Football welcomes 19 new recruits

Fresno State looked for speed and versatility in its 2005 recruiting class, which was made up of all high school players

By EDDIE HUGHES

Fresno State coach Pat Hill said speed and flexibility of positions were priorities in his 2005 recruiting class.

And those are the qualities many of the newest Bulldogs have.

Fresno State signed 19 recruits — all from high school — to national letters of intent Wednesday as Hill prepares for his ninth season at the helm.

The class includes 12 players from the Central Valley, and five from the Fresno-Clovis area.

The Bulldogs signed recruits to play at every offensive and defensive position, with several athletes able to play multiple positions.

Jason Crawley, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound athlete from Pittsburg (Calif.) High, is projected to play in the secondary or at wide receiver for the Bulldogs. Hill said Crawley’s frame reminds him some of Chicago Bears receiver Bernard Berrian when he first arrived at Fresno State.

“He’s going to be a big man when he’s done playing,” Hill said.

Another recruit who could end up at either cornerback or receiver is 6-0, 170-pound Marlin Moore from Natomas High in Sacramento. Hill said Moore’s speed is one of his top attributes.

Adding more versatility is 5-11, 200-pound Qaadir Brown, a running back at Lake Elsinore (Calif.) High, who Hill is going to play at defensive back next season. Brown graduated early from high school and is already enrolled in classes at Fresno State.

Five signees earned all-state honors.

Central Valley Christian (Visalia) quarterback Ryan Colburn (6-3, 220) was a first-team all-state small school selection after leading his team to victory in each of the last 25 games of his career.

Wide receiver Seyi Ajirotutu (6-3, 190) of Oak Ridge High in El Dorado Hills, Calif. was named second-team all-state by Cal-Hi Sports. He was also named MVP of the Sacramento Bee all-metro team, catching 77 passes for 1,205 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior.

Offensive guard Richard Pacheco, a CIF all-state pick, chose Fresno State over Colorado. Hill said the 6-3, 275-pounder out of Canyon Springs (Calif.) High has a “Bulldog personality.”

“He is what we are looking for in a Bulldog football player,” Hill said. “He is similar to Ryan Wendell and Cole Popovich with his explosiveness and toughness. He plays the game very hard.”

Fresno High product Lawrence Hood (5-10, 170) was also all-state and is slated to play cornerback for the Bulldogs. Hill compared Hood to current Bulldogs standout Richard Marshall and said there are “helmets popping off guys’ heads when he hits them.”

The Bulldogs’ only signee from outside of California was center Joe Bernardi, a 6-2, 260-pounder from Flagstaff (Ariz.) High. He was a teammate of current Bulldogs Sean Norton and Kevin Ciccone at Hart High in Newhall, Calif. last season. Bernardi was a first-team all-state honoree.

Other Fresno-area products include defensive tackle Cornell Banks of Edison High, tight end Maurice Graham of Washington Union High, defensive back Marvin Haynes of Central High and fullback Frank Padilla of Clovis East High.

Hill said Banks (6-2, 265) was the most dominant defensive lineman in the Valley.

Graham is a 6-4, 300-pounder whom the Bulldogs will play at tight end. Hill said he runs the 40-yard dash in the low 4.8-second range.

Haynes (6-1, 185) played receiver, running back, defensive back and linebacker at Central but will be a defensive back at Fresno State.

Padilla will serve as a blocking back at 6-0, 240 pounds. Hill said he understands and loves his role.

The Bulldogs got another receiver with size in Moorpark (Calif.) High’s Chastin West (6-1, 195). Hill said West stayed with his commitment to Fresno State despite being recruited by Arizona State.

“Chastin is a big-time, big-play receiver,” Hill said. “He has great size and speed and I think will develop into another of the many outstanding receivers we have had here at Fresno State.”

The Bulldogs got a couple of speedy linebackers in 6-1, 220-pound Todd Chisom of Beverly Hills (Calif.) High and Isaac Kinter of Oak Ridge High. Hill said Kinter runs a 4.6-second 40-yard dash.

Hill compared 5-11, 200-pound defensive back Moses Harris (Lincoln High, Stockton) to a young Bryce McGill, the Bulldogs’ former All-Western Athletic Conference safety/linebacker.

Hill said offensive lineman James Meeks (Bishop O’Dowd High, Oakland) is a steal. He expects the 6-5, 260-pounder to develop into a 6-5, 310-pounder in two years.

Joining the defensive end position will be Devin Packard (6-6, 235) and Wilson Ramos (6-4, 230).

Packard, out of Santa Monica (Calif.) High, was recruited by Pac-10 schools as an offensive lineman, Hill said.

Hill said Ramos, out of Woodland (Calif.) High, is very aggressive and can run. Ramos comes from the same high school as Fresno State starting quarterback Paul Pinegar.