Washington State's Jake Dickert says offseason transfer receiver no longer with the team
Zeriah Beason is no longer part of Washington State’s football program, head coach Jake Dickert revealed on Monday when he met with reporters.
The former Oregon State receiver transferred to Wazzu this summer but had yet to play in the team’s first five games. Dickert said at the outset of the season Beason was working through eligibility issues that kept him away from the team. On Monday, Dickert revealed that absence would be a permanent one.
“Zeriah won’t be with the program (going forward),” Dickert said.
The 6-foot wideout from Duncanville, Texas appeared in 20 games (13 starts) with the Beavers during his first two seasons in Corvallis.
As he worked his way through training camp, multiple reports from practice suggested he’d serve as a primary backup on the outside. A 3-star prospect out of high school, Beason earned five starts as a true freshman during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He appeared in all seven of Oregon State’s games, catching 16 passes for 148 yards and three scores. He had receiving touchdowns in back-to-back games to close the year, providing hope that Beason could develop into a go-to playmaker on the outside in Year 2. A strong preseason was followed up with a bit of an underwhelming season, though. Beason finished fifth on the team with 20 receptions for 236 yards and just one score during the 2021 season.
His transfer to Washington State was supposed to provide a career refresh, but it appears that will happen elsewhere.
As he hasn’t yet played this season, Washington State doesn’t have to worry about replacing any production. The 4-1 Cougars are starting to settle into a fine rotation at receiver. Three players have at least 20 receptions so far — Donovan Ollie leads the team with 27 catches while De’Zhaun Stribling has 22 and Renard Bell has 20. Robert Ferrel has come on strong in recent weeks, posting 17 catches. The Cougars are also hoping to get more out of Lincoln Victory.
It’ll be all hands on deck this Saturday for Washington State when they head to Los Angeles to battle No. 6 USC. Kickoff against the Trojans (5-0, 3-0 Pac-12) is set for 4:30 p.m. PT on FOX.