Update: Fresno State football adds 23 including intriguing quarterback in Class of 2022
Fresno State signed six football players on Wednesday, the traditional national letter of intent signing day, including quarterback Joshua Wood from Kapowsin High in Graham, Wash.
Wood (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) is the player of the year in Washington and was described by one national recruiting analyst as a steal for the Bulldogs, after leading Kapowsin to a 15-0 season, a state championship and a comeback victory over Georgia 7A state champion Collins Hill in a national bowl game played in Las Vegas.
“We had him rated ahead of a number of quarterbacks going to the Pac-12 schools that didn’t recruit him,” Brandon Huffman, the national recruiting editor for 247Sports, said. “That’s how high we are on him. I think Fresno State got an absolute steal here. … He’s a point guard. He played for Seattle Rotary and if you follow much AAU hoops, that’s the premier AAU basketball team in Seattle.
“He thought basketball was going to be his sport at the next level, but he stayed the course. Instead of transferring schools like a lot of quarterbacks do, he stayed the course, waited his turn and ended up in a really good situation with a guy who knows a thing or two about quarterback development” — a reference to Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford.
The Bulldogs, who signed 10 players in the early signing period in December, also signed defensive lineman Sione Noa (6-3, 230) from Sacramento Grant Union, defensive back Michael Whaley (6-2, 160) from Hercules, offensive lineman Anthony LaFrance (6-4, 295) from Riverside City College, defensive back Carlton Johnson (6-0, 163) from Riverside City College and defensive lineman Jacob Holmes (6-2, 288) from Chandler, Ariz.
The Class of 2022 includes seven players who enrolled or transferred in mid-year – tight end Velltray Jefferson (6-4, 235) from Edison High, wideout Nikko Remigio (5-10, 185) from Cal, offensive lineman Daniel Taumalolo (6-3, 293) from College of San Mateo, defensive lineman Johnny Hudson (6-2, 315) from Contra Costa College, cornerback Cam Lockridge (6-0, 183) from Hawai’i, linebacker Raymond Scott (6-2, 235) from USC and long snapper Nick D’Ambra (6-1, 230) from Western Illinois.
Fresno State in December had targeted a position of need, signing defensive linemen 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. The Bulldogs’ class also included 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.
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 10:18 AM.