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Washington State running back Jaylen Jenkins dismissed for ‘violation of team rules’

Washington State Cougars running back Jaylen Jenkins (6) reacts after running the ball against the Colorado State Rams during the second half of a college football game on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colo. WSU won the game 50–24. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
By Greg Woods gregw@spokesman.com(509) 459-5587

PULLMAN – Washington State has bid farewell to one of its running backs.

Sophomore Jaylen Jenkins has been dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules, head coach Jake Dickert said Monday. Jenkins missed WSU’s loss to Oregon on Saturday, suspended for the same violation.

“There’s a standard that we have around here, and you gotta follow it,” Dickert said. “We all have to do it, and that’s on and off the field. Those are the choices that we make. I’m gonna leave it at that, and we will keep moving forward.”

In six games this season, Jenkins totaled 20 carries for 62 yards, plus six catches for 61 yards. He played behind every-down back Nakia Watson. WSU used him more as a scatback.

Last season, Jenkins posted 68 carries for 396 yards and one touchdown, and 13 receptions for 98 yards and two scores.

In Jenkins’ place on Saturday was walk-on running back Dylan Paine, who posted three carries for 7 yards, plus valuable pass-protection. He will figure into the Cougars’ rushing attack more moving forward, Dickert said, as will redshirt freshman Djouvensky Schlenbaker and true freshman Leo Pulalasi.

“I felt like last week was our best week running the football downhill,” Dickert said. “We didn’t have that many attempts but it was our best week, I think, statistically, besides the Northern Colorado game.”

Jenkins is the third Cougar to leave the team during the season, joining wide receiver DT Sheffield and defensive back Dominic Tatum, both of whom left of their own accord back in September.

WSU down two edge rushers for Saturday’s game at ASU

Washington State will also be missing two edge rushers for Saturday’s road test at Arizona State: Quinn Roff and Raam Stevenson.

Roff missed WSU’s loss to Oregon with what Dickert called a “medical emergency,” which the team addressed when it returned to Pullman. It’s the latest stroke of bad luck for Roff, who suffered an arm injury against Wisconsin on Sept. 9, missed the next three games, then returned Oct. 14 against Arizona.

Roff will be out “for a little while,” Dickert said.

Stevenson is “nicked up,” Dickert said, which will sideline him for Saturday’s game.

Suddenly, the Cougars have become thin at the edge spot. Their stars, RJ Stone and Brennan Jackson, are healthy but several of their backups are out, including Roff, Stevenson and Lawrence Falatea, who tore his ACL during fall camp.

WSU might ask more of backup edges Andrew Edson and true freshman Isaac Terrell, the latter of whom has been dealing with a hamstring injury, which kept him out of WSU’s loss to Arizona.