Sophomore running back Jaylen Jenkins was not active for the Cougs’ loss in Eugene, Oregon, Saturday. The suspension was not due to an injury, but rather for a violation of team rules. WSU head coach Jake Dickert announced Monday at his weekly press conference that Jenkins has been dismissed from the program.
“There’s a standard that we have around here and you got to follow it and we all have to and that’s on and off the field and those are the choices that we make,” Dickert said. “I’m going to leave it at that and we will keep moving forward and that was a big part of [Dylan Paine] being in that plan [against Oregon].”
Jenkins was a key factor as a true freshman in 2022, getting 68 carries for 396 yards and a touchdown with 13 catches for 98 yards and two TDs. This season, like all the running backs, it was a struggle with Jenkins only having 26 total touches for 123 yards and no TDs, averaging only 3.1 yards per carry.
The Cougs now move forward with a stable of Nakia Watson, the usual starter, former walk-on Dylan Paine and redshirt freshman Djouvensky Schlenbaker. True freshman Leo Pulalasi will also work with the older group.
“It will be an opportunity for other people,” Dickert said. “Djouvensky has been in the background waiting his turn […] And I felt like last week was our best week running the football downhill. We didn’t have that many attempts, but it was our best week I think statistically besides Northern Colorado.”
Watson currently leads the team with 173 yards on 59 carries and four TDs but averages just 2.9 yards per carry. He also has 15 catches for 189 yards and two TDs. Paine, on the year, has 121 yards on 20 carries and one touchdown, good for 6.1 yards per carry.
The rushing attack has been a continuous struggle for WSU with the team averaging just 3.1 yards per attempt, and ranking 248th in Division One at 87.1 rushing yards per game. The running back and rushing attack situation will be an interesting storyline for the remainder of the season, but some things are just bigger than football.
