WSU’s Jackson Lataimua, moving from nickelback to safety, erupts on Day 8 of fall camp

PULLMAN – Over the weekend, Washington State hosted a few alumni of its football program, among them cornerback Marcus Trufant and wide receiver Gino Simone.

Head coach Jake Dickert had them speak to the team and pass on advice, figuring their words of wisdom would resonate with the current Cougars.

The words reverberated with Jackson Lataimua, a redshirt junior transitioning from nickelback to strong safety. As he watched Simone deliver his message, which centered around having your teammates’ backs and not letting your brother down, something swelled in him. It hit home.

“He kind of just reminded me that I can’t waste a day out here,” Lataimua said.

Lataimua did no such thing in Thursday’s practice, WSU’s eighth of fall camp. He capped one of his best practices all camp with a pick-six. Backed up into his end zone, Lataimua roamed the secondary, reading the eyes of quarterback Zevi Eckhaus, when he saw him lock on to tight end Cooper Mathers and begin to throw his way.

Lataimua raced to the spot, boxed out Mathers for position, caught the ball with two hands and took off the other way, with his defensive teammates trailing him all the way down the field. When they reached the other end zone, it turned into a party.

“Are you not entertained?” yelled free safety Tyson Durant, a transfer from Akron.

Lataimua isn’t leaving much room for debate on that front. In one of his best displays of fall and spring practices, he made several plays, including that interception and coming inches away from a second. He wasn’t quite everywhere at once, but watching him dart and fly around the field, it certainly felt that way.

“It’s true joy, true happiness right there,” Lataimua said. “Like I said, not letting my teammates down. Making those plays, it just comes from the D-line, them doing their job, my free safety getting over to help me. Sure, we may have busted some coverages, but one thing my coach told me is, ‘Playing hard will make up for some of that stuff sometimes.’ ”

To get to the point of making these plays, Lataimua had to make a change. A lifelong nickelback in the Cougars’ 4-2-5 scheme, Lataimua switched positions over the offseason to strong safety, a move coaches felt was necessary after the departures of Jaden Hicks and Sam Lockett III, staples at the safety spots.

He spent the spring adjusting. He’s spending the fall reaping the rewards. In his reps with the first-team units, where he’s played the majority of fall camp, Lataimua is starting to look like a guy who belongs at safety.

“I think No. 1 is confidence,” WSU defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding said. “When you move to another position, it’s natural to have hesitation. I think this week, he is slowly removing that hesitation because he understands what he’s doing, how to do it. He’s talented enough, and he’s taking strides. But there’s good competition within that room. I think that drives it.”

Lataimua isn’t the only safety vying for snaps this fall. He’s battling senior Tanner Moku for the starting job, and redshirt freshman Adrian Wilson is also squarely in the mix. Wilson has missed the past couple of practices for undisclosed reasons, working out on the side, meaning the race for WSU’s strong safety spot has recently revolved around Lataimua and Moku.

Like quarterbacks Eckhaus and John Mateer, Lataimua talks about the competition with respect, knowing it’s nothing personal. In fact, he considers Moku a close friend, calling him his “right hand,” a teammate who will push him to be better.

“It’s been nothing but a beautiful battle between us two,” Lataimua said, “because we come out and really compete every day, but he’s helping me every single chance he gets. Like, if there’s any alignments that I’m missing, or simple stuff that I’m missing, he’ll remind me, like, “Hey Jack, go back to the basics. Get to 10 yards.’ ”

Part of what makes Lataimua so successful is his willingness to accept help from teammates. He also appreciates what he gets from Durant, who doesn’t play the same position. When they share the field, Lataimua can tell the difference.

In the back of his mind, Lataimua said he can sense Durant’s presence. He can tell when he has the latitude to make a play, because he trusts the speedy Durant to cover for any mistake he might make

. “He’s always willing to just be humble and listen to what you have to say,” Lataimua said. “That guy’s got the most game experience of all of us combined. I’m really thankful that our coaches brought him here. Guy’s a playmaker, a real baller.”

In other words, yes, Lataimua is entertained.