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Washington State receives oral commitment from third defensive back in six-day span

Washington State Cougars wide receiver Kyle Sweet (17) celebrates after WSU defeated Cal during the second half of a college football game on Saturday, November 3, 2018, at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash. WSU won the game 19-13. (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)
By Theo Lawson theol@spokesman.com(509) 459-5584

PULLMAN – The number of defensive backs orally commited to Washington State grew on Tuesday, as did the number of WSU-bound prospects from Arizona Western College.

Bryce Beekman, a three-star junior college safety originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pledged to the Cougars Tuesday evening, becoming the third defensive back to commit in a six-day span and the second player from Arizona Western to commit this fall, joining offensive lineman Dontae Powell.

A free safety for the AWC Matadors – located in Yuma, Arizona – Beekman has been a NJCAA All-American and carries a 3.2 grade point average. He and Powell have led Arizona Western to a 6-4 record this season after helping guide them to a 9-1 mark in 2017 – the only loss coming to powerhouse East Mississippi in the national junior college championship game.

Beekman received a number of other Power Five offers, according to 247Sports.com, and chose the Cougars over Kansas, Kansas State, Rutgers and Syracuse.

During the 2017 season, Beekman impressively had seven interceptions in 10 games for the Matadors to go along with 26 tackles and 2 1/2 tackles-for-loss. Three of those picks came during a 28-23 win over Pima.

Before the stint at Arizona Western, Beekman attended Scotlandville High school in Baton Rouge. His younger brother, Reece Beekman, is an elite basketball prospect who’s considered a four-star recruit by 247Sports and has offers from Virginia, Florida, LSU, USC, Wisconsin and others.