Signing day for NCAA football has finally arrived, and all of those promises can finally become official. Connor and I will be posting updates as the paper work flows into the Valley Football Center, and maybe make note of some significant signings at some of our neighbors as well.
Jump in with your comments, thoughts, and even prayers, as we see what material coach Mike Riley has rounded up.
And Connor will complete our coverage of the biggest non game-day day of the football year with a report from tonight's Oregon State Football Recruiting Dinner from the Portland Ballroom in the Oregon Convention Center, where Riley, Mike Parker, the voice of the Beavers, and Fox Sports' Petros Papadakis, will have their thoughts on what Beaver Nation can look forward to.
For simplicity sake, the Scout.com star ranking will be used, with significant departures noted.
We'll start with the JC transfers who were able to commit ahead of the National Letter of Intent day that high school recruits are bound to, are already enrolled in winter term, and are expected (read will be counted on) to contribute immediately.
Rusty Fernando is a 6'3", 215 lb. defensive end with 4.5 speed from Apache Junction, AZ, who played for Glendale (AZ) JC. Fernando, a 3 star prospect, could also get a look at outside linebacker. Either way, his pass rushing and containment capabilities, both built on speed, are what Oregon St. is looking for to improve their edge rush.
Blake Harrah is also a DE, and is 6'3", 250 lbs. The 2 star prospect is from Temecula, CA, and played for Saddleback JC. Harrah has a little more size, which could help against the rushing game.
The importance of improving edge speed also shows up in the high-school recruits.
Dylan Wynn from De La Salle High in Concord, CA, a 4 star recruit (3 star by Rivals), a 6'2", 235 lb. DE, got those stars based on "explosion" and quickness off the ball. And any signing from legendary De La Salle is a solid addition.
Brandon Bennett, at 6'3", 250 lbs., is a bigger defensive end. Bennett is a 3 star DE from Spring High in Spring, TX. Bennett had committed, but a widespread power outage in his area delay his getting the forms sent in. He's in the fold now though too.
Jaswha James, a 6'2", 225 lb. defensive end from Inglewood High in Inglewood, CA, is also a 3 star prospect, with 4.7 speed, who is now signed.
Oregon St.'s primary instate recruit is Elisinoa Aluesi, a 6'7", 245 lb. defensive end from Jefferson High in Portland, is a 2 star recruit, but also played QB & RB. His signing provides another injection of athleticism down the line. Aluesi won't count against this coming year's scholarship count, as he plans to do his Mormon mission first. He will get started in the system, in the university's "bridge" program.
The Beavers' Hawaiian connection continues as well, with Na'Alii Robins, a 2 star, 6'3", 240 lb. defensive end from St. Louis High in Honolulu, having faxed in.
Outside linebacker gets an infusion of speed from the high school class too.
Lavonte Barnett from Paraclete High in Lancaster, Ca, is a 3 star, 6'2", 228 lb. outside linebacker, who is coming to OSU.
Jabral Johnson, a 6'2", 220 lb. 3 star LB comes to the Beavers from Lawton High in Lawton, TX, and runs a 4.56 40.
The Beavers got some late commits for the defense not so widely publicized earlier in the process.
Rudolf Fifta, a 6'4", 240 lb. defensive end from Eueless, TX, also decided on signing day to send his paperwork to Oregon St., today. Fifta, a 2 star recruit, is a JC transfer, who played the last two years at Mt. San Antonio JC, which just happens to have won back to back junior college national championships.
d'Vante Henry is a 6'5", 193 lb. "athlete" that is a 2 star recruit that only committed on signing day. Henry played defensive end at Southmoore High in Moore, OK, but could well find himself at outside linebacker, and possibly on special teams.
Akeem Gonzales is a 6'4", 240 lb. 3 star recruit that chose Oregon St. on signing day as well. Gonzales was the #63 rated offensive line prospect by Scout.com, but also played defense, and at his size, is also headed for what is becoming a much deeper position, at defensive end.
Moving inside to defensive tackle, 6'3 1/2", 245 lb. Desmond Collins, is a 3 star prospect from Highland High in Salt Lake City, UT, that is officially with the Beavers too.
The wide receiver corp is the deepest and strongest unit on the team, but James Rodgers will be graduating, and when the Beavers were able to land a 4 star recruit, it was an automatic. Brandon Cooks from Lincoln High in Stockton, CA, only has 3 stars on Scout's board, but 4 on Rivals. Cooks is 5'10, 185 lbs., and has 4.4 speed. An obvious candidate for Rodgers' role down the line.
Richard Mullaney, at 6'3", 185 pounds, and another 3 star receiver, is from Thousand Oaks High, in Thousand Oaks, CA, is also signed with the Beavers.
Tyrequek Zimmerman, also from Lawton High in Lawton, OK, is a 3 star receiver with 4.4 speed. Zimmerman splits the size difference between Cooks and Mullaney, at 6'0", but at 180 lbs. is on the lighter side. Zimmerman and Johnson committed in a joint announcement after school.
Tyler Trosin, a 3 star, 6'0", 185 lb. wide receiver with 4.55 speed is also on board with the Beavers, from Folsom High in Folsom, CA.
Larry Scott, at 6'1", 185 lbs. from Centennial High in Corona, CA, is a 2 star receiver, but with 4.45 speed, and has signed on the dotted line as well.
Tight End is fast becoming a forgotten position a lot of places, but not in Mike Riley's scheme. The state of Washington produced one of the best ever at the position in school history in Joe "The Tank" Halahuni, so Oregon St. went back to Washington for another this year. Kellen Klute, a 3 star, 6'5", 225 lb. TE comes to the Beavers from Mt. Spokane High in Mead, WA.
Jacquizz Rodgers' decision to try his hand at the NFL a year early as opened an opportunity at running back earlier than was anticipated when a pair of Oregon St. recruits verbally committed last summer.
Storm Woods, at 5'11" and 205 pounds, is a 3 star recruit that could bring some power to the position, and the first running back signed by the Beavers. Woods, from Pflugerville High in Pflugerville, TX, also keeps the Texas RB connection going, and has 4.5 speed.
Malcolm Agnew, a 2 star RB from De Smet Jesuit High in St. Louis, MO, has 4.4 speed in his 5'9", 180 lb. frame, and has signed on as well.
Attrition being what it is, you can never have too many quarterbacks, so Oregon St. supplemented another already deep group with Peter Ashton, a 3 star, 6'2", 195 lb. QB, comes from Faith Christian School, in Grapevine, TX.
The offensive line gets some reinforcements as well.
Darryl Jackson, at 6'7" and 305 lb., is a 3 star guard, from Mayfair High in Lakewood, CA, who has filed his paperwork, which was mostly a formality, since he's already in school in Corvallis.
Justin Addie, a 2 star, 6'3" 285 lb. guard from Skyline High in Mesa, AZ, joins Oregon St., and his letter is signed.
The only significant recruit Oregon St. was seriously still in the running for that the Beavers did not get was 4 star defensive tackle Todd Peat from Tempe, AZ. The a 6'3", 300 lb. Peat selected Nebraska over his hometown Arizona St. Sun Devils and Oregon St.
"We feel we have really hit the mark, in some areas we really needed to address," Riley said. "We were real thin on the defensive line, and we addressed that."
"We didn't get a lot of offensive linemen, but we got a couple of good ones."
"We wanted to get a tight end, which we did."
Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com