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One of Washington State’s more sought after recruits, Long Beach, Calif., safety Josh Talbott, has made his college decision official by signing his national letter of intent Wednesday.
Talbott played his high school football Long Beach Poly, a school known for producing a tremendous amount of talent, and the alma mater of WSU running back Gerard Wicks. As a senior, Talbott recorded 35 tackles, made two interceptions and occasionally handled some return duties on specials teams.
The 6-foot, 175-pound safety chose WSU over offers Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas A&M, UCLA and several others. Area recruiter Roy Manning was able to secure his pledge back in November, though, and there hasn’t appeared to be any wavering on that decision.
The four recruiting services reached a consensus on Talbott, and all of them rank him a three-star prospect. Scout ranks him the 49th best player in California and as the no. 8 safety in the west.
Talbott is the highest ranked secondary player in this recruiting class, and the past two years have taught us that defensive coordinator Alex Grinch isn’t afraid to play true freshman in the defensive backfield. In 2015 Darrien Molten started at cornerback as a true freshman, and a year later Jalen Thompson started at safety just months after graduating from high school. Talbott has the chance to make an immediate impact.
Scouting Report
Talbott shows some versatility in the secondary. He is physical enough to play in the box and fills inside out from a strong safety position very well. Can take on and shed wide receiver blocking. Reads flat/screen/bubble and closes quickly with sound tackling. He’s also excellent in a centerfield, ball-hawking sort of role. Talbott has a strong sense of the field and reads the quarterback well from that spot. Could develop into either position based on need.
- Brian Anderson
Rankings
Rivals — ★★★
Scout — ★★★
247 Sports — ★★★
ESPN — ★★★
Measurables (Rivals)
Position — S
Hometown — Long Beach, CA
Height — 6-foot
Weight — 180 pounds
Highlights