WSU adding 6-7 Michigan State TE transfer Ademola Faleye, per report
PULLMAN – Washington State is adding some real size to its tight end corps.
Six-foot-seven tight end Ademola Faleye is transferring from Michigan State to WSU, according to a 247 Sports report, marking the 17th transfer new head coach Jimmy Rogers has landed, the second from another school besides South Dakota State.
Faleye is the first tight end commitment for Rogers, who was formally introduced on Thursday, about two weeks after accepting the job on Dec. 28.
In his one season of action at Michigan State, the 250-pound Faleye caught two passes for 18 yards, playing in all 12 games with one start. Before that, he spent the 2021-23 seasons at FCS Norfolk State, where he totaled nine catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns. A native of Boston-area Brockton, Massachusetts, Faleye redshirted in 2023, giving him one more year of eligibility.
Faleye, who made five receptions for 38 yards and one score in nine games in 2021, took his visit to WSU earlier this week. He joins former Cal Poly defensive lineman Soni Finau as non-SDSU players to transfer to WSU under Rogers’ tenure.
The Cougs do have something of a hole at tight end. Senior starter Cooper Mathers has graduated and is out of eligibility, as is Billy Riviere III, who also got some time at TE last season. Rising senior Andre Dollar – who missed five games last season with an injury – is set to return, as is rising sophomore Trey Leckner, whose combination of pass-catching and blocking earned him playing time in 11 games, with two starts.
Even if Faleye isn’t much of a pass-catcher, he could still have a role in the new-look WSU offense, which appears to be more centered around the run. In his one season of action at MSU, Faleye logged three games with a Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade above 60 (average) with the rest in the 50s. That gave him a season grade of 53.5.