Ex-OSU WR Darrius Clemons Looks to Bounce Back from Injury with WSU

After things didn't work out at Michigan and injuries shut him down at Oregon State, Clemons will take part in the rebuild in Pullman.

1Nov 23, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Darrius Clemons (1) catches a touchdown pass to tie the game against the Washington State Cougars during the fourth quarter at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

The WSU receiving corps took a beating following last season. Between graduating top pass catcher Joshua Meredith and then losing five more to the portal including guys like Devin Ellison and Mackenzie Alleyne, the receivers room got a little thin. Kirby Moore and his staff, however, have met that challenge head on and brought in a handful of guys at that position. As of publication of this article, the Cougars have wrangled four incoming receiver transfers for 2026 and, of those, there is one they know very well. Former Oregon State WR Darrius Clemons has traded in his orange and black for crimson and white.

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The addition of the redshirt senior is a bit of gamble on Washington State's part simply because he did not play at all last season as he was sidelined with a ruptured Achilles that he suffered in fall camp. Clemons, though, is still a proven commodity and was expected to be one of the Beavers top offensive weapons before he got hurt. In 2024 he played in nine games for OSU, snagging 29 catches for 292 yards and a pair of touchdowns. That season he ended things with a bang, posting career high numbers in the finale. He was certainly trending in the right direction before going down prior to last season.

He will bring a veteran presence to the receiving crops at WSU and will look to be one of the top playmakers on the outside along with Tony Freeman who stuck around following last year. Clemons, who began his college career at Michigan but did not did see the field much, was a four-star recruit coming out of high school in 2022 per 247Sports. Standing at 6'3" and weighing in at 214 pounds, he'll add some size on the outside for the Cougs and should help open up the passing game that will likely look significantly different with QB Zevi Eckhaus now graduated.

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Clemons has the chance to be one of college football's better comeback stories in 2026. If he can stay healthy, there is reasonable expectations that he can be a feature piece of the WSU offense right away this year. Between his experience and size, he should be a starter come fall for the new-look Cougar offense and a good portion of the passing attack could center around him. Clemons himself is also looking to end his career on a high note. After being on the National Championship roster with Michigan in 2023, it's been a rocky road to this point. Now he has the chance to rebound in a big way and that motivation alone might fuel him to a big showing this year.

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