Washington State flips two former Texas State football commits

Dec. 2—PULLMAN — With less than two days until the early signing period, Washington State is strengthening its recruiting pipeline in the south.

The Cougars landed two commitments on Monday, both three-star flips from future Pac-12 foe Texas State: Defensive lineman Savion Barthelemy and cornerback Amiri Barnes, both of whom announced their decisions on Monday evening.

They make the 25th and 26th members of WSU's class of 2026, which is all but wrapped up ahead of the early signing period, which begins on Wednesday. That's about the amount of players the Cougars have signed in each of their past several recruiting classes.

A standout at Belle Chasse in Louisiana, Barthelemy had been committed to Texas State since July, turning down offers from Tulsa, North Texas, Central Arkansas, Nicholls and Stephen F. Austin along the way. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 280 pounds, Barthelemy profiles an athletic lineman who can also play on the edge, and with his pass-catching ability at the tight end spot, he's potentially providing some valuable versatility for the Cougars.

"(Savion) is big and athletic," Belle Chasse coach Stephen Meyers told NOLA.com back in September. "He runs well and is our best receiver. He's one of the best I've coached. He's still a little raw, but the sky's the limit for him once he gets to college."

Barthelemy received his WSU offer in mid-November, and he visited a few days later, the weekend of the Cougars' home win over Louisiana Tech.

Barthelemy earned first team all-district and honorable mention all-state honors in 2024, plus a first team all-district nod in 2023. He is also the third player in WSU's class of 2026 from the city of New Orleans, joining Edna Karr stars John Johnson and Tre Garrison. For WSU, that could mean a new pipeline is opening in Louisiana as well.

For his part, Barnes had also been committed to Texas State since the summer. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, Barnes hails from Cypress Lakes High in Katy, Texas, where he fielded offers from North Texas, UTEP, Army, Navy, Montana State and others.

This fall, he totaled 18 tackles (three solo) in 11 games, helping his group finish 6-6 on the season. He picked off one pass and broke up two others. He also starred on offense, catching 15 passes for 212 yards and five touchdowns, plus eight carries for 10 yards.

Barnes is the first prep cornerback in WSU's class of 2026, which reached to the junior college ranks to find two others cornerbacks, Mississippi Gulf Coast's Willie Breland Jr. and City College of San Francisco's Bryce Heckard.