Huge Recruiting Weekend leads to 3 New Commitments

Not one... Not two... But THREE new commits for Oregon State football on a huge recruiting weekend for the Beavers. Jonathan Smith and his newfound love of Twitter, hinted at the commitments earlier in the afternoon. And the official announcements did not disappoint. Tavis Shippen, Nahson Wright and Kyrei Fisher all committed to play for Oregon State football. Two of the three commits should be eligible to play for the Beavers this fall and would be a huge boon for a defense that could use a shot in the arm.

Tavis Shippen

Tavis Shippen (6-foot-5, 275-pounds) is one of the highest-rated junior college prospects in the nation (No. 15) and third highest ranked defensive end. Shippen committed to the Beavers over Arizona State, Utah and Oregon. Shippen hopes to enroll at Oregon State early, but won’t be available until the 2020 season.

It appears that Oregon State was able to entice him with the promise of early playing time. Shippen will have two years of eligibility remaining once he enrolls at Oregon State and wants to make the most of it and should have a good opportunity to showcase his skills.

Kyrei Fisher

Kyrei Fisher (6-foot-2, 227-pounds) is an intriguing and unique player. He committed to Oregon State this weekend and hopes to be eligible to play this upcoming season. The former Arkansas linebacker transferred to Trinity Valley Community College, but did not play a down before garnering interest from bigger schools.

Fisher held offers from Michigan State, Colorado, Kansas and Minnesota out of high school. The versatile linebacker while technically a 2020 recruit would a huge boost to Oregon State’s defense if he is eligible for the 2019 season.

Nahshon Wright

Nahson Wright is a 6-foot-4, 175-pound cornerback from Laney (junior) College. The long and athletic corner had offers from Boise State, Hawaii, SDSU and others. After he announced his commitment to Oregon State he cancelled his visits that he had scheduled for Colorado and Boise State.

The junior college player is a spring graduate and is eligible to play for the Beavers this upcoming season. Wright has three years of eligibility with Oregon State and could compete for immediate playing time, especially if the Beavers experience any amount of injuries in their secondary.

It’s no secret that Oregon State’s defense has struggled the past two seasons. In fact, according to Bill Connelly the Beavers 2018 defense was the worst “Power Five” defense of any team in the last 14 seasons. Oregon State’s 2017 defense was 4th worst. Jonathan Smith and his staff have made great strides to address the issues on defense.

Today’s commitments could go a long way in helping to improve Oregon State’s defense. Wright and Fisher are both likely to see the field in 2019. Shippen will almost assuredly boost the Beavers defensive line starting in 2020. Adding experienced junior college players at each level on the defense is huge for Oregon State. Is football season yet?!