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Click Here 47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, February 26, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend February 5, 2004 Faaeteete, Hovland sign football letters By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Oregon’s football recruiting class had a classy look from the beginning. David Faaeteete was a big reason. The North Medford defensive lineman, among the nation’s top prep prospects, according to numerous scouting services, hitched his future to the Ducks last May with a verbal commitment. Faaeteete cemented the deal Wednesday, the first day of the letter-of-intent signing period. "He was the first young man to commit to this class," said Oregon defensive line coach Steve Greatwood. "It gave us an instant jump-start from the get-go. When you get a player of his caliber on board that early, it makes a lot of people stand up and take notice of what can happen here." Advertisement What’s happened is, Oregon is expecting one of the best, if not the best, influx of recruits ever. The Duck class was ranked 10th nationally by one service and 13th by another heading into Wednesday. Faaeteete was one of two players off North Medford’s state runner-up team to sign letters Wednesday. The other was quarterback Beau Hovland, who finalized a verbal commitment he’d made to Portland State. Faaeteete couldn’t wait to complete the process. He signed his letter "at 7:21" and it was in the hands of Duck coaches by 8 a.m. "I’ve been kind of anxious waiting for today," said Faaeteete, a 6-foot-2, 280-pounder. "I’ve been waiting since Monday. It finally got here." Getting the verbal commitment was one thing, said Greatwood. Having it stick was another. That doesn’t always happen through the recruiting. "He was very solid with that commitment even when other schools tried to get their foot in the door," said Greatwood. "I’m really pleased with the maturity he showed through this whole process." Led by Faaeteete, the Black Tornado went 12-2, losing 18-6 to Tigard in the state championship game. He was chosen the state defensive player of the year, accumulating 100 tackles, including 25 for loss, and 10½ sacks. Faaeteete met a couple of other recruits while visiting and is excited about the future. "It feels pretty good being one of the top recruiting classes," he said, "but we have a long way to go to get to No. 1. There’s a lot of hard work ahead for this class." Faaeteete and another in-state freshman recruit, Cole Linehan of Banks (6-4, 260), could play prominent roles for the Ducks next fall. Oregon’s defensive front lost two key tackles. Junior Siavii completed his eligibility last fall, and junior Igor Olshansky opted to turn pro. That leaves Haloti Ngata, Matt Toeaina, Robby Valenzuela and some question marks. "Both (Faaeteete and Linehan) could come in next season and get some serious playing time," said Greatwood. "One or both will need to come in and get ready to play." Faaeteete is eager. "I want to play next year," he said. "I feel like if I work hard enough, I’ll get the opportunity. I just want to play." Neither Faaeteete nor Greatwood think he needs to get much bigger. The native of Western Samoa is blessed with not only great strength but remarkable quickness with both his legs and hands. "That’s what you look for," said Greatwood. "There are a lot of big kids out there, but can they move and have the same agility David has? He has that blend of size, speed and strength that you’re looking for when you’re talking about Pac-10 defensive linemen." Faaeteete will soon get a workout program from the Ducks, will visit during spring drills and join them for camp in August. "Right now, I’m really intense about getting started on my new workout," he said. Hovland, who was offered a scholarship last May by Portland State and accepted it in early January, isn’t expected to make an immediate impact on the field. He’s destined to redshirt, said coach Tim Walsh. The Vikings only recruit one quarterback a year, the coach added, emphasizing his faith that the Black Tornado leader is right for the Vikings. "I feel strongly that after one year, Beau will have the opportunity to jump up a couple of notches to third, if not second, on the depth chart," said Walsh. "After that, he’ll have an opportunity to start. Next year is a big year for Beau as far as where he fits into the big picture." Hovland, 6-2, 174, was the Southern Oregon Conference’s offensive player of the year. He finished the season passing for 2,063 yards and 21 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. He also ran for nearly 600 yards and 15 scores. Walsh said Hovland needs to get a little bigger and stronger, but the signal-caller has shown innate abilities that can’t be coached, such as leadership and knowledge of the game. "Mentally," said Walsh, "he’s way ahead of the game." Hovland took part in PSU’s football camp in July and "did a great job," said Walsh. "Then we watched him play during the season, and they had a tremendous year. Beau had a lot to do with that." The Vikings only offered four scholarships in-state, said Walsh. PSU instead leaned heavily on junior college recruits this year and welcomed a few four- year transfers. "Overall," said Walsh, "it’s a very good class." Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times