Jan. 22 — PULLMAN — Jimmy Rogers isn’t done transferring recruits to his new school.
Washington State landed five high school commits on Wednesday, three of which Rogers had already been given to South Dakota State.
They are linebacker Sullivan Schlimgen, athlete Erimus Wright, kicker/punter Adlai Lounsbury and offensive linemen Trevor Bindel and Dylan Hildebrand. The latter two are Rogers’ first prep recruits who were not previously committed to SDSU.
That makes 14 high school recruits for Rogers, who also welcomed 20 players from the transfer portal, including 16 from South Dakota State.
Scholarship limits are changing in college football starting this season, going from 85 to a maximum of 105, but the Cougars’ new additions help fill the gaps left by the 37 players on the team. last year who leave via the portal.
If there’s one position group where WSU has improved the most, it might be the secondary, particularly the safeties. The Cougars are experiencing an almost complete metamorphosis at this location. SDSU transfers Tucker Large, Cale Reeder and Matthew Durrance, all veterans, are coming. Cornerback Colby Humphrey, another veteran, is also a promising addition to the WSU secondary.
Gone are former WSU safeties Adrian Wilson (transfer to Arizona State) and graduates Tanner Moku, Tyson Durant and Jackson Lataimua (portal), all of whom showed flashes but mostly struggled. Combined with former defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding’s plans, it’s one of the reasons the Cougars finished the season allowing 270.5 passing yards per game, No. 124 out of 133 FBS teams overall. national scale.
Now that the transfer portal is closed again for WSU — it was scheduled to close on Dec. 28, it reopened for 30 days on Dec. 19 after former coach Jake Dickert left the program, per NCAA rules — The only players the Cougars can add are from the high school ranks. Because preseason recruiting essentially ended during the Dec. 4-6 early signing period, almost every high school player Rogers landed had already been promised to him at South Dakota State.
However, Rogers likely won’t benefit from the same kind of player transformation opportunities as his predecessors. Due to the House vs. NCAA rule paving the way for schools to begin sharing funds directly with players, FBS rosters are capped at 105 players — WSU’s 2024 roster included 122 — eliminating the incentive to make replacements. Several recent Cougars have flourished after starting as backups, including linebacker Kyle Thornton, kicker Dean Janikowski, defensive lineman Bryson Lamb and receiver Lincoln Victor, who played from 2019-2023.
Instead, WSU and all FBS clubs will be incentivized to give all players at least a partial scholarship, removing one of the ways the Cougars have gotten the most out of teams in the past. In an interview last month, athletic director Anne McCoy said Rogers would have a pool of $4.5 million to use as it sees fit for scholarships, institutional NIL, revenue sharing and more.
Which players the Cougars will use this on became clearer Wednesday.
Schlimgen, the No. 3 recruit from South Dakota, turned down offers from Texas Tech, Army, Air Force and a handful of FCS clubs to become a Cougar. He took an official visit to Texas Tech last summer, but that’s when he committed to the Jackrabbits.
In three seasons at O’Gorman High in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he totaled 247 tackles and had over 2,500 yards of offense with 29 touchdowns, earning first-team all-state honors twice. He also earned two all-state honors in baseball, started on its basketball team, and holds the third-fastest 100-yard dash time in school history.
“Sullivan is a very intelligent and explosive playmaker,” Rogers said in his release at the start of the signing period. “He has the self-discipline, toughness and work ethic to be SDSU’s next great linebacker.”
Wright, who also plays at Nickelback, also fielded offers from Ole Miss, Michigan State, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami (Ohio) and Northern Illinois before committing to Rogers at SDSU . At 6 feet, 185 pounds, Wright made 50 tackles and totaled 20 touchdowns on offense as a senior at Hillcrest High in the Chicago area, where he earned first-team all-state honors in 2024.
“Erimus is an explosive football player who plays with great speed and physicality,” Rogers said in a statement. “He also has great instincts and a good sense of the game. There is no doubt that Erimus will be a game changer.”
Wright played two full seasons of college ball at Hillcrest, where he also played running back, giving the Cougars some versatility.
“Definitely a leader who leads by example, but a guy who relates to the rest of the team when needed,” Hillcrest coach Kyran Weaver told the Chicago Tribune in 2023. “He’s willing to do anything what he preaches and what we preach as a team It’s always great to have a guy who can be that role model from a visual standpoint Also, when someone needs one. head to head, of this motivation or even to be consoled, he is available for that.
Lounsbury, who CougFan.com reported is the first WSU player to receive a partial scholarship under the new rules, kicking and punting duties at Van Meter High in Adel, Iowa, about 25 miles outside Des Moines. As a kicker the past two seasons, he received first-team all-state honors, and he earned a first-team all-district nod at punter last year.
Part of three straight state championship teams at Van Meter from 2021-2023, he combined to connect on 11 of 13 field goal attempts during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, making a long field goal of 54 yards.
Lounsbury joins SDSU transfer Jack Stevens and junior college transfer punter Dylan Mauro as WSU kickers added this offseason.
Bindel (6-5, 285) earned numerous awards following his senior season at Liberty High in the Kansas City, Mo., metro area – first team all-state, first team all-conference and first team all-state. categories. district. He also fielded offers from FCS schools Missouri State, Central Arkansas, North Dakota, Northern Arizona, SEMO, Southern Illinois and UT Martin , as well as a preferred walk-on offer to Kansas State.
Bindel, an interior offensive lineman, did not have an All-Star rating on 247 Sports.
Finally, three-star Hildebrand turned down offers from New Mexico, Ball State, Northern Illinois and FCS clubs including SDSU, SEMO, St. Thomas and Western Illinois to commit to WSU . Listed at 6-4 and 300 pounds, Hildebrand makes a tackle.
“In pass protection, Dylan does a great job using his frame and length to his advantage,” Prep Redzone Wisconsin reporter Mark Johnson wrote last summer.
“He uses his long arms to make precise strikes that stop or redirect his passer. Dylan has solid agility and change of direction, but his length gives him time to recover if he falls behind.”