FRESNO — Ahead of Saturday night’s highly anticipated (and pressure-filled) home opener at Valley Children’s Stadium, Fresno State’s first-year head coach Matt Entz was able to meet with recruits and their families and formally offer scholarships to a pair of local offensive linemen.
Avery Michael of Turlock High and Justin Ortiz of Hilmar High each announced on social media on Saturday that they received offers from the Bulldogs. Both posts were accompanied with photos alongside Entz. The offensive tackles were just two of more than 120 recruits hosted by the school for their 42-14 rout of Georgia Southern, just a week after a lopsided 31-7 loss to Kansas.
Michael and Ortiz are each tall and intimidating offensive tackles in the middle of their junior seasons. Michael is a 3-star recruit, according to 247Sports, and stands 6-foot-5, 245 pounds. Ortiz, meanwhile, is 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds, but is not yet rated.
The Fresno State offer is the 12th for Michael. He also holds Division I offers from San Jose State, Washington State, Nevada, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Toledo, Sacramento State, Northern Arizona University, Portland State, Montana State and Georgia Southern.
Michael’s post on X read, “After a great conversation with Coach Entz, I am blessed to receive an offer from Fresno State University!”
For Ortiz, Saturday’s offer is his first at the Division I level.
“So excited to announce that I received my first D1 offer from Coach Entz and the Fresno State staff!” Ortiz posted on X.
Ortiz was one of the several local players in attendance at Fresno State Athletics’ “Rally the Valley” tour stop in Hilmar back in May. There, Entz spoke with the Journal, sharing the program’s increased emphasis on scouting in the Central Valley.
“There is a lot of talent that is simply being overlooked in the Valley,” Entz said. “We don’t always have access to go into certain pockets of the nation, so we need to recruit and find those hidden gems in our backyard and make sure we develop them.”
It was a sentiment further stressed during a Q&A session with local supporters.
“If we can build them with our strength staff, our nutrition staff, with our academic staff, and just recruit, develop and retain. That is something that you'll continually hear me talk about. Let's recruit the right people. Let's develop them, and then let's make sure that we retain them so they get a great degree, and they're in a place that appreciates who they are.”
Also among the recruits in attendance at Saturday's game was Hughson High senior receiver and tight end Bryce McDaniel, who announced his commitment to the “Red Wave” on June 22.
“From playing pickup games in the red lot to running around the stadium, it's surreal to think I will be running around on the field with that bulldog on my helmet,” McDaniel said on X. “Fresno, I'm home! Bulldog Born, Bulldog Bred!”
At the time, the 6-foot-3, 212-pound McDaniel also had offers from San Jose State (where older brother Robert plays), Washington State and New Mexico State.
McDaniel’s former Hughson teammate and fellow wideout, Malakai Sumter, is a true freshman on this year’s Fresno State roster, but did not record a catch against Georgia Southern.
Stout, NAU give Arizona State a fight
Nearly eight months after falling short in double overtime of the Peach Bowl in the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff, it was widely believed that No. 11 Arizona State would cruise to victory in Week 1 over interstate foe Northern Arizona University.
The Lumberjacks had different plans. Despite ultimately falling by a 38-19 score, NAU was within striking distance until in the latter phases of the third quarter. Making a handful of plays at Tempe’s Mountain America Stadium was former Pitman High and Modesto Junior College wideout Joey Stout.
Stout hauled in four catches for 27 yards as he saw the most consistent time on the field out of all local players involved in FBS contests over the weekend. He was one of 11 pass catchers for the Lumberjacks, and had the third-most receptions for the team on the evening.
Two of Stout’s catches came on a nine-play, 75 yard touchdown drive to make it a 24-13 game — enough to make some Sun Devil fans stare nervously as they were shown on the national broadcast. Stout’s longest haul of the day was for 11 yards early in the fourth quarter.
Stout will return to the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff on Saturday afternoon for his home debut when NAU hosts fellow FCS program Utah Tech (0-1).
