Beavers land one of states best

The Oregon State Beavers are on a roll. Hot on the heels of their recent commitment of SoCal standout quarterback Mike Perri (6-4, 210, 4.6) from Covina (Calif.) Charter Oak the Beavers picked up one of the best players from the home state of Oregon in linebacker/fullback/running back Mike Jones (6-1, 225, 4.57) from Portland (Ore.) Jesuit.

Though Jones was an all-state selection as a running back he projects as a linebacker or fullback for the Beavers.

Athletically Jones is considered one of the top recruits in the Beaver State for the class of ‘05.

Three star quarterback standout Erik Ainge (6-6, 180, 4.6) from Hillsboro (Ore.) Glencoe told one Rivals.com source that “Jones flat out the best athlete in the state.” That is high praise indeed when you consider that Ainge is a major recruit in two sports.

Not much was known about Jones outside of Oregon and the greater Northwest because he was hurt after three games last year.

The scouting report on Jones is he’s a power back with good speed. His best days on the gridiron are definitely ahead and maybe as a linebacker for the Beavers. Jones is a little raw but has a huge upside.

Jones had other recruiting interest from Oregon, Washington, Washington State and Portland State, besides the Beavers.

The new Oregon State coaching staff is astute talent evaluators and many were on the staff that recruited the majority of the players who were part of that magical 11-1 team that took the nation by storm when the Beavers pounded Notre Dame on New Year’s Day a few years ago.

So far this new Beaver staff is off to a fine start recruiting solid football talent to Corvallis.