7/26/2023 football Edit

Oregon State picks up fifth offensive line commitment in Rakeem Johnson

Dylan Callaghan-Croley • BeaversEdge

Recruiting Analyst

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Oregon State continues to build in the trenches as, on Wednesday night, the Beavers picked up their fifth offensive line commitment of the cycle in three-star offensive guard Rakeem Johnson.

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Johnson's commitment comes just under two months removed from his official visit to Corvallis in early June. "My official visit was amazing," Johnson said shortly after his official visit. "It was great to see a lot of Corvallis and see what Oregon State has to offer."

Johnson's family also enjoyed the trip quite a bit. "My family was very surprised and loved the way we were being treated," he said in regard to how his family enjoyed the trip. "The coaches sat down with them at every meal and made sure they had a great conversation with them."

Throughout his recruitment, Johnson developed a strong relationship with offensive line coach Jim Michalczik. Michalczik, since coming to Corvallis in 2018, has become one of the best recruiters in the Pac-12 and continues to be impressive for the Beavers.

"I feel like I have a pretty solid relationship with the staff," Johnson told BeaversEdge about his relationship with the staff and Michalczik. "They have sent many letters, even to my mom and dad, which is totally different from what any other school has been doing, so it shows how much they care."

The Beavers' developmental mentality also stood out for Johnson, which is important as he is likely a prospect who would be one or two years away from playing once he arrives on campus. "I like their mentality of wanting to develop their players for four years," he said. "Wanting to be a part of their whole journey to help them become better people and football players."

Johnson joins Payton Stewart (Kelso, WA), Rustin Young (Honolulu, HI), David Abajian (West Hills, CA), and Dylan Sikorski (Sumner, WA) as members of Oregon State's offensive class this cycle. The Beavers have picked up 10 commitments since the beginning of June, including six this month and three since July 15.

Notably, while Johnson currently resides in Idaho, he is originally from Texas. The Beavers this cycle have a pair of commitments in the class from Texas in running backs Brandon Tullis and Makhi Frazier.

It will be intriguing to see where Johnson ultimately lines up for the Beavers once he gets on campus. He is currently listed as a guard, but his size and athleticism could allow him to potentially play center at the next level as well.