WSU running back Wayshawn Parker to enter transfer portal

Washington State true freshman running back Wayshawn Parker on Thursday announced he will enter the transfer portal after one season at WSU.

He is the first major portal loss for a WSU team that fired its defensive coordinator and lost its offensive coordinator to the same post at Oklahoma on Monday after a three-game losing streak to end an 8-4 regular season.

The three-star running back out of Grant Union High School in Sacramento, Calif., committed to the Cougs as part of the 2024 signing class. After playing in each of WSU’s 12 regular season games as a true freshman, he leaves Pullman with three years of NCAA football eligibility.

Parker gained the lead running back role out of fall camp and in 12 games gained 735 rushing yards on 137 attempts with four touchdowns, good for 5.4 yards per carry. He caught 11 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown.

His immediate ascent to a feature role led to the best individual running back season WSU has seen since Max Borghi (2018-21), but even Borghi didn’t surpass 700 yards in his first year.

Parker’s unmatched speed and elusive style gave the WSU offense a unique flair but he received no more than 14 carries through 11 games with the one outlier being the 22 carries and 76 yards he accounted for in the Cougars’ 54-52 double overtime win over San Jose State on Sept. 20 in Pullman.

“I want to thank the whole Wazzu organization, coaches and Ms. Aria my advisor for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to show my talent on the field for the past year I have been here,” Parker wrote in a statement posted to his X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram accounts. “I will never forget the time that I had here with Wazzu. With that being said I would like to announce that I will be entering the transfer portal with 3 years of eligibility!! Thank you Wazzu!!”

Parker broke onto the scene in Week 1 versus Portland State when he ran for 96 yards on eight carries and scored twice, once on a 54-yard touchdown run and again on a 52-yard touchdown catch to help the Cougars beat the Vikings 70-30 on Aug. 31 in Pullman.

He continued to produce impactful runs, breaking out for a 43-yard touchdown the next week in WSU’s 37-16 win over Texas Tech in Pullman and a 37-yard run versus the Washington Huskies in WSU’s 24-19 Apple Cup victory on Sept. 14 at Lumen Field in Seattle.

The true freshman tailback had at least one run of 20-or-more yards in each of his first six games and his season-best performance was a 149-yard, two-touchdown effort versus Utah State on Nov. 9 in Pullman. Parker logged the longest carry of his carrier, a 75-yard touchdown run, in the Cougars’ 49-28 win over the Aggies.

Parker fielded offers from Washington, San Jose State, UNLV and Sacramento State out of high school.

He will enter the transfer portal after it opens on Monday and does reserve the right to return to WSU.

Parker’s departure opens the door for redshirt freshman running back Leo Pulalasi and sophomore Djouvensky Schlenbaker to take a larger role in the bowl game and next season.

Junior running back back Dylan Paine suffered a season-ending injury in October and could return next year as well.

The other backs on WSU’s roster include freshmen Josh Joyner, Allan McKeraghan and Lane Heeringa and junior Jalen Ridgeway. None of the four have in-game experience.

The Cougars added running back Jamar Searcy to Wednesday’s 2025 early signing day class.

Searcy hails from Oakland, Calif., and Pittsburg High School. He will arrive in Pullman after a 1,400-yard senior season in which he averaged 9.4 yards per carry.

The Cougs could also go to the transfer portal to add running back depth.

WSU will learn its bowl destination on Sunday and the transfer portal opens on Monday although players across the country, like Parker, have already begun to announce their intentions.

Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2268, staylor@lmtribune.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @Sam_C_Taylor.