Historical Recruiting Analysis: Best Hits '02-'06

In a new article series that we're starting at BeaversEdge, we'll be diving deep into the history of Oregon State's football recruiting classes in the Rivals era.

After running through the Diamonds in the Rough from 2002-2006, today, we dive into the best hits on top-rated recruits during the same span.

To be eligible, the recruit had to be ranked five or four stars as an incoming prospect.

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Who could forget Joe Newton?

Arguably one of the best tight ends in Oregon State history, the 6-foot-7, 235-pound Newton, was a matchup nightmare for opposing Pac-12 defenses.

Newton had the distinct advantage of being able to play in Mike Riley's pro-friendly scheme with two outstanding starting quarterbacks as Newton was catching passes from two future NFL quarterbacks in Derek Anderson and Matt Moore.

While Newton didn't catch on in the NFL after going undrafted following his college career, he was a crucial piece to OSU's success in the mid-2000s and was one of their highest-rated recruits coming to Corvallis.