Washington State Football

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 211

HAND: 9⅜"

ARM: 31½"

WINGSPAN: 76¼"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.50

3-CONE: 6.88

SHUTTLE: 4.37

VERTICAL: 37.5"

BROAD: 10'2"

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POSITIVES

— Very good athlete with good body control and excellent size. Shows great physicality and strength.

— Shows the instincts and vision to read and react to the quarterback. Also shows the ball skills necessary to get a good break and react to the ball in the air.

— Physical player who throws his body around and delivers hard, bone-crushing hits.

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NEGATIVES

— Plays with high pad level in his backpedal. Struggles to close ground at times with slower change of direction and trouble transitioning.

— Below-average open-field tackling at times. His lack of short-area quickness can show up when tackling shiftier players.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 79 TOT, 6 TFL, 2.5 SK, 2 INT, 4 PD, 1 FF

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NOTES

— Born Aug. 16, 2002

— 23 career starts

— 3-star recruit in the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— Named to 2002 Freshman All-America third team by College Football News

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OVERALL

Jaden Hicks was a versatile defender who aligned at all three levels for the Washington State secondary. A physical defender, Hicks has the size to play the run from the box and the athletic profile to play in coverage.

When playing the run, Hicks is a great box defender. He's physical and can make quick reads, shooting gaps and beating linemen to the spot. He often looks to deliver big hits, especially to unsuspecting receivers or ball-carriers.

When in tight space, Hicks often throws his shoulder for tackles, but he does a good job of wrapping up for secure tackles. One of his biggest negatives is his tackling in open space. Hicks lacks the change-of-direction and short-area quickness to tackle shifter athletes.

As a defender in coverage, Hicks is a very good athlete who's able to roll down and follow tight ends in man coverage. He can also drop in underneath zone coverage, though his lack of change-of-direction agility can show up at times. Still, he's a instinctive defender who has the ball skills to locate and play the ball downfield.

Hicks is one of the top safeties in this year's draft. A large safety with great physicality, he is not only a run defender, but he has the athletic ability to play in zone and man coverage. He may be best served when put in a box safety role, where his athleticism is on display in a smaller area. Hicks has the size to make an instinct impact on special teams, but he will have to work to be a rookie starter.

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GRADE: 6.6 (Potential Role Player/Contributor — 4th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 114

POSITION RANK: S9

PRO COMPARISON: Harrison Smith

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 266

HAND: 9¾"

ARM: 32¾"

WINGSPAN: 79⅛"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.69

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 33.5"

BROAD: 9'6"

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POSITIVES

— Has some good movement skills and twitch to grow as a pass-rusher down the line.

— Has a decent burst off the line of scrimmage to get penetration or help win with speed around the edge when he times up the snap.

— Has the ability to turn speed to power as a pass-rusher, especially when using a long-arm move. Keeps his feet moving through contact to help collapse the pocket against weaker offensive tackles.

— Can be an effective looper in line games with his change of direction and agility. Can gain ground vertically while moving laterally to put pressure on guards.

— Physical at the point of attack as a run defender.

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NEGATIVES

— Inconsistent with timing up the snap count, often leading to a subpar get-off.

— Poor use of hands. Plays with his hands down by his waist against the run and pass, allowing offensive linemen to consistently make the first significant contact.

— Poor block recognition as a run defender. Struggles to put himself in a good position to take on blocks against outside runs and ends up ducking inside, losing contain and blocking himself.

— Plays with a narrow base and lacks the lower-body strength to hold ground against offensive linemen, especially against down blocks.

— Ankles and hips are a little stiff to turn a tight corner at the top of the rush.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 57 TOT, 8.5 SK, 12.5 TFL, 3 PD, 4 FR, 1 FF, 3 fumble return TDs

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NOTES

— 3-star recruit in the 2018 class, per 247Sports

— Injuries: 2018 (Torn ACL, missed season), 2019 (Broken foot, missed 11 games)

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OVERALL

Brennan Jackson is a toolsy prospect with a good frame and impressive movement skills for his size. He shows some twitch and good athleticism to develop a few pass-rush moves he can win with in the NFL. He's also solid at turning speed to power and gets his hands up to bat passes at the line of scrimmage.

However, Jackson's use of hands is a major work in progress. He often gets caught with his hands down by his waist, allowing offensive linemen to make the first significant contact and negate his pass-rush moves. He has the same problem against the run as well. He frequently uses his head to take on blocks and ends up chest-to-chest with offensive linemen.

While that's a fixable issue, it's concerning that the sixth-year senior is an older prospect and still has this problem. He's reliant on his movement skills and being physical as a run defender, so defensive tackles who can absorb contact or have good athletic ability will be able to stay in front of him and keep him in check.

