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Jan. 8—PULLMAN — Usually, when you look up names of players who have recently committed to Washington State's football program, you'll get the same types of results: a link to their high school stats page, to their highlight tapes, to their profiles on a variety of recruiting services.
When you look up Nathaniel Salmon, who announced his commitment to WSU on Wednesday night, you get a thorough Wikipedia article. A full Google profile with information on his background. Even an auto-generated link to his Instagram account.
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That's because Salmon isn't just a regular high school pledge for coach Kirby Moore, who has now reeled in eight offseason additions. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, Salmon is a native of New Zealand, where he played professional basketball, a career that later brought him to Australia, where he averaged a cool 15 points and 5 rebounds in a city called Gold Coast.
In fact, Salmon didn't pick up a football for the first time until 2024, when he was invited to an NFL academy in Gold Coast. In December of that year, he was one of 14 players selected to the NFL's International Player Pathway, which is a program run by the NFL to increase the number of players from outside the U.S. and Canada in the league.
After picking up the tight end position, he was invited to train at IMG Academy in Florida, where he spent 10 weeks, and he was later granted four years of eligibility by the NCAA. And now he's a Cougar, heading to Pullman to try and find a niche in Moore's offense, which might yet have a role for him.
It's a fascinating story, the kind that underscores the wacky nature of the current college athletics landscape, where former NBA draft picks are suiting up for college teams midseason and former JUCO players are earning eligibility for what feels like their 10th seasons. In this case, it's benefiting WSU, which is landing one of the program's most interesting players in recent memory.
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Consider this: Last summer, Salmon attended mini-camp with the Los Angeles Chargers. It doesn't appear that Salmon actually signed a contract with L.A., perhaps explaining his college eligibility, but it's still remarkable to see someone who tried their hand at the NFL turn around and suit up for a college program.
Where does Salmon fit in the Cougs' offense? It helps to understand some of Salmon's measurables. In December, he ran a 4.63-second 40-yard dash. That's a spectacular time for tight ends, who usually clock in around the 4.70-4.80 range. He also seems to take pride in route-running and blocking, which would serve him well at WSU.
Plus, Moore and coaches aren't just taking a swing for a prospect that other programs paid no mind. In his recruitment, Salmon fielded offers from the likes of Utah, Arizona State, Arizona, Baylor, North Carolina and West Virginia. He took visits to Salt Lake City and Tempe. It's clear that coaches in other Power 4 programs saw Salmon's potential the same way that Moore does.
With Salmon's commitment, WSU has now logged eight additions this offseason, with the other seven coming from UC Davis quarterback Caden Pinnick, Florida wide receiver Tank Hawkins, San Jose State cornerback Jaylen Thomas, Oregon State cornerback Jalil Tucker, Kent State linebacker Nylan Brown, Arizona State safety and Cal Poly safety Jeremiah Bernard.
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