The Oregon State Beavers are not a traditional college football recruiting power, but according to 247Sports, the 2021 recruiting class is below its standards.
In an article entitled “National Signing Day: Overachievers and Underachievers in Class 2021,” 247Sports sports analyst Andrew Ivins listed Oregon State among the nation’s underperforming programs on the recruiting trail.
“The state of Oregon usually subscribes to a recruiting class that is in its 50s, but this year’s class is one of the worst for a Power 5 program, at least from a rating standpoint.”
“The Beavers arrived in the week with class No. 117 from the country. For some perspective, there are currently 130 schools playing football at the FBS level. In the last cycle, Illinois signed the lowest ranked Power 5 recruiting class, finishing in 88th overall position, while the USC’s 64th position class was the worst in Pac-12.
Ivins goes on to explain that Oregon State had few scholarships available, contributing to its ranking, but did not excuse the overall result.
Castors have only nine appointments in their class, which are five fewer than the next smaller class at the Pac-12 Conference (State of Arizona; 14) and 10 or less than teams ranked 9-12 (Colorado, Washington and Arizona).
Jonathan Smith took a non-traditional approach to talent acquisition at Corvallis, combing the NCAA’s transfer portal to complement his recruiting classes.
This year, the Beavers secured South Carolina’s running back, Deshaun Fenwick, Georgia wide receiver Makiya Tongue (Georgia), Kansas cornerback Elijah “EJ” Jones and Utah State striker Henry Bloomfield.
– Andrew Nemec | [email protected] | @AndrewNemec