Fresno State football: Bulldogs beat Boise State ... for Southern California recruit

Fresno State had a rough night on Saturday, a 37-26 loss at Nevada knocking the Bulldogs out of contention for a spot in the Mountain West Conference football championship game.

But the coaching staff at least was able to wake the following morning to some good news with cornerback Jalen Williams making public a commitment he had made a few days ago.

Williams, rated as a 3-star prospect by 247Sports out of Paraclete High in Lancaster, wasn’t wavering at all on his decision, just putting the finishing touches on a commitment video that hit social media on Sunday morning.

“Ultimately, they put me in the best place to be successful whether it be on the field or off the field,” he said. “I felt like their program was invested in me more than any other I had offers from. It really came down to I felt like it was the best situation for me and I felt wanted there.

“A week and a half after Fresno State offered me, my head was completely in that direction. Boise State offered me recently, but Fresno showed they wanted me more.”

Williams said he would sign with the Bulldogs on Dec. 16, the early letter of intent signing day.

Bulldogs’ 2021 recruiting class

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound corner is the 15th player to make a commitment to Fresno State in its 2021 recruiting class. He joins San Joaquin Memorial High running back Jordan Hornbeak (6-0, 195); offensive lineman Rolan Fullwood (6-5, 305) and running back Johnathan Arceneaux (6-0, 185) both from Lawndale High; quarterback Jaylen Henderson (6-3, 205) from Chaminade-West Hills; safety Julian Neal (6-4, 195) from Mission-San Francisco; defensive tackle Julius Lewis (6-5, 280) from Central Catholic-Modesto; defensive back Joshua Meredith (6-0, 180) from Valhalla-El Cajon; defensive back Alzillion Hamilton (5-11, 180) from Hayward; and athlete Emari Pait (6-2, 200) from Culver City.

Fresno State also has out-of-state commitments from defensive end Tito Chikere (6-4, 245) from Kempner High in Sugar Land, Texas; outside linebacker Frankco Gratton Jr. (6-4, 185) from Rainier Beach-Seattle; defensive back Charlotin Charles (6-0, 195) from Bishop Gorman-Las Vegas; tight end Tre Watson (6-5, 222) from Cleveland-Rio Rancho, N.M.; offensive tackle Braylen Nelson (6-5, 310) from Vista Peak-Aurora, Colo.; and running back Malik Brooks (6-2, 205) from Desert Pines-Las Vegas.

Williams said it was a relief to get through the recruiting process, which was conducted by phone and Zoom meetings with coach Kalen DeBoer and the Bulldogs’ coaching staff. He has not been on campus with official visits shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, but said there are a lot of people in his corner who and talked up the program.

“It’s almost like I’ve been there, but I haven’t been there,” he said.

“It’s really just building relationships with people,” Williams said of recruiting in 2020. “That’s all you really can do right now. You can’t get out to these places.

“The best thing to do is build relationships and trust through Zoom meetings and phone calls. My trust is in Fresno and I have no doubt.”