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With the Oregon State football team adding Washington offensive lineman Payton Stewart to the 2024 recruiting class, BeaversEdge Publisher Brenden Slaughter, Recruiting Analyst Dylan Callaghan-Croley, and National Recruiting Director Adam Gorney break down his commitment and fit!
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THE COMMITMENT
Payton Stewart was a long-time top target for Oregon State, and while it took a little bit of a different path to get to its endpoint, the Beavers and offensive line coach Jim Michalczik eventually got their man.
Oregon State originally offered Stewart in January, one of the first offers for the 6-foot-7 offensive tackle. They would remain a key piece in his recruitment and had the edge early on...
A late offer from Northwestern in April changed his recruitment, however. He would quickly schedule an official visit to Evanston for mid-May and committed just a few days after his official visit.
However, earlier this month, when the Northwestern hazing scandal broke, Stewart ended up de-committing from the Wildcats, and Oregon State immediately became the favorite to land the Kelso (WA) native.
He would make his commitment on Saturday night, giving the Beavers 11 commitments in their 2024 recruiting class.
-Dylan Callaghan-Croley
THE IMPACT
Addition by addition!
Several months ago, it was expected that Oregon State would be missing out on local Kelso (WA) product Payton Stewart as he had announced his commitment to Northwestern in mid-may.
However, the Beavers stayed active in their pursuit despite his pledge, and following his de-commitment from Northwestern, made him one of their top priorities in the class.
Given how the Beavers pride themselves and create their offensive identity from the offensive line outward, securing a solid OL recruiting class year in and year out is paramount.
Offensive line coach Jim Michalczik is among the best in the country at developing talent and the incoming class of recruits this season certainly helps continue the strong pipeline of talent up front.
