Central Coast athlete lands No. 3

Two-way standout K.J. Cusack (5-9, 160, 4.45) from Santa Maria (Calif.) St. Joseph is picking up right where he left off last year with big play after big play and sold work at corner.

In his first two games, he has accounted for 496 all-purpose yards and has scored seven touchdowns. He has returned two punts for touchdowns, one kickoff for a touchdown and one fumble recovery that he returned to the house for a score.

As a running back, Cusack has 250 yards rushing in two games and three touchdowns.

"UC Davis called and offered K.J. a full ride," St. Joseph assistant coach and K.J.'s father Patrick Cusack said. "They want him as cornerback and special teamer. He now has offers on both sides of the ball.

"Most teams are recruiting K.J. as a slot receiver and return man," Cusack said. "Both Air Force and Portland State offered him as a slot receiver and return man."

UC Davis joins Portland State and Air Force as schools with offers, but there could be more on the way because the phone line is heating up at the Cusack household.

Fresno State, San Jose State, Montana State, and Sacramento State have picked up their recruitment of him. Washington recently called requesting tape and Tulane called the school. Miami of Ohio is trying to work out a visit and if that happens, he should get an offer. Oregon State and Cincinnati have also shown interest.

Cusack is another one of those players who seems to be at his best when his team need him the most. This week he returned the opening kick-off 90 yards for a score and returned a fumble for touchdown to lead his team to a 28-13 upset victory over a local rival Paso Robles.

Cusack first came to the attention of Rivals.com with a standout performance at UCLA's one day camp in June when he was getting open and catching footballs against some the Golden State's best defensive backs.

The scouting report on Cusack is he's very athletic and has the frame to add 20-30 pounds once he starts working out in a collegiate program. He is a very versatile player who has tremendous ball skills and could end up playing on either side of the ball. Adding to his stature as a recruit is his special teams play. Cusack has combined 19 special teams touchdowns for his three-year high school career and he still has more games to go. Not only does he have good speed, in the traditional sense, but he also great football speed.

Also an outstanding student who carries a 3.4 GPA and scored a 1660 SAT.