After being named head coach at Oregon State, Jonathan Smith started recruiting the current Beaver commits first, and then he moved on to talk to some of the top targets under the Cory Hall regime.

Yuma (Ariz.) Arizona Western C.C. defensive tackle Tristan Nichols got a call from Smith last Saturday.

"We talked on the phone for about five minutes," Nichols said. "He said that coach [Cookus] would be coming down to talk to me. He's really excited to turn things around at Oregon State. We wants to get me out there and I still have the offer.