Fresno State never beats the Pac-10 for recruits, let alone the top Valley prospects that always seem to spurn the Bulldogs for a scholarship offer to Cal, USC, UCLA, Arizona, Oregon or Oregon State among others. The 2010 class is one that can lay claim to few ground breaking recruiting victories.
Stockton (Calif.) St. Mary’s wide receiver Josh Harper had offers from every Pac-10 school at one point last summer. However, after committing to Cal in August, he reopened his recruitment last month. In the end, Fresno State came away with one of the top wide receiver prospects in the nation. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound wideout is unbelievable on film. He is arguably the biggest name recruit to spurn multiple BCS offers late in the recruiting process and sign with the Bulldogs.
Bakersfield (Calif.) Frontier punter Matt Darr is the nation’s No. 1 rated player at his position, according to Scout.com. Fresno State has never signed a Scout.com No. 1 rated player since the use of current form of recruiting rankings started in 2002. Darr had offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Baylor, LSU, Northwestern, Oklahoma State and USC among many others. He committed to USC last June but the departure of Pete Carroll caused him to look elsewhere. The combination of having his college major and proximity to his hometown made Fresno State his choice on signing day.
Tulare (Calif.) safety Edward Dillihunt fits the mold of a prototypical Valley prospect that looks to leave the area and play in the Pac-10. In fact, his teammate Marquess Wilson, who had a Fresno State offer, is headed to Washington State. But for Dillihunt, playing for Pat Hill and playing in front of family and friends won his pledge. He turned down offers from Arizona State and Washington State.
The Bulldogs has not had great recruiting success in San Diego in Hill’s previous years. And with the greater San Diego area having one of its richest recruiting classes in 2010, how could Fresno State make a dent? Last year, Hill was able to sneak in and sign underrated running back Robbie Rouse. Rouse’s Madison High School team camped in Fresno during the 2008 summer. Landing Rouse seemed to be enough to get Hill in the door with other top San Diego area recruits in 2010.
His teammate Lester Fontenette had offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Washington, and Washington State but didn’t take another trip besides his official visit to Fresno State. San Diego Lincoln wider receivers Davon Dunn and Victor Dean had many Pac-10 offers but in the end, they both signed with Fresno State. In Dunn’s case, he reneged on his verbal commitment to Cal, and he will follow his father’s (former Bulldog receiver David Dunn) footsteps to Fresno.
Other Bulldog signees with Pac-10/BCS are Isaiah Burse, Jalen Saunders and Derron Smith. Burse and Saunders are both North Valley prospects that had some of best senior film among any Golden State Prospects.
The 2010 Fresno State Recruiting Class
| Pos |
Nat'l
Rank |
Nat'l
Rating |
Name
School, Hometown |
Video |
HT/ WT/ 40 |
Commit Date |
Signed LOI? |
Commit School |
| QB |
JC |
 |
Kelly O'Brien
(Foothill)
Los Altos Hills, CA |
|
6-6/210 |
02/02/2010
|
 |
Fresno State |
| P |
1 |
|
Matt Darr
(Frontier HS)
Bakersfield, CA |
 |
6-2/210 |
02/01/2010
|
|
Fresno State |
| OLB |
110 |
|
Ofa Fifita
(Arroyo Valley HS)
San Bernardino, CA |
|
6-0/220/4.70 |
01/28/2010
|
|
Fresno State |
| CB |
NR |
|
Greg Watson
(Rancho Cucamonga HS)
Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
|
5-11/190/4.59 |
01/24/2010
|
|
Fresno State |
| OG |
84 |
|
Tyeler Davison
(Desert Mountain HS)
Scottsdale, AZ |
|
6-1/281/5.35 |
01/24/2010
|
|
Fresno State |
| S |
75 |
|
Derron Smith
(Banning HS)
Banning, CA |
|
6-0/195/4.50 |
01/23/2010
|
|
Fresno State |
| WR |
66 |
|
Josh Harper
(St. Mary's HS)
Stockton, CA |
|
6-2/190/4.50 |
01/18/2010
|
|
Fresno State |
| TE |
NR |
|
Cody Wichmann
(Mariposa County HS)
Mariposa, CA |
|
6-5/275 |
01/13/2010
|
|
Fresno State |
| CB |
NR |
|
Anthony Riggins
(Rodriguez HS)
Fairfield, CA |
|
6-0/190 |
01/09/2010
|
|
Fresno State |
| CB |
128 |
|
Isaiah Burse
(Modesto Christian)
Modesto, CA |
|
5-11/180 |
12/28/2009
|
|
Fresno State |
| WR |
72 |
|
Davon Dunn
(Lincoln Senior HS)
San Diego, CA |
|
6-0/185/4.50 |
12/23/2009
|
|
Fresno State |
| QB |
125 |
|
Marcus McDade
(St. Mary's HS)
Stockton, CA |
|
6-3/195 |
12/14/2009
|
|
Fresno State |
| OT |
139 |
|
Andrew Gustafson
(Chaparral HS)
Scottsdale, AZ |
|
6-6/262/5.01 |
12/14/2009
|
|
Fresno State |
| RB |
138 |
|
Emery Schexnayder
(North (John W.) HS)
Riverside, CA |
|
5-11/210/4.55 |
12/12/2009
|
|
Fresno State |
| WR |
132 |
|
Victor Dean
(Lincoln Senior HS)
San Diego, CA |
|
6-6/198/4.40 |
11/27/2009
|
|
Fresno State |
| OLB |
NR |
|
John Oglesby
(Highland HS)
Bakersfield, CA |
|
6-2/225 |
11/24/2009
|
|
Fresno State |
| RB |
119 |
|
Leslie Rogers
(Point Loma Senior HS)
San Diego, CA |
|
6-1/180 |
10/20/2009
|
|
Fresno State |
| S |
101 |
|
Edward Dillihunt
(Tulare Union HS)
Tulare, CA |
|
5-10/194/4.85 |
10/17/2009
|
|
Fresno State |
| QB |
79 |
|
Lester Fontenette
(Madison Senior HS)
San Diego, CA |
|
6-2/210 |
10/13/2009
|
|
Fresno State |
| WR |
179 |
|
Sean Alston
(Los Osos HS)
Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
|
5-9/172 |
10/04/2009
|
|
Fresno State |
| WR |
176 |
|
Jalen Saunders
(Pleasant Grove HS)
Elk Grove, CA |
|
5-9.5/157 |
08/17/2009
|
|
Fresno State |
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