Washington State wide receiver DT Sheffield leaving program after two games

PULLMAN – Washington State is losing a wide receiver who, ahead of the season, figured to feature prominently in the team’s offensive attack.

Junior DT Sheffield has left the program, WSU head coach Jake Dickert shared during his weekly news conference Monday afternoon. The decision was Sheffield’s alone, Dickert said.

That will bump up receiver Isaiah Hamilton, a transfer from San Jose State, Dickert said. Hamilton played sparingly across the Cougars’ first two games of the season, but now he will back up senior wideout Lincoln Victor.

Dickert declined to share Sheffield’s reason for leaving, saying, “All private conversations are private and we’ll leave it at that. We move on and we keep forging forward.”

Sheffield, who transferred from Northwest Missouri Community College and enrolled at WSU in January, totaled four catches for 26 yards in two games at Washington State. He started WSU’s season opener against Colorado State, catching three passes for 19 yards and returning three punts for 31 yards, including one 20-yard return that led to a touchdown drive.

Sheffield did not start on Saturday, when Washington State upset Wisconsin. In that game, Sheffield caught one pass for 7 yards. He was targeted twice by quarterback Cameron Ward.

It amounts to a surprise loss for the No. 23 Cougars, who were excited about Sheffield and his potential. Coaches and players agreed he was the fastest player on the team, and he showed it during practices and games, jumping off the line and darting his way up the field on punt returns.

After WSU’s practice on Aug. 8, cornerback Chau Smith-Wade – himself a speedster – recalled one time when he raced Sheffield for fun.

“Ah man,” Smith-Wade said. “He burnt me.”

Sheffield’s addition seemed to energize the Washington State receiver corps, which transformed almost entirely over the offseason, adding new transfers like Sheffield, Hamilton, Kyle Williams and Josh Kelly. Now WSU will need more out of those guys, and maybe even more out of true freshman Carlos Hernandez, a wideout who has already piled up seven receptions for 72 yards.

Washington State’s next game is a home matchup with FCS Northern Colorado on Saturday afternoon.

“We’ll continue to coach and be excited about the guys that are here on the team,” Dickert said. “We’re not gonna flinch, and keep moving forward.”