Backup WSU Cougars quarterback Victor Gabalis enters transfer portal

Victor Gabalis had been competing for Washington State’s backup quarterback role during spring camp, but now he’s looking for a new home.

The Everett product entered the transfer portal Friday, according to a report from Rivals.com.

Gabalis appeared in three games off the bench last season. He started the second half of the Sun Bowl in place of injured starter Jayden de Laura, and nearly led a comeback. Gabalis passed 11 of 23 for 180 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, rallying WSU back from a 21-point halftime deficit in the 24-21 loss.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound redshirt freshman came into spring camp with more Power Five experience than any Cougar signal-caller and was the favorite to capture the No. 2 spot on the Cougs’ QB depth chart behind transfer Cameron Ward. Gabalis missed the last week of camp after competing against true freshman Emmett Brown and redshirt freshman Xavier Ward over the past month. Brown was the most consistent QB of the three during spring ball.

Gabalis impressed former coach Nick Rolovich at fall camp last season and worked his way into the competition for WSU’s starting QB job, but ended up serving as the Cougars’ third-stringer for most of the year.

Reserve WSU defensive back Alphonse Oywak also entered the transfer portal Friday, per Rivals. The third-year freshman out of Kent played in two games over the past two seasons and recorded all three of his career tackles in WSU’s season opener in 2021. Oywak was ranked a four-star prospect, per 247Sports.com, coming out of Kentwood High.