Portland State football: Three Division-I transfers ready to join Vikings
http://www.oregonlive.com/vikings/index.ssf/2010/02/portland_state_football_three.html
The Portland State football program is expected to add three former Division-I players -- Washington running back Willie Griffin, West Virginia running back Mark Rodgers, and Oregon State cornerback David Ross –- bringing coach Nigel Burton's first recruiting class to 23 players.
The transfers won't become official until the players have enrolled at Portland State, but all three are expected to join the Vikings before the start of spring practice, which is tentatively scheduled to begin the first or second week of April.
Are three are projected to step into starting jobs next fall for the Vikings, who return 52 letter-winners, including 14 starters, from a team that went 2-9 overall and finished in a three-way tie with Idaho State and Northern Colorado for last place in the Big Sky Conference at 1-7.
Griffin, a 5-foot-8, 191-pound tailback from Oakland, Calif., appeared in 12 games during the past two seasons at Washington after a red-shirt season in 2007.
In eight games as a freshman, Griffin rushed for 219 yards and one touchdown on 63 carries, earning the start in games against Arizona, Washington State and California.. Last season, he saw limited action as a backup in four games, playing against LSU, Notre Dame, Arizona and Washington State, and finishing with 11 yards on only three carries.
Griffin led McClymonds High School to consecutive CIF Oakland Section championships in 2005 and 2006, rushing for 1,443 yards as a senior despite missing two games with injury.
Rodgers is a 5-8, 175-pound running back and return specialist from Lawndale, Calif., who appeared in 26 games in two seasons with the Mountaineers of the Big East Conference.
As a freshman, Rodgers had 15 carries for 80 yards and led the team with 22 kickoff returns for 464 yards - an average of 21.1 yards a return with a long of 44.
Last season, Rodgers again led the team in kick returns with 27 for 619 yards - a 22.9 average - but played behind running backs Noel Devine, Ryan Clarke and Jock Sanders, and had only seven carries for nine yards in 13 games.
Rodgers was named the all-Los Angeles County League player of the year and the region co-player of the year after rushing for 2,319 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior at Lawndale High School. He rushed for 2,500 yards and 31 touchdowns as a junior. He also lettered in track and field and posted the state's fourth fastest 100-meter time of 10.5 seconds.
Ross, a 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back out of Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., was a red-shirt in 2007 at Oregon State, and then appeared in three games in 2008 and three games last season. Rivals.com rated Ross a four-star athlete as a high school senior, the nation's 15th-best cornerback prospect and the 25th best overall prospect in California.
http://www.oregonlive.com/vikings/index.ssf/2010/02/portland_state_football_three.html
The Portland State football program is expected to add three former Division-I players -- Washington running back Willie Griffin, West Virginia running back Mark Rodgers, and Oregon State cornerback David Ross –- bringing coach Nigel Burton's first recruiting class to 23 players.
The transfers won't become official until the players have enrolled at Portland State, but all three are expected to join the Vikings before the start of spring practice, which is tentatively scheduled to begin the first or second week of April.
Are three are projected to step into starting jobs next fall for the Vikings, who return 52 letter-winners, including 14 starters, from a team that went 2-9 overall and finished in a three-way tie with Idaho State and Northern Colorado for last place in the Big Sky Conference at 1-7.
Griffin, a 5-foot-8, 191-pound tailback from Oakland, Calif., appeared in 12 games during the past two seasons at Washington after a red-shirt season in 2007.
In eight games as a freshman, Griffin rushed for 219 yards and one touchdown on 63 carries, earning the start in games against Arizona, Washington State and California.. Last season, he saw limited action as a backup in four games, playing against LSU, Notre Dame, Arizona and Washington State, and finishing with 11 yards on only three carries.
Griffin led McClymonds High School to consecutive CIF Oakland Section championships in 2005 and 2006, rushing for 1,443 yards as a senior despite missing two games with injury.
Rodgers is a 5-8, 175-pound running back and return specialist from Lawndale, Calif., who appeared in 26 games in two seasons with the Mountaineers of the Big East Conference.
As a freshman, Rodgers had 15 carries for 80 yards and led the team with 22 kickoff returns for 464 yards - an average of 21.1 yards a return with a long of 44.
Last season, Rodgers again led the team in kick returns with 27 for 619 yards - a 22.9 average - but played behind running backs Noel Devine, Ryan Clarke and Jock Sanders, and had only seven carries for nine yards in 13 games.
Rodgers was named the all-Los Angeles County League player of the year and the region co-player of the year after rushing for 2,319 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior at Lawndale High School. He rushed for 2,500 yards and 31 touchdowns as a junior. He also lettered in track and field and posted the state's fourth fastest 100-meter time of 10.5 seconds.
Ross, a 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back out of Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., was a red-shirt in 2007 at Oregon State, and then appeared in three games in 2008 and three games last season. Rivals.com rated Ross a four-star athlete as a high school senior, the nation's 15th-best cornerback prospect and the 25th best overall prospect in California.
