Washington State quarterback John Bledsoe enters transfer portal

John Bledsoe, a walk-on quarterback at Washington State and the son of former Cougar great Drew Bledsoe, has entered the NCAA transfer portal, he announced on Twitter Thursday afternoon.

“After a lot of thought and careful consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal,” Bledsoe wrote. “I want to thank my teammates, Coach Rolo and Coach Stutz for their support. I will always love my time in Pullman and will forever be a Coug. Excited for the future!”

Bledsoe never played in a game for the Cougars and was shelved for the entirety of the 2019 season, his redshirt sophomore year, with an undisclosed leg injury.

Despite his status as a walk-on, Bledsoe, at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, possessed plenty of physical tools and showed flashes of potential during the team’s scrimmages, leading some to think he could’ve had a chance to compete to replace Anthony Gordon before the season was shuttered by COVID-19.

In the offseason, Bledsoe has spent time working out with Will Hewlett of QB Collective, the same coach who trained Gordon prior to the 2020 NFL draft.

Bledsoe, a native of Bend, Oregon, will have two more years of eligibility beginning next fall, but would presumably have to sit out one season if he elects to transfer to another FBS school.

“Excited to see what’s next!!” Drew Bledsoe tweeted, in response to his son’s decision. “Proud of you man. I know how long and hard you thought about this.”

A three-year starter for Summit High in Bend, Bledsoe threw for 6,908 passing yards, 82 touchdowns and just 19 interceptions. He was named First-team all-state as a senior and led Summit to the Oregon 5A State title as a junior after contributing 16 touchdowns.

Bledsoe didn’t record any stats during the Cougars’ 2019 Crimson and Gray game, but he was 7 of 9 with 40 yards and one interception in the 2018 version of the spring scrimmage.

Twenty-five years before John Bledsoe arrived at WSU, his father played three seasons in Pullman, completing 532 of 979 passes for 7,373 yards, 46 touchdowns and 34 interceptions. Drew, the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year in 1992, was selected with the No. 1 pick of the 1993 draft by the New England Patriots, and went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL.

WSU’s quarterbacks room is now comprised of three scholarship players – redshirt sophomore Cammon Cooper, redshirt freshman Gunner Cruz and true freshman Jayden de Laura – along with walk-ons Will Heckman and Jake Constantine.