PULLMAN – CJ Moore, a Washington State receiver who served as a backup last year and missed the entire 2022 season with an injury, has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Considered a significant recruiting victory for the Cougars when he signed with the program in early 2021, Moore couldn’t jump-start his Division I career at WSU.

Moore played a handful of snaps last season and did not record any statistics. Moore was targeted twice during a win over Stanford, but dropped both passes. He would have been in the mix for a playing role this year, but he suffered a season-ending lower-body injury on the first day of fall camp.

The 6-foot-4, 188-pounder spent one season at Iowa Central Community College and came to WSU as the No. 3-rated junior college receiver in the country, according to 247Sports.com.

Moore played at Oklahoma State from 2018-19, recording 81 yards and two touchdowns in six games with the Cowboys. Coming out of Union High (Tulsa, Oklahoma), Moore was a four-star recruit and rated among ESPN’s top-300 prep prospects in the nation.

Moore might have been in line to compete for reps at WSU in 2023.

Recruiting receivers is a priority this offseason for the Cougars, who lack experienced options at the position after losing six receivers to either graduation or the transfer portal. Slotbacks Renard Bell and Robert Ferrel graduated. Starting outside receivers De’Zhaun Stribling and Donovan Ollie, and backup Anderson Grover, transferred out of the program.

Returners of note include junior Lincoln Victor, a backup this year, along with freshmen Leyton Smithson, Tsion Nunnally and Orion Peters.

WSU signed a big-play threat on Wednesday, adding DT Sheffield from Northwest Mississippi Community College.