Overall, Jackson is a project pass-rusher who could be a good Day 3 pick for a team that's looking for a standup outside linebacker who can contribute on third downs.

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GRADE: 6.2 (High-Level Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 146

POSITION RANK: EDGE15

PRO COMPARISON: Dorance Armstrong

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

HEIGHT: 5'10"

WEIGHT: 184

HAND: 9⅛"

ARM: 30¼"

WINGSPAN: 72⅜"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.54

3-CONE: 7.05

SHUTTLE: 4.32

VERTICAL: 34.5"

BROAD: 10'5"

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POSITIVES

— Very quick feet and reaction in press coverage. Shows very good lateral movement skills, with the ability to use his hands and squeeze receivers downfield.

— Good vision and spacing in zone coverage. Able to identify and understand route development. Reads quarterback's eyes well and sees threats.

— Stays calm when out of position with the ball in the air. Plays through hands with very good timing.

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NEGATIVES

— Lacks ideal length and size for an NFL outside cornerback.

— Does a great job of locating the ball, but lacks hands to capitalize on turning most opportunities into turnovers.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 7 G, 35 TOT, 2 TFL, 6 PD

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NOTES

— 20 career starts

— 3-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— 2022 All-Pac-12 honorable mention

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OVERALL

Chau Smith-Wade is an ultra-athletic cornerback with two years of starting experience for Washington State. Although he's slightly undersized cornerback, he was very productive throughout his career.

Smith-Wade looked like one of the top cornerbacks at the Senior Bowl this year. He was able to show off his quick feet and fluid hips in coverage, along with his slot corner skills.

Smith-Wade has the versatility to play both man and zone coverages. When in zone, he has the vision and spacing needed to capitalize in coverage. He is able to see routes develop and quickly identify threats while reacting to the quarterback's eyes.

At times, Smith-Wade can get caught gambling or staring at the quarterback too long. When playing the ball, he does a good job of getting his head around to react, but he lacks the hands to capitalize on his opportunities.

He excels in press coverage, where he is able to show off his footwork, lateral movement skills and twitch. He does a very good job of using his hands while in coverage, but he can be too handsy downfield at times.

Smith-Wade has shown great twitch and explosiveness when driving on the ball. However, his high pad level can cause sloppy or hesitant footwork and transitions in off coverage at times.

Although he lacks ideal size for an NFL cornerback, Smith-Wade shows up in the run game. He is quick to identify runs or screens and comes downhill with good aggressiveness. He often uses his quickness to beat blocks in space, combined with good hand usage when in limited space.

However, his lack of overall size can show up at times in run defense. When matched against bigger blockers, Smith-Wade can get walled off and forced to run around blocks. As a tackler, he does a great job of getting the ball-carrier down on the ground. He often runs through the legs or does a great job of securing the wrap tackle.

At the Senior Bowl, Smith-Wade was able to show his versatility in coverage from the outside and nickel positions. Due to his lack of length, the nickel position may be the best fit for him, although he provides more than enough skills to be a depth player as a high-level backup.

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GRADE: 7.1 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 75

POSITION RANK: CB10

PRO COMPARISON: Troy Pride Jr.

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

After initially entering the transfer portal, Washington State quarterback Cam Ward announced Monday that he is instead entering the 2024 NFL draft.

Ward made the announcement in a brief video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter:

… pic.twitter.com/RbV2bxucqx

— Cameron Ward (@Cameron7Ward) January 1, 2024

The 21-year-old from Lake Jackson, Texas, spent the past two seasons as Washington State's starter, and according to ESPN's Tom VanHaaren, he met with the University of Miami and Florida State last month while considering potential transfer options.

Ward started his collegiate career at FCS Incarnate Word, and after exploding for 47 touchdown passes in 2021, he transferred to WSU.

In his first season as the Cougars' starter in 2022, Ward went 7-6 and completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 3,232 yards, 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while also rushing for five scores.

Washington State took a step back this season with a 5-7 mark, but Ward progressed individually, completing 66.6 percent of his passing attempts for 3,736 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven picks, He rushed for eight touchdowns as well.

Ward was arguably the most highly sought after player available in the transfer portal, but with his decision to enter the NFL draft, quarterback-needy programs like Miami and FSU must now explore other options.

Entering the draft is a somewhat surprising choice since Ward will be part of what figures to be a stacked class for quarterbacks.

North Carolina's Drake Maye, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner in USC's Caleb Williams and the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner in LSU's Jayden Daniels are all likely to enter the draft, and all of them could be top-five picks.

