* Stay up to date with Taylor Barton, Jordan Johnson, and Scott Eklund’s Facebook as you will always get original commit and new offer info.. Some of this news being reported on is a day or two old, but came to you first as always at NEI
(David Ajamu could be considered one of the top TE’s in the country and the Beavers got a gem) |
One player that came out of nowhere this summer to garner notice from schools across the western region is Shelton (Wa.) TE David Ajamu, and over the weekend the talented prospect decided he’d seen and heard enough and chose to commit to Oregon State, one of the first schools that showed him how much they wanted him by offering during the spring.
"I was down for an unofficial this weekend and I decided that I wanted to be part of the Oregon State program," Ajamu told Northwest Elite Index. "It’s a huge relief to me because I didn’t want to be thinking about this during my season. Honestly, I was thinking about waiting, taking some visits and then making my decision, but when I weighed everything out, Oregon State was just the best opportunity for me and I just decided it was time to become a Beaver.
"The atmosphere there is great and I just felt like it was a family and that’s something that I really wanted in the place I signed."
In addition to his offer from Oregon State, Ajamu also had offers from Nevada, Portland State and Wyoming and he was getting interest from several other schools as well.
So what type of a player will the Beavers be getting?
Ajamu, who measures in at 6’6" and tips the scales at 245 pounds. He’s athletic and possesses soft hands, something that came in handy last season when he totaled 70 receptions for over 1,500 yards and five touchdowns for the High Climbers last season as a junior.
"I feel like I’m more of an athlete than a lot of tight ends," Ajamu told Northwest Elite Index recently. "They split me out a lot, but I’m also on the end of the line a lot too, so I’m pretty versatile."As a starter last season, Ajamu displayed outstanding hands and athleticism, to go along with a 4.6 forty time
"They used me a lot in-between the 20s, but then when we got in the redzone, they sorta didn’t look my way as much, " Ajamu admitted. "This year, I want to be ‘the guy’ in the redzone, so I’ve been working hard on getting stronger and making sure my routes are good and that I have good timing with my quarterback."
Ajamu and his teammates get practices started this week in preparation for the start of their season on August 31st with a home game against Tumwater.
(Darrin Laufasa 6-2 220 Sr. RB/LB of Bothell HS made a big time commitment to BYU yesterday) |
Even though he isn’t LDS, Bothell (Wa.) RB/LB Darrin Laufasa decided he wanted to end the recruiting process before the start of his senior season of football and made the decision to commit to BYU over the weekend.
"I committed to BYU today," an excited Laufasa told Northwest Elite Index shortly after making his decision. "It was really great down there, spending time with the staff and I loved the environment. I’m not LDS, I’m Catholic, but the religion aspect was important to me. The morality and all of that stuff was important and when it was all said and done, I just wanted to be part of their program."
Besides his offer from the Cougars, Laufasa also had offers from Portland State, Idaho and Wyoming and he was getting looks from several Pac 12 schools as well.
As a junior, Laufasa played for Juanita in Kirkland and was less than 100% the entire season after breaking a bone in his foot during the summer.
"I pushed it too hard," Laufasa admitted. "I wanted to get out there and play ball and help my team any way that I could and I came back too fast. This year, I’m taking it slow and making sure it’s all good before I go hard again."
As a running back for the Rebels last season, Laufasa totaled over 600 yards and seven touchdowns while also posting 50 tackles from his linebacker spot on defense.
"I’m being recruited by BYU as a running back and that’s definitely what I prefer," Laufasa said. "I’ll play here at Bothell this year and then get ready to head down there in the summer next year to start my college career."
Bothell begins practice later this week (Wednesday) and kicks off the season with a road game versus defending 4A State Champs, Skyline, in a non-league game for both teams.
