Andersen breaks down the five new Beavers
Gary Andersen broke down his five new football players at today's press conference, and BeaversEdge.com gives you his quotes.
"Big, strong, physical kid. A lot will be talked about with the quarterback situation as we go through time. There's no doubt. We want to continually create competition at every spot. We felt that Jake was a difference maker at the quarterback position or we wouldn't recruit him as a junior college player. He wants to be in the Northwest, he wants to play in the Pac-12, and Oregon State was a great fit for him.
"He never wavered once he was bought in. Jake was all in. Jake didn't entertain any other thoughts; he knew what he wanted and knew he was in for a competition and a battle. He's very excited about that."
"I like that he's started and played in division one football games [at Idaho]. He'll be here in January ready to roll. I couldn't be more excited than to have Jake come join us. He's excited to be here also, I promise you that much."
"There's a lot of defensive lineman coming back on this team, which is great. Craig is an elite, elite talent. He's proven that. I go back three years with Craig in recruiting. It's been a long process. I love what Craig stands for - his fight, his energy, his juice, his excitement, his loyalty to myself - and I appreciate that.
"I'm excited about having him join us. He's a big, strong, physical, athletic kid that has played at a very, very high level obviously in the past. He had to go to a junior college for a year, and he handled it very, very well. His coaches had nothing but praise for him. He's a team leader. I'm proud of Craig, and he's a great addition to our program."
"The uniqueness of Justin is that he has three years left to play, not two. So he'll be a [redshirt] sophomore for us next year, much like Timmy Hernandez last year. He's another young man that has ties to the Northwest in the past and wanted to be here. He loves it here. It fits him well. He's very excited about the opportunity to be at Oregon State. He's been on campus many times, and it's kind of a dream come true for him to be in the Pac-12. He's a talented young man, and I'm excited about getting him in the program."
"I think Isaiah is a perfect example of how coach Baldwin had a really unique relationship with his dad - coached him. This kid hung tight; he did it his way. He knew where he wanted to go. He understood the process - great support from a tremendous family that allowed him to make a decision and stick with that decision. It was not easy; it was a beatdown as far as people trying to get to him. It was a pounding that never went away. When he locked in and said he wanted to be a Beav, it was a done deal.
"I'm excited to see him as a January enrollee at the wide receiver position, which again is creating competition - more productivity in the throw game. Isaiah should help us in that situation."
"Kolby - much of the same [as with Hodgins]. I could sound like a broken recruited. He was highly recruited and locked and loaded with us. He had an injury, and I love those fightback stories. His injury was significant, but he battled through it and it didn't phase him. He fought like crazy. He'll be with us in January and will get on the field and play.
"Trust me, he sends me video of him running and I'm watching him go through the progression that he's going through to get himself back to full speed. He's tremendous athlete, dynamic - catches the ball easy and gets through traffic easy. These two young men [Hodgins and Taylor] will come in here and compete at a high level right away."
