WSU adding transfer LB Gavin Barthiel, who started his career with the Cougars

Jan. 13—PULLMAN — Gavin Barthiel is headed back to the Palouse.

After spending a year at Utah State, Barthiel is taking his talents back to Washington State, where the linebacker started his career. Barthiel, who played the 2021 and 2022 seasons at WSU, will have two years of eligibility remaining.

The 20th transfer head coach Jimmy Rogers has added this offseason (the fifth from a school other than South Dakota State), Barthiel totaled 18 tackles in 13 games for the Aggies in 2023. He wasn’t on Utah State’s roster for the 2024 season. The reason is unclear.

At WSU, Barthiel redshirted in 2021, his true freshman season, then played in five games on special teams in 2022. That offseason, he entered the transfer portal and landed at Utah State, where he also registered one sack and one pass breakup in 2023, playing in 11 games on defense.

He played in all 13 games on special teams, primarily with the field goal block unit, plus 22 snaps on the kick return team, 20 on the kick coverage unit, 13 with the punt return group and four with the punt coverage club.

Barthiel is joining what is turning into a crowded Cougar linebacker corps. The team returns backups Keith Brown and Parker McKenna, both of whom came on strong toward the end of the season, and Rogers is bringing over veteran Caleb Francl from South Dakota State. Two former Jackrabbits who redshirted as freshmen last season, Anthony Palano and Carsten Reynolds, could also push for playing time, especially as the team features more linebackers with a 4-3 defense.

The 6-foot, 225 -pound Barthiel was a three-star prospect out of Lake Gibson High in Florida, where he fielded offers from Kansas State, Missouri, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Mississippi State, Temple, Boston College, Tulane, UConn, Georgia Tech and others.

In June 2020, Barthiel committed to Georgia Tech,…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/wsu-adding-transfer-lb-gavin-030200281.html

Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.

Publish date : 2025-01-14 03:02:00

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