Oregon State Football: 2023 Recruiting Update Commits Offers

Yesterday we looked at some of the key offensive perspectives that Jonathan Smith and his company are paying attention to in the 2023 recruiting course. Today we’re looking at the defensive side of the ball:

1) Demarcus Houston – Cornerback

Demarcus Houston is the second highest-ranking recruit in the state of Oregon for the 2023 class and he lives just 15 minutes from Corvallis, West Albany. Houston is not only an exceptional defensive back, he is long and uses his body to cover opposing wide receivers. Demarcus Houston should be one of Beavers’ top recruiting goals.

2) Andre Piper-Jordan Jr. – Cornerback

Andre Piper-Jordan Jr. lives in PNW and is from Federal Way, WA (south of Seattle). He’s a good size 6-foot-1 defensive back and has received offers from Virginia Tech, Nevada, and Oregon State. Blue Adams is a great defensive backs coach to play for and wants Andre at Corvallis. It will be interesting to see what Andre does when his hometown Huskies calls next year.

3) Hunter Wiggins – Safety

Hunter is a talented security guard from San Diego, California. The 6-foot, 185-pound athlete is a playmaker in high school and already has a number of offerings (including from USC). Currently, Arizona and Oregon State are the only offerings outside of the state; but I expect this list to grow rapidly.

4) Jonathan Landry – Cornerback

Jonathan Landry is another PNW native from Vancouver, Washington (Evergreen High School). He’s not currently holding an offer from the state of Oregon, but I expect that will change. Landry holds offerings from Virginia, Utah State, and Florida Atlantic. He’s a great athlete who plays both ways (WR / CB) and moves to the next level as a quick defensive back.

5) Tristan Davis – Defensive end / edge

Tristan Davis of Wilsonville High School (OR) has immense potential. At 6 feet 7,235 pounds, he’s a great athlete and could turn out to be a game changer. He’s a bit raw and has to develop his repertoire in the noise of passports, but his athleticism and talent are undeniable. Wilsonville sometimes even uses it as a tight end. Currently, its only offerings are Colorado and Nevada. But I expect Oregon State to make an offer shortly, Michigan is interested too, but they haven’t made an official offer yet.

6) Blake Nichelson – Linebacker

Blake Nichelson is a formidable athlete; standing 6-foot-3 and 200-pounds from Manteca, California. He’s a playmaker, regardless of whether he’s wreaking havoc in the backcourt or holding the ball on the offensive. Nichelson currently holds offers from: Arizona, Boston College, Fresno State, and Oregon State.

7) Jaylon Jenkins – Safety

Jaylon Jenkins is actually a high school teammate with Andre Piper-Jordan Jr. (# 2 on this list). The Washington native has great instinct for the ball and isn’t afraid to mix it up and end the running game. Jenkins doesn’t hold any offers right now, according to 247 Sports, but I expect that to change.

8th) Stanley Raass – Defensive end / edge

Oregon State has embarked on the recruiting path to find new talent on the defensive. Stanley Raass is a formidable lineman from Lehi, Utah. Raass currently holds offers from: BYU, WSU, and Oregon State. Raass enjoys the physicality on the line of scrimmage. He plays left tackle and on the defensive line for Skyridge High School and would be a great addition to the Beavers defense.

9) Grant Buckey – Defensive end / edge

Buckey already has a handful of listings (including Michigan & Stanford). Stanford appears to be the leader in the clubhouse, but Oregon State and Legi Suiaunoa are going to be hard-hitting Grant Buckey until he makes a decision. He’s a 6-foot-5,270-pound and nearly unblockable if he storms the quarterback off the edge.

10) Tevita Pome’e – Defensive tackle

Back to Utah (Layton) to review the last player on today’s list. Tevita is a mountain of a man 6 feet-3, 315 pounds; but he moves great for his size. He has a strong rugby background and is absolutely noticeable on the line of scrimmage. He currently holds offers from Oregon State and Vanderbilt, but more schools will join over the next year. Tevita Pome’e should be an absolute priority for the Beavs as they are looking to develop a high quality defensive lineman.

Don’t expect much activity on the recruitment trail until dead time is over (mid-January). But after that, look to Oregon State to add to their verbal pledges for 2023. Thank you for reading this year’s dam construction and enjoy the upcoming New Years weekend!