West mailbag: Mattingly solid to ND

MORE: Around the West

Rivals.com West analyst Adam Gorney addresses questions from readers in his West mailbag.

Oh Danny boy

What's the story with Danny Mattingly? Is he going to stay committed to Notre Dame?

-- Jonathan from Chicago

There were a lot of rumors swirling in the last week that the Spokane (Wash.) Mead prospect -- who can play tight end or linebacker -- was going to de-commit from Notre Dame, but he has shot down all those rumors.

Mattingly was upset at the rumors and said through text messages that any hint that he was looking around was false.

I do know that Washington continues to actively pursue Mattingly, UCLA commit Myles Jack and other in-state prospects. I also know that once Mattingly was offered by Notre Dame it was pretty much a lock that he was going to commit there.

Something might be in the works but as of now Mattingly is sticking with his Notre Dame commitment and has denied all rumors that he's looking around.

Bruin up a QB?

Is UCLA going after a quarterback in this recruiting class?

-- Hector from Los Angeles

From my reporting, UCLA tried to recruit LSU commit Hayden Rettig and Washington pledge Troy Williams, both from Los Angeles, but neither worked out. It seems both four-star prospects are going to honor their commitments and not flip to the Bruins.

That leaves an interesting situation because UCLA could elect to recruit some lesser-known players -- it's not like Southern California is short on quarterback talent -- or it can wait on a quarterback in the 2014 class.

I know the Bruins' coaches have reached out to some players but it looks like Rettig is going to the SEC and Williams will play at Washington.

Best in West

Who is the best wide receiver in the state of California?

-- Roger from Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Right now, Moreno Valley Rancho Verde's Demorea Stringfellow is the top-rated wide receiver in the state and it's important to note the rankings have not been updated since before the season started.

I have heard only great things about the way USC commit Steven Mitchell is playing this season and I'm excited to see him Friday night against Encino Crespi to see if he should supplant Stringfellow as the top receiver in the state. It's definitely a close race.

I love Stringfellow's size, route-running ability and he has soft hands but Mitchell is a classic setup man who plants his foot and makes cornerbacks look really slow sometimes. A lot of people have compared him to a smaller Percy Harvin and Mitchell was outstanding at numerous national events this past summer.

Friday's showing could play a big factor for ratings purposes moving forward.

Not capitalizing

Why has Oregon State not capitalized on its success this season by landing more big-time recruits?

-- Mitch from Portland

Be patient. Yes, it's true that by the Rivals.com team rankings Oregon State has the worst recruiting class in the Pac-12 but there are still some crucial months ahead for recruiting and if the Beavers keep winning then all should be OK.

Coach Mike Riley has had success taking undervalued talent and making a great team and this class should be no different. It would be nice for Oregon State fans to see one or two four-star commitments but the Beavers have a formula for success and it's certainly working so far this season.

This is going to be a tough stretch for Oregon State though on the field. Washington is no pushover and then Arizona State, Stanford, Cal and Oregon remain. There's that dreaded Nicholls State game to end the season, a real rough one, especially if the Beavers can escape a brutal November schedule.

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