Usher makes his decision

Just a few weeks ago, we talked with Los Angeles (Calif.) Jefferson wide out Austin Usher about the recruiting process and he told us Cal held a slight lead over Oregon State but it could still go either way. The All-American receiver decided to pull the trigger last night and made one of these Pac 10 schools very happy.

“I committed to Oregon State,” Usher said. “It was the toughest decision of my life but I just felt like Oregon State was the best place for me. They have been recruiting me for a long time and the fact that my older brother (Whitfield) is there was more important than I thought it would be. Just having someone there who can show me around and help me get used to the college life was important and that really was the major difference.

“I’ve been impressed with how Oregon State has looked this year. They play hard and they need some young receivers. I really like Coach Riley a lot. He’s a good coach but a great guy and everyone I know has great things to say about him. I’m just really comfortable at Oregon State. I’ve been there several times and it just feels like the right place to me. Cal is a great school too but there is always going to be questions about how long Coach Tedford will be there. I think Coach Riley will be around for awhile at Oregon State.”

Usher, 6-3, 195 pounds is one of the elite players in the West region. He first caught our eye at the NorCal Nike Camp two years ago when he was one of the top players in attendance despite just coming off of his sophomore year. He’s a big, physical receiver who can run and is very aggressive in the air. He has good hands and can stretch a defense or be a possession guy over the middle because of his size.