For Washington State, the early returns on Darrius Clemons have been exactly what Derek Sage was hoping to see.
The Cougars’ wide receivers coach said Clemons has shown up to fall camp at full speed after being limited for much of spring by nagging injuries, and through the first four days he hasn’t looked like a player easing his way back in. He’s looked ready.
"He's doing a great job coming off an injury like that," Sage said. "You're always worried how's he going to ramp up.
I think Coach (Malcolm) Hardmon and his staff have been really good with the ramp up of his injury and return to play along with Grant (Rohrig), our new trainer in the athletic training room. They've all done a tremendous job, along with his mental capacity to come off an injury like that and go full speed day one in fall camp.
"So he's right where we need him to be. He's making plays, he's hungry and really proud of him."
Clemons, a 6-3, 217-pound transfer from Oregon State, also spent time at Michigan and was part of the Wolverines’ national title run. He missed all of last year because of injury, but in 2024 he caught 29 passes for 292 hashes. This season will be his final college campaign, and Washington State is counting on him to be part of the offense.
Even when he wasn’t able to practice much this spring, Clemons still found a way to matter. Sage said he became a steady presence for Branden Ganashamoorthy, helping in a mentorship role while also functioning like another coach on the field.
"We talk about everybody coaching everybody," Sage said. "Darrius in the spring, even though he couldn't go, he was like a mentor and a third coach because we have Coach Jonah (Chong) out there.
He's the third wide receiver coach on the field. And he was helping BG.
I know what those two are doing behind closed doors in the meeting rooms. Here's the script, they get their script every night before here.
I know Darrius is helping him."
Sage said the bigger picture for the wideouts is simple: keep moving, keep learning and keep stacking good days. He said the group has been shifting pieces around, but the expectation is that the catches and opportunities that come their way have to be finished.
"It's day by day. Moving some guys around here and there, but proud of their effort.
We've got to make the plays that come our way. I think two practices ago, we did that in a pretty good fashion.
But I'd like to see us respond day by day and just start to stack practices."
For Clemons specifically, Sage pointed to comfort as the biggest difference now that he’s actually practicing again. The receiver knows the offense, can line up in multiple spots and has the chance to show what he can do after missing spring.
"I just think it comes with the comfortability within this offense. He knows the playbook now.
He got to actually be out and practice with us now. We missed him in spring.
So for him, he wants to contribute. Kid's a competitor.
So I think you would have seen that in spring if he was able to practice with us. But now you get a chance to showcase that I know this playbook, I can play multiple positions, I can make plays.
And he just wants to compete and be a leader."
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