QB Peyton Bender to transfer to Mississippi junior college

Washington State quarterback Peyton Bender will transfer to Itawamba Community College in Fulton Mississippi, a source confirms to CougCenter.

The redshirt sophomore will be eligible immediately and is expected to receive his degree in December with two years of eligibility remaining.

Bender, according to a report from Cougfan.com, rendered himself academically ineligible for the 2016 season last month. The report then indicated that Bender would sit out the season and not participate in team activities, then return to the team for spring practices next year, though that plan has obviously changed.

A source with knowledge of the situation says the staff wanted Bender to go the junior college route this season, receive his degree, then return to Washington State for his final years of eligibility.

Bender, from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., signed with Washington State as a member of the 2014 recruiting class, choosing the Cougars over an offer from Penn State. He redshirted as a freshman before seeing action in five games last season, completing 58 of 91 passes for 498 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions.

With the quarterback depth chart thin after the Bender news — and especially after not signing a quarterback in the 2016 recruiting class — WSU signed City College of San Francisco quarterback Anthony Gordon in late May. Gordon will compete for the backup job behind Luke Falk with redshirt freshman Tyler Hilinski this fall.