On the BR NFL Scouting Department's latest 2024 NFL draft big board released on Nov. 29, Ward was not listed as a top-100 prospect, putting him behind Maye, Williams, Daniels, Oregon's Bo Nix, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and Georgia's Carson Beck at the quarterback position at minimum.

Mid-to-late-round quarterbacks have made an impact in the NFL in recent years, though, including Brock Purdy, who the San Francisco 49ers took with the last pick in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Also, 2022 fifth-round pick Sam Howell and 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O'Connell established themselves as starters this year for the Washington Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively.

Ward has the college production and skill set to potentially follow in their footsteps, but his draft stock will likely depend heavily on his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine and his pro day.

After being abandoned by the 10 schools departing the Pac-12, Washington State and Oregon State earned a consolation prize.

Per Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic, Oregon State and Washington State reached a settlement with the Pac-12 and its outgoing members on Thursday. A joint statement from all 12 schools said, "We are pleased to have reached an agreement in principle that ends litigation."

As part of the settlement agreement, the departing schools will forfeit a portion of distributions over the remainder of the 2023-24 academic year and provide guarantees against future liabilities such as lawsuits, the presidents of Washington State and Oregon State said in a joint statement. The two schools will also retain other conference assets and all future revenue.

"This agreement ensures that the future of the Pac-12 will be decided by the schools that are staying, not those that are leaving," the statement said. "We look forward to what the future holds for our universities, our student-athletes, the Pac-12 Conference and millions of fans.

Earlier on Thursday, Auerbach also reported that Oregon State and Washington State have been voted into the West Coast Conference as affiliate members in most non-football sports for the 2024-25 academic year. The schools will participate in all WCC-sponsored sports except baseball, though they have 30 days to decide if they want to add baseball to the league or go independent.

On Dec. 1, Oregon State and Washington State finalized a one-year scheduling agreement with the Mountain West for the 2024 college football season. The two schools will each play three Mountain West games at home and three on the road.

Oregon State and Washington State have taken control of the Pac-12 ahead of its final seven months as a 12-team conference.

The Washington Supreme Court on December 15 denied a request to review a lower court's decision to give the universities control of the Pac-12 board, according to ESPN's Kyle Bonagura.

The decision lifted the emergency stay granted by a Washington State Supreme Court commissioner to the University of Washington on November 28.

The November 14 decision by Whitman County Superior Court Judge Gary Libey to make OSU and WSU the sole governing members of the conference will now go into effect.

The 10 schools planning to depart from the Pac-12 in August at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season will no longer be able to vote on conference decisions.

Washington Supreme Court denies request to review the OSU/WSU lawsuit. Stay of lower court ruling is overturned, giving OSU and WSU control of the conference. pic.twitter.com/QfXrHWRUaE

— Kyle Bonagura (@BonaguraESPN) December 15, 2023

Libey's initial ruling stated that whenever OSU and WSU meet as the Pac-12 board, they must create an agenda and share it with the 10 departing schools, per KHQ's Noah Corrin, Emily Frint and Ava Wainhouse.

Departing schools impacted by the state Supreme Court's decision include Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Oregon, Southern California, Stanford, UCLA, Utah and Washington.

The 10 schools have previously accused OSU and WSU of wanting direction of the board to control the revenue earned by the Pac-12's current members.

OSU and WSU argued that the 10 schools already gave up their seats on the board by sharing plans to leave the Pac-12, citing the absence of USC and UCLA representatives from board meetings after the schools announced their upcoming departures in 2022.

WSU and OSU are set to play a six-game schedule against Mountain West opponents as a two-team conference in the 2024-25 season.

Florida State's search for a new quarterback has led them to former Washington State signal-caller Cameron Ward.

Ward is set to visit with the Seminoles after visiting the Miami Hurricanes, according to ESPN's Tom VanHaaren. The 21-year-old told VanHaaren that while he has no further visits set up after Florida State, he could still visit USC, Nebraska and Washington.

Ward joins former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei as confirmed official visitors at quarterback for Florida State this winter.

Ward announced earlier this month that he was entering the transfer portal after two seasons at Washington State. He has one year of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer.

The Texas native is one of the hottest quarterbacks available in the transfer portal following the commitments of Riley Leonard to Notre Dame and Dillon Gabriel to Oregon. He is ranked as the No. 3 quarterback in 247Sports transfer rankings behind Aidan Chiles and Dante Moore.

Amid controversy over the NCAA's rules barring two-time transfers from being immediately eligible with their new programs, Ward will be able to play for his next program because he is a graduate transfer.

Ward began his college career with FCS program Incarnate Word and transferred to Washington State ahead of the 2022 season.

