Riley Sharp
Riley Sharp runs with the ball for Skyline High School (Utah)
(Courtesy of Riley Sharp)
Skyline High School (Utah) linebacker/tight end Riley Sharp holds offers from Air Force, Nevada, Oregon State, Southern Utah, UNLV and Weber State, but one school stands out as his clear favorite in the early recruiting process.
"At this point, Oregon State is my leader," he explained.
Had it not been for a well-timed phone call and some heady recruiting by the Oregon State coaching staff, that favorable position may not have materialized.
Sharp made an impression on linebacker/special teams coach Ilasia Tuiaki at the All Poly Camp in mid-June, but the under-the-radar prospect didn't know whether he had done enough to earn a scholarship.
"Coach Tuiaki told me that they really liked me as an outside linebacker and that they should be getting back to me somewhere at the end of summer. So, I went home pretty stoked about that conversation," he said. "He called me later that night and said he talked to all of the coaches and they were really stoked about me. They offered me right then."
Blown away by the sudden offer, Sharp immediately picked out the Beavers ahead of the other schools recruiting him.
"I was so excited. Pac-12, Oregon State, I was very stoked about it," he said. "I love all of the coaches at Oregon State and I think it'd be a great place to play."
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound athlete still hasn't visited Corvallis, but indicated that he and his family are working on a summer trip.
Even with the Beavers' early advantage, they will have to work to stay there. BYU, Utah and Utah State are all in contact with Sharp regularly, and the Utes, in particular, could still creep up on Oregon State if they offered.
"It would be a battle, for sure," Sharp said.
And one worth fighting, at that.
Last season, Sharp showed off his versatility and athleticism, racking up 1,032 yards and 12 touchdowns as a pass-catcher, while accumulating 57 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss and 7.5 sacks on defense. Those numbers were good for a spot on the Desert News' 4A all-state second-team.
-- Andrew Nemec
anemec@oregonian.com
@AndrewNemec