After watching Washington State upset USC two weeks ago, Palisades High lineman Syr Riley was so pumped up that he called Washington State offensive line coach coach Clay Maguire and told him he was committing.
“[Head coach] Mike Leach and his staff did such a great job and that game was the cap on the bottle to seal where I wanted to go,” Riley said. “I’m a USC fan, but I found myself cheering for Washington State. Playing in the Pac-12 was always my dream and that was a big part of my decision. I could barely talk on the phone but I told Coach Maguire if you have a spot available I’d love to be a Cougar.”
The 6-4, 325-pound Riley was the Western League Offensive Lineman of the Year last fall and got multiple Division I offers after impressing at summer camps.
“They’ve been trying to get me on board since they offered me in February,” Riley said. “I’ll be looking like one of the smaller guys they took, but they say they like my footwork and I can handle the edge. I’m so hyped. Washington State, UNLV and Hawaii were my top three. I told [Pali High head coach] Tim Hyde and he was like ‘Go for it!’ Not too many coaches can do what Leach did.’”
Another Pali High lineman also committed to a Division I school last week. Senior guard Ari Sallus (6-4, 270), a two-time All-Leaguer, will continue his career at UC Davis. The Aggies, coached by Dan Hawkins, are members of the Big Sky Conference.
“I love the campus and the city,” Sallus said. “There’s a real excitement around the football program, the coaches were very nice to me and Davis is No. 1 in the world in veterinary science and I want to be a vet.”
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