Quarterback Aidan Willard Signs Letter Of Intent To Play For Oregon State

A 6’ 2”, 185 pound gunslinger from Napa, California’s Justin-Siena High School, pro-style quarterback Aidan Willard signed his Letter of Intent to continue his football career at Oregon State on Wednesday, joining junior-college transfer Jake Luton (Ventura College), as the only quarterbacks in the Beavers’ 2017 recruiting class. Willard, along with Luton, will join a crowded Oregon State quarterback depth chart that includes junior Marcus McMaryion, senior Darell Garretson, sophomore Conor Blount and redshirt freshman Mason Moran.

Willard verbally committed to the Beavers back on May 9th of 2016, after a fairly easy recruiting process that was aided by some crucial family connections. Both of Willard’s parents are Oregon State alumnus, which helped the developing talent to feel comfortable accepting an offer to the school just days after head coach Gary Andersen and company reached out to the three-star prospect. However, that’s not to say Oregon State had no competition for the gunslingers’ services. Willard spurned offers from the likes of Cincinnati, Hawaii, New Mexico and Toledo, as well as rising interest from a bevy of additional power conference programs.

Not projected to figure too much into the mix during his rookie season in Corvallis, Willard is a long-term type of talent who could use his redshirt year during the 2017 campaign, in order to allow some of the position traffic in front of him to clear itself up. However, after last season’s chaotic rollercoaster season at the quarterback position, its unknown just who Andersen will be forced to rely upon at any point in time. Whether Willard plays or not in Year One, it looks like Oregon State have secured themselves a notable talent, who should only aid in the Beavers’ promising rebuild through the ranks of the Pac-12.