Arizona athlete impressed by visit to Corvallis

Shane McCullen has been a very busy young man these past few weeks. The athletic 6-foot-2, 195-pound linebacker/safety prospect from Apache Junction, Arizona has been flying all around, attending camps, combines, and junior days at schools all across the West Coast. McCullen was able to use some of his time to attend Oregon State's half-day camp a week ago Friday and as it turns out, it's something that he's glad he did.

"I flew into Portland and then made the drive in (to Corvallis), but it was a nice drive - it's very green up there, not like here in Arizona," McCullen said. "When I got there, I met up with the coaches - I met Coach Cav (Mike Cavanaugh) first as he's the one who's been recruiting me. He then took me up and introduced me to all the other coaches."

"From there, I went down to the camp and had a blast," McCullen continued. "I worked with the linebackers and it was fun. I learned a lot. I think I did pretty good. I don't buckle down under pressure, so I thought I did pretty good."

McCullen didn't leave OSU with a scholarship offer, but he got a good look around the surroundings while he was in Corvallis to give him a good impression.

"They haven't offered, but there's a high interest level," McCullen said. "I like the campus a lot and like how it was small and easy to get around. I really like the football program and what they're all about."

From OSU, McCullen went down to Berkeley and camped at Cal, which has recently offered him a full ride. He currently holds offers from Cal, Air Force, Army, Utah, Nevada, and Washington State and wouldn't mind hearing from even more schools.

"Right now, I'm pretty open to anything," McCullen said. "But Cal is up there, as is Colorado."

McCullen has seen quite a few college campuses unofficially and has a good idea of what he's searching for in a program and school.

"I want to walk away with a good degree," McCullen said. "Also, I want a good football program where I can have fun the next four or five years, depending if I redshirt or not. I just want to be a at a place where I can have fun."

McCullen is listed as an athlete in the Rivals.com system, but is wide open on what position he'll play at the college level so that should not figure into his decision. It's been a hectic time for McCullen who is now looking at taking it easy for the time being.

"I've been to a lot of camps and combines, so I think I'm going to chill it down now," McCullen said. "I'm going to Arizona State for their camp, but after that I'm going to focus on high school stuff."