Nathaniel Salmon is a former professional basketball player hailing from down under in Australia. He also has danced with the NFL academy and tried out to be on the Los Angeles Chargers. He played three years of pro basketball in New Zealand and Australia before he made the switch to football. At only 21 years old, he has already made an impressive career in two sports at the professional level. He will now be taking his talents to Pullman, Washington, to become a Cougar. At 6’5 and 245 pounds, he will be playing tight end for the Cougs.

Salmon has not touched a football since 2024, but because of his freakish athleticism at his size and his experience in multiple sports, he was allowed to become the newest member of the WSU football program. He has finally been granted eligibility to play at the Division one level in October of 2025, and in just two months, he has found his landing spot. Nathaniel will be coming in as a freshman, which makes him one of the oldest freshmen in college football at the age of 21.

He will now be another new aspect to the coaching and player turnover that WSU has experienced in the last couple of weeks. Most notably with the hiring of new head coach Kirby Moore. Things are changing in Pullman, and now a little bit of Australian culture will be joining the team. Salmon is committed through at least the 2026 season for the Cougs.