Fresno State Bulldogs land ‘athletic freak,’ beef up some key positions in early signing

Fresno State signed 10 players on Wednesday at the start of the early national letter-of-intent signing period, then moved on without a word from coach Jeff Tedford or interim coach Lee Marks.

The class, an athletics spokesperson said, would be recapped in February following the traditional signing day.

However, the Bulldogs’ social media team wasn’t silent, revealing that Fresno State made inroads filling their most pressing need in this class — signing defensive linemen. Key signings Wednesday included Gavriel Lightfoot (6-foot-3, 285 pounds) from Corona Centennial, Jahzon Jacks (6-5, 255) from Stockton St. Mary’s, and Miles Bailey (6-4, 255) from Benicia.

“I am a huge Jahzon Jacks fan,” said Brandon Huffman, national recruiting editor for 247 Sports. “I saw him a ton in the fall of last year. I saw him again this summer at the Sacramento State camp. I really like him.

“I’m a big Miles Bailey fan. I saw him at a number of events, as well. And then I’m super intrigued by Gavriel Lightfoot, being a Centennial player, you know he’s going to come in with an edge to him. He’s going to be a pretty well-coached player and probably has a chance to play early because Corona Centennial kids have a tendency to be well-coached and disciplined enough to play as true freshmen. I really like that pickup.

“That’s a nice addition. When you only have 10 guys in your class and three of them are defensive linemen, which obviously is a premium position, that’s big.”

Fresno State, on the interior, will lose senior tackle Kevin Atkins after the New Mexico Bowl as well as Ryan Boehm. Outside, Arron Mosby and Kwami Jones will play their final games at the bowl.

Bulldogs filled a position of need

The Bulldogs’ class to this point also includes offensive linemen Nate Maier (6-5, 290) from Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World and Marcus Simien (6-4, 285) from Patterson, wideouts Nathan Acevedo (5-10, 161) from San Diego Lincoln and Jalen Moss (6-1, 164) from Menlo Park Menlo-Atherton, cornerback Jomarion Briggs (6-1, 158) from Stockton Lincoln, linebacker Tim Thomas (6-1, 215) from Stockton Lincoln and tight end Merhauti Xepera (6-3, 244) from Gilbert, Ariz., Higley.

The class is ranked a distant fourth in the Mountain West by 247 Sports, with Boise State at No. 1 (170.55 points), followed by San Diego State (143.98) and Utah State (143.80). Fresno State had 109.90 points, though the Broncos, Aztecs, and Aggies all had more players committed before the signing period.

This also is a class more rooted in California than a year ago when the Bulldogs signed cornerback Cale Sanders from Texas, tight end Tre Watson from New Mexico, and offensive lineman Braylen Nelson from Colorado, all of whom played in seven or more games this season and started at least once.

That class also included linebackers Zeke Branham from Arizona and Charlotin Charles, Husky Malik Brooks from Nevada, and defensive end Frankco Gratton Jr. from Washington.

But it will be intriguing, Huffman said, where Tedford and the Bulldogs land after recruiting efforts in January and February.

“You could see them still sign a handful of guys in February,” Huffman said. “We’re seeing a similar thing with (former Bulldogs’ coach Kalen DeBoer) at Washington. They only signed five guys. I think they’re trying to ramp things up for January and really try to use that as their big month to get guys to campus.

Class highlighted by ‘an athletic freak’

“I would imagine Tedford is going to do the same. This time it was: Get the job, get your bearings, then they’ll really start to pick things up. You may see some guys after the bowl game that could potentially go into the portal. They’ll have a better idea what the numbers are they’re playing with.”

Briggs is the big get in the class, Huffman said, with Pac-12 offers from Arizona, Colorado, and UCLA.

“What’s impressive about him is they were able to hold off some Pac-12 schools,” Huffman said. “I think he had four or five Pac-12 offers after he already committed to Fresno State. He de-committed, and then they got him back in the boat, and I always think that’s impressive when you can do that.

“He is kind of an athletic freak. I think he has like a 42-inch vertical; he tests really well. He’s still on the slight side, but he will grow into his body, obviously. But this is a guy who Pac-12 schools wanted, and I think that’s a big win.”