Washington State's defense in 2024 despite being just a redshirt freshman. O'Connor led the unit with four interceptions (one of which he took back for a score) and was responsible for eight PBUs. He was a starter for the whole regular season and registered 32 tackles along with one TFL and one QB hit. O'Connor hit the portal shortly following WSU's regular season finale against Wyoming.

3. Wayshawn Parker

The Cougs saw their top running back leave this offseason with Wayshawn Parker. Parker is now with Utah after a very productive season in Pullman where he ran for 735 yards and four touchdowns. He was a workhorse coming out of the backfield, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Parker also was a factor in the passing game, though, hauling in 11 passes for over 100 yards and a touchdown. He was just a freshman in 2024 and, like many of his ex-teammates, hit the portal before Washington State's bowl game.

2. Taariq Al-Uqdah

Arguably the most impactful loss on Washington State's defense this transfer cycle has been that of linebacker Taariq "Buddah" Al-Uqdah. Al-Uqdah crossed enemy lines and joined the UW Huskies following his breakout sophomore season that saw him post a team-high 76 tackles (51 solo). He was also a turnover magnet, picking off three passes while forcing three fumbles and recovering four more. A starter all season, Al-Uqdah was named the 2024 Pac-12 Defensive Top Performer and was a major contributor on a WSU defense that logged 24 sacks and held its opponents to a third down conversion rate of under 40%.

1. John Mateer

Undoubtedly the biggest loss WSU suffered this winter in the transfer portal was that of standout quarterback John Mateer. Mateer made his way to Oklahoma where he will likely serve as the Sooners' starter in 2025 after following offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. As a redshirt sohomore last year, Mateer was the catalyst in both the passing and rushing attack for the Cougars offense and broke out in both aspects of the game. He led the team with 826 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground while lighting up the air to the tune of 3,139 yards and another 29 scores. He also took care of the ball, only throwing seven interceptions all year. Mateer played in all 12 regular season games for the Cougs but transferred prior the Holiday Bowl.

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