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Backup Washington State quarterback Xavier Ward enters NCAA transfer portal

Washington State quarterback Xavier Ward scrambles during a scrimmage on Aug. 13 at Gesa Field in Pullman. Ward, the Cougars' third-string QB this season, entered the NCAA transfer portal Monday. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
By Colton Clark coltonc@spokesman.com(208) 627-3209

PULLMAN – Quarterback Xavier Ward, who served as Washington State’s third-stringer this season after losing a position battle for the backup job, has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal.

Ward announced his decision via Twitter on Saturday.

A second-year Coug, Ward competed with two other QBs – true freshmen John Mateer and Emmett Brown – during fall camp for the No. 2 role behind Cameron Ward, who locked up starting duties immediately after transferring in from Incarnate Word.

Brown fell out of the race after a couple of weeks. Mateer separated from Xavier Ward later in the preseason.

Mateer led a few possessions in the fourth quarter of the Cougars’ blowout win over Stanford last month. Ward never saw the field at WSU.

Ward sustained a season-ending shoulder injury during the 2021 preseason. He came to WSU out of Roosevelt High (Eastvale, California) as a three-star recruit and the No. 17 pro-style QB in the country, according to Rivals.com.