Washington State-Fresno State matchup could pit 675-pound brothers against each other

Jirah Leaupepetele hasn't shared a football field with younger brother Jonah since they were high school teammates

Washington State Cougars defensive tackle Jirah Leaupepetele (98). | Photo courtesy of Washington State University Athletics/Robert Hubner

Be on alert, if you are sitting in your seat at Gesa Field on Saturday and start wondering if you are experiencing a shaking sensation, don't worry - it's not the region's first major earthquake.

It’s just shockwaves being sent out by a Leaupepetele interior-line collision.

When Washington State University and Fresno State meet in their Pac-12 opener, Cougars defensive tackle Jirah Leaupepetele - at 350 pounds - will be trying to move little brother, Jonah - playing left guard at 325 pounds - out of his way en route to the Bulldogs' backfield.

“I know he is fired up,” said first-year WSU coach Kirby Moore, who cracked a smile thinking about the potential encounter. “Jirah loves competing, and I know he is looking forward to competing against family.”

Will Jonah Leaupepetele play against Washington State?

That is, if Jonah Leaupepetele suits up. He has missed the past few games since going down with an injury in the season opener against USC.

For the sake of storytelling, let’s assume the younger Leaupepetele returns to the lineup. Jirah Leaupepetele plans on taking no prisoners.

“That is my best friend right there. You know, I love him to death,” Jirah Leaupepete said. “But when we step on that field, and he is across the line … and is wearing a different-colored jersey, that is as tough of a time as it gets.”

An offseason transfer from EWU, Jirah Leaupepetele, is coming off his best game in a WSU uniform - four tackles and his first career sack for the Cougars.

“Doing my job,” he said.

But the matchup circumstances Saturday are rather unique.

The Leaupepetele brothers haven't shared a field since high school

Jirah Leaupepetele hasn’t shared a football field with his brother since 2022, when the two were teammates for one season at Apple Valley High School in California’s San Bernardino County, when the team was the Division III CIF Southern Section runner-up.

After that, Jirah Leaupepetele went off to EWU where he played in 24 games over three seasons.

When he decided to leave the FCS program and join Moore at WSU, the two brothers knew they would be playing in the same conference. They immediately checked the schedule to see when the teams played.

“That is when the smack-talk started,” Jirah Leaupepetele said.

The sibling trash talk has already started

On Sunday, Jirah Leaupepetele called to check in on how his younger brother was feeling.

“I asked him … how he feels about the game plan, trying to get some stuff out of him,” Jirah Leaupepetele said. “He wasn’t really trying to tell me anything.”

As far as how Jonah Leaupepetele goes about his business along the offensive line - or even in other endeavors - Jirah Leaupepetele couldn’t be more complimentary.

“He is very hard-working - and very stubborn,” Jirah Leaupepetele said. “When he has something he wants to do, he does it.”

In any case, all of the Leaupepeteles will be in Pullman on Saturday to witness the family one-on-one trench war, including Washington and Rhonda Leaupepetele, their parents.

“It is exciting to put our last name out there … and represent our family,” Jirah Leaupepetele said.

“And at the end of the day, he is still my little brother.”