THE COMMITMENT
For Kilgore (TX) JUCO defensive back Johnathan Riley and Oregon State, things were over nearly as quickly as they started.
Riley took an official visit to Corvallis in the beginning of November, and following his trip, the interest became more clear as the days passed. Shortly after the visit, Riley told BeaversEdge the following:
“Of all the opportunities I have right now, I feel like Oregon State is the best one in terms of playing quickly, learning from good coaches, and developing as a player."
Riley will graduate in December and enroll early, so with other schools pursuing him and signing day approaching, his time was closing in quickly. After the Beavers won a gritty contest over Arizona State, Riley seemingly had his mind made up.
"This is exactly why Oregon State will be the school of my choice," Riley said to BeaversEdge.
After an home visit and a trip to TopGolf with Oregon State coaches, Riley decided it was time to make things official and did so with a post on instagram.
THE IMPACT
For a team that needs all the help they can get in the secondary, securing Riley was another big coup for the coaching staff.
While Alton Julian and Ron Hardge figure to see the lions share of the immediate playing time given that the Beavers need more help at corner as opposed to safety, Riley will be in the mix for playing time somewhere right away. The Beavers have made no qualms about needing to bring in better secondary players and Riley fits that bill. I love his size, playmaking, and potential in the coming years as he’s got great instincts for a JUCO safety.
Getting a kid to commit to your school at TopGolf via social media is about as unique of a commitment as it gets, and for Jonathan Smith and Blue Adams to both be there was even more special.
It’s hard to say exactly when Riley is going to make a huge impact on the field, but, he’s a talented player that the Beavers really wanted and now he’s in the fold. OSU knew they needed more size and talent in the secondary to get over the hump, and thus far, they’ve done a great job of getting their guys and locking them down.
Look for Riley to push presumed starters David Morris and Akili Arnold as soon as he gets on campus..
