Washington State Cougars On SI

TRANSFER PORTAL: Utah State Linebacker Gavin Barthiel Returns To Washington State

Joe Londergan

Sep 4, 2021; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars helmet sits during a game against the Utah State Aggies in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images
Sep 4, 2021; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars helmet sits during a game against the Utah State Aggies in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images
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After spending the previous two college football seasons with the Utah State Aggies, linebacker Gavin Barthiel is transferring back to Washington State. WSU announced Barthiel's signing on Monday via social media. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Barthiel began his college career at Washington State in 2021. He used his redshirt that season, then appeared in five contests in 2022 without registering any stats. The Lakeland, Florida native then transferred to Utah State for the 2023 season. That year, he made 18 tackles with two for a loss, with one sack and a pass deflection. He was not listed on Utah State's roster for 2024.

The WSU program looks significantly different in 2025 than it did in 2021 when Barthiel first joined. However, a familiar face for Barthiel will be new WSU defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit. Bobbit spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons coaching at Washington State as a defensive graduate assistant and quality control coach under Nick Rolovich/Jake Dickert.

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Joe Londergan
JOE LONDERGAN

Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.

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