For the entirety of the 2020 recruiting cycle, Oregon State coaches prioritized just one single running back. Las Lomas High School playmaker Isaiah Newell was their main focus from start to finish, and while it was a great accomplishment for the staff to land him, it was far more important to Newell, who committed on his late father's birthday.

“It was a special day,” Newell told BeaversEdge. “What he saw for me in the long run finally played out. A lot of my dad’s friends who are on twitter were sending me texts and tweeting me and stuff, so it was a really cool and special day."

Newell never showed any signs of backing off of his pledge despite having multiple schools try to make him do just that. Putting pen to paper ended those efforts and marked a milestone in Newell's life.

“It was a big milestone when I got to sign that piece of paper,” Newell said. “It was just proof of how much work I’ve put in and all of that. I had a few schools trying to change my mind before signing day, so it was nice to get all of that over with when I signed.”

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