He's coming off a solid 2023 campaign with the Cougars, completing 66.6 percent of his passes for 3,736 yards and 25 touchdowns against seven interceptions in 12 games, in addition to rushing for 144 yards and eight scores.

Washington State finished the season ninth in the Pac-12 with a 5-7 record.

Florida State is looking for a new quarterback with the departure of Jordan Travis, who is eligible for the 2024 NFL draft.

Tate Rodemaker is in line to be the team's next starter, though Chris Hummer of 247Sports reported that "there's a sense among industry sources that they'd jump on the right transfer quarterback if one became available," adding that Ward "is one such player."

Despite not being selected for the College Football Playoff, the Seminoles are coming off a brilliant 13-0 2023 season and have every intention of competing for a postseason berth in 2024.

Adding a quarterback such as Ward would give the program a better shot at contending.

HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 203

HAND: 9¾"

ARM: 31¾"

WINGSPAN: 74½"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.52

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL: 37.5"

BROAD: 10'9"

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POSITIVES

— Excellent ball tracking skills and catch radius.

— Great hands. Consistent catching technique with strong, reliable grip.

— Above-average play strength and physicality.

— Above-average burst and twitch for his size. Helps generate YAC.

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NEGATIVES

— Average long speed.

— Below-average feel for space and how to operate versus zone coverage.

— Low-energy blocker.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 14 G, 65 REC, 1,122 YDS (17.3 AVG), 9 TD; 3 ATT, 31 YDS (10.3 AVG), 1 TD

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NOTES

— Born April 11, 2002

— 3-star recruit in 2020 class, per 247Sports

— Transferred from Texas Tech to Washington in 2021

— Two-year starter

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OVERALL

Ja'Lynn Polk is an accuracy-erasing receiver who can play both inside and outside.

Everything comes down to ball skills with Polk. There may not be a better set of hands in the entire class. Polk is a natural mover, and his ability to go up for the ball in the air is effortless.

Thanks in part to his long arms, Polk excels at attacking the ball at its highest point. He is aggressive in finding the ball before defensive backs can, and he plays with flawless catching technique. When paired with strong hands and the innate understanding of how to protect the ball, you just won't find guys better at playing contested situations or away from their frame than Polk.

Athletically, Polk wins with burst and strength. He has decent explosiveness, both as a route-runner and as a ball-carrier. Polk can really sink and explode out of routes, even if he could stand to cut out some fat with his footwork. Additionally, Polk brings some real muscle to a guy with average size. It's not easy to bully him off the line of scrimmage or down the field.

Polk's drawbacks are speed and a feel for zone coverage.

Polk brings quality acceleration and change of direction, but he isn't a true burner. He wins down the field more because he can win at the line and outplay defenders at the catch point, not because he is outrunning everyone.

As a zone beater, Polk needs work. He's a force against man coverage, where his burst and strength can take over, but Polk doesn't always look comfortable negotiating space between zones and making himself available to the quarterback. That's something that could come with time in the NFL.

Polk is a ball-winning No. 2 WR in the NFL. He can dunk on DBs down the field and in the red zone, as well as serve as an underneath bully type on the outside to help move the chains. Polk may not be the star in an NFL offense, but he can be a reliable high-level contributor.

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GRADE: 7.4 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter - 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 48

POSITION RANK: WR8

PRO COMPARISON: Mohamed Sanu

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

The remaining two teams in the Pac-12 are reportedly on the verge of aligning with another conference for the 2024 season.

According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Oregon State and Washington State "are in the final stages of striking a football scheduling agreement" with the Mountain West Conference for next season "that includes a lucrative financial package for MWC schools."

Dellenger noted that an announcement of the scheduling alliance is expected "in the coming days." The agreement is only in place for one season for now and is "expected to include a fee of about $14 million paid to the Mountain West."

The scheduling alliance is currently only for football as Oregon State and Washington State explore their options for their other sports. A similar agreement for men's and women's basketball is being explored with the Mountain West, but nothing is imminent at the moment.

OSU and WSU were left without a home for next season after the 10 other teams in the Pac-12 departed for three other conferences in a seismic realignment. Per Dellenger, the two schools "stand to lose at least $25 million annually in Pac-12 and Power Five conference distribution, though they are likely due a windfall of league revenue over the next two years."

As part of the agreement with the Mountain West, a "7+1" format will be implemented in which MWC teams play seven conference games instead of eight followed by one game over either Oregon State or Washington State. The Beavers and Cougars will not be eligible for the Mountain West championship.

OSU and WSU plan to operate as a two-team conference for at least a year to keep the Pac-12 brand alive. However, conferences with less than eight teams are not eligible for an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff, so the Beavers and Cougars would only be able to earn an at-large berth.