5/5/2020 football Edit

BREAKING: 2021 LB Easton Mascarenas Commits To Oregon State

Jared Halus • BeaversEdge

Recruiting Analyst

The month of May continues to be a good one for the Oregon State Beavers.

In late May of 2019, the Beavs added two massive targets to their 2020 class in Ben Gulbranson and Zeriah Beason. This time around, they did not have to wait quite as long to earn a commitment from a priority target as Mission Viejo (CA) linebacker Easton Mascarenas decided to lock his recruitment down and pledge to Oregon State.

Mascarenas is a 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker who has always been at the top of the recruiting board for the Oregon State staff. During a zoom call with the coaching staff, he decided to make things official.

Get all of the news features, and latest scoop on Oregon State athletics for 30 DAYS FREE.

“I had a virtual visit today to talk to some of the strength coaches and academic counselors,” said Mascarenas. “After that I got on the phone with all of the coaches and when I told them they all got out of their chairs and were yelling and screaming. It was really cool and showed how much they cared.”

It has been a long time coming for Mascarenas, who added his first offer from the Beavers back in January of 2019. His brother, Akili Arnold, is a defensive back at OSU and has been trying to convince him to join him ever since. When Arnold and the rest of the family found out the news, it was all excitement.

“He was excited, but he is a tough older brother so he didn’t show it too much,” Mascarenas told BeaversEdge. “I know he is excited to play with me again because I know I am. The rest of my family was fully supportive and they are very happy because they have seen first-hand how good of a school it is.”

It is always preached that relationships are the biggest part of recruiting, and Mascarenas' commitment is another example of that.

“I haven’t taken that many visits so being able to see Oregon State definitely boosted them ahead of the game,” Mascarenas said. “I am really familiar with their campus, facilities, and have a really close bond with the coaches. They have stayed in contact with me over the whole process and shown a lot of interest."

Now that he is Corvallis bound, Mascarenas is most excited to be coached by Oregon State linebacker coach Trent Bray.

“I am really excited to soak in all the knowledge that coach Bray has for me,” Mascarenas said. “I have heard so many good things about him as a coach and person, so I am really excited to learn from him and take my game to the next level.”

Until he gets to campus, however, he is determined to turn into the best player possible.

“It is a lot of weight off my shoulders and the start of something special,” Mascarenas told BeaversEdge “Now that I don’t have to worry about my recruitment I can focus on my craft and my grind to get better as a player.

I want to be the most complete player I can be. I am hitting the weights a lot to get stronger, and I have been doing a lot of footwork and ladders trying to get my speed up.”

What can Beaver fans expect from Mascarenas?

“They are getting a hard-working team player that wants the best for the team,” said Mascarenas. “I want to win and will put my heart and soul into the game to do whatever it takes.”

Mascarenas joins OL Henry Buckles and DL Alex Lemon in the 2021 class, as well as offensive lineman Sione Veikoso who was originally in the class of 2018 and is returning from a mission.