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Eastern Washington University Football

Eastern Washington focuses on prep players during early signing period

Eastern Washington Eagles head coach Aaron Best watches his team face the Monmouth Hawks during the first half of a college football game on Aug. 29 at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
By Dan Thompson The Spokesman-Review

Eastern Washington’s early signing class is largely composed of incoming freshmen, with 19 of the 22 football signees doing so as high school seniors on Wednesday.

The group is also predominantly offensive players, with 14 on that side of the ball. Seven of them are offensive linemen, including a pair of junior transfers – Apisa Poumele and Dominique Maiava – from Laney College in California. Listed at 300 and 305 pounds, respectively, both are originally from American Samoa.

Offensive line is the position with the most glaring need, as the Eagles, coming off a 4-8 season, graduated five senior starters up front.

The Eagles also added three tight ends: Ryan Johnson, a junior transfer from Moorpark (California) College; and high school seniors Isaiah Oudman (Lynden, Washington) and Zander Turner (O’Dea of Seattle). O’Dea faces Bellevue on Friday in the State 3A title game.

In 2023, Johnson was teammates with current EWU receiver Noah Cronquist, who became a starter for the Eagles last season. Eastern also signed Michael Gradle, an offensive lineman from nearby Moorpark High School, in this year’s class.

Eastern also repopulated its backfield with running back Wilson Medina, from Sherwood High School in Burnt Ranch, California, and quarterback Anthony Quinones, who played at Liberty High School in Murrieta, California.

Two receivers will join the Eagles: David Cabrera, from Desert Edge High School in Arizona; and Rylin Lang from Anacortes (Washington) High School, which plays for the State 2A championship Saturday against Tumwater.

On defense, the new class features four defensive backs, including two from Washington state: cornerback Landen Kahai, from Kennedy Catholic in Burien ; and Marcus Nixon, a safety from Squalicum High School in Bellingham. California high school safeties Messiah Washington and Bjorn Birmingham also signed with the Eagles. Nixon and Washington were the two highest-rated recruits in EWU’s class, according to recruiting site 247sports.com.

Two in-state linebackers also signed, Gage Brumfield (W.F. West in Chehalis) and Cooper MacPherson (Chiawana in Pasco).

Defensive tackle Lijah Petelo (Auburn, Washington, High School) and Gauge Larsen, from Rigby, Idaho, round out the early signing class.

Of the 22 signees, nine are three-star recruits, according to 247sports.com, one fewer than last year’s class.

In all, 11 of the signees are from Washington, including offensive linemen Nick Savage (Issaquah), Andrew Langer (Carlsbad), Brady Ackerman (Everson) and Dylan Scott (Arlington).

The three-day early signing period runs through Friday. The window for players to enter the transfer portal begins Monday and continues until Dec. 28.