Two football players who once had Pac-12 plans joined Boise State’s recruiting class this week.
Offensive guard Mario Yakoo of Steele Canyon High in Spring Valley, Calif., was dropped from UCLA’s class and defensive end Sam McCaskill of Sheldon High in Eugene, Ore., was headed to Oregon State until the Broncos came calling.
The two oral commitments increased the recruiting class to 23 players, with at least a few undecideds still listing Boise State as a possibility. National Signing Day is Wednesday.
Yakoo (6-foot-4, 320 pounds) and McCaskill (6-4, 240) weren’t heavily recruited by the Broncos until this month.
“You go up there and they make you feel like it’s home,” Yakoo said. “… The coaching staff was great, especially (offensive line coach Chris Strausser). I know he’s going to teach me to be the best player I can possibly be. Plus, my parents both liked that place a lot.”
Yakoo committed to UCLA in June. Last week, the new coaching staff informed him they were withdrawing the scholarship offer. The coaches cited academic issues, he said, but Yakoo and his coach don’t buy that explanation because he submitted his academic information last spring. The UCLA coaches have been busy reworking the Bruins’ class.
Yakoo, who is close friends with Boise State-bound teammate Chanceller James, reached out to the Broncos when UCLA started waffling and completed a whirlwind recruiting process in little more than a week. He visited Boise over the weekend and committed Sunday.
Depending on the final scholarship numbers, he may have to grayshirt and join the Broncos next January.
“I’m actually happy,” he said. “I’m not regretting anything.”
McCaskill expected to accept Oregon State’s offer to grayshirt until Boise State contacted him about three weeks ago. He met coach Chris Petersen, defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and linebackers coach Bob Gregory for the first time Thursday, when the trio visited his home.
He was in Boise over the weekend and will join the team in August.
“It was very fun to be there this weekend,” he said. “It wasn’t really one thing that they said, it was just kind of (the coaches’) personalities. The campus, it really appealed to me. The weather. Of course, the stadium and facilities blew my mind. It’s a place I could really wake up every day really being happy with where I’m at.”
McCaskill made the Oregon Class 6A all-state first team as a defensive lineman and center. He also played fullback in short-yardage situations, with another center coming into the game.
He was the Southwest Conference defensive player of the year with 117 tackles, including 15 sacks.
His other offers were from Montana and Portland State.
“I called coach Petersen (Monday) morning,” McCaskill said of his commitment. “It sounded like he was just as thrilled as I am. I can’t wait to be a part of the program.”
Meanwhile, Scout.com reported that defensive end Darien Barrett of Inglewood (Calif.) High committed to Boise State over the weekend. The Inglewood coaches, however, say Barrett won’t announce his decision until a signing event Wednesday morning.
Another defensive end, Dylan Cozens of Chaparral High in Scottsdale, Ariz., will announce his destination at 10 a.m. Wednesday on a FoxSportsArizona.com webcast. His finalists are Boise State, Arizona and Washington.
Boise State has lost 21 scholarship players off its roster. The school can sign additional players and grayshirt them. They also usually lose a player or two during the offseason.
Chadd Cripe: 377-6398
