COMMITMENT ANALYSIS: What Is Oregon State Getting In Damir Collins?

Oregon State has had its eye on Damir Collins for a long time.

After multiple seasons of crazy numbers which eventually led to an at-once four-star ranking and national attention, it was a no-brainer for Oregon State to join the mix, and they were one of the first schools to offer.

After months of visits both ways and lots of relationship building, it was clear that Oregon State had a priority target in Collins.

When the COVID-19 dead periods began, Oregon State only turned up the heat. By that time, Collins was far enough along in his recruitment that he was getting an idea for which schools he would be deciding between, and he released a top four of Oregon State, Cal, Arizona State, and Maryland on May 1st. Shortly after, Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss threw their names in the hat, effectively replacing Arizona State on his list of top schools.

The Beavs pushed hard for the last month, sending multiple new edits and staying in constant contact. Knowing that a good relationship with his position coach was something that Collins desired, running backs coach Michael Pitre was sure to make sure their bond was as strong as possible.

Clearly it was as Collins pledged to play for Oregon State on Wednesday, becoming a huge piece to the class and another huge recruiting win for Coach Smith, Coach Pitre, and the rest of the staff.

- JARED HALUS

MORE: TOP RB Target Damir Collins Commits To Oregon State

There's no doubt that virtual high-fives are being given around Valley Football Center in the wake of landing one of the top in-state prospects in Damir Collins.

The 5-foot-9, 184-pound back has been a top priority target for Oregon State for some time, and now all that hard work has paid off.

Locking down the state and keeping in-state talent at home was a huge priority for Jonathan Smith when he arrived in Corvallis and seeing a recruitment like Collins' certainly backs up the notion that they're well on their way to winning in-state recruiting battles on the regular.

Running backs coach Michael Pitre each of the past two recruiting cycles has delivered a running back that he singled out as being "his guy" (Ta'Ron Madison, Isaiah Newell) and he did the same with Collins. No doubt the Beavers showed interest to other RB's in the 2021 class, but when it came to communication, social media posts, and developing relationships, there's nobody else at the position whom the Beavers valued more.

In terms of his impact on the field, Collins is going to be a guy who will be in contention for immediate playing time. His skillset and talent level are so diverse that it seems quite plausible that he'll be a guy who's talent demands him to be on the field sooner than later.

- BRENDEN SLAUGHTER

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