Buchanan High standout linebacker makes his college choice, and he’s not going far

4-5 minutes 8/10/2023
While an offer from a Pac-12 program these days might not have the same value perceived to have had in past years, there’s also nothing like getting an offer from the local school.
And so, Buchanan High senior linebacker Logan Studt declined a chance to play college football with at least three Pac-12 programs to instead choose the hometown team.
Studt announced Thursday evening that he was orally committing to Fresno State, just a couple of weeks before his senior season.
Studt said he also considered Pac-12 programs Cal, Washington, and Washington State, as well as Air Force, which plays in the Mountain West, the same conference as Fresno State.
“My biggest thing in trying to find the right college and the fit,” Studt said, “at the end of the day, came down to somewhere it really felt like a family and was the right fit for me.”
Studt said his decision was heavily influenced through his talks with Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford, defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle and linebackers coach Tim Skipper.
“Having a coaching staff that played at Fresno State, has coached there, and really lives up to the legacy, there’s nothing more I could ask for,” Studt said. “Skipper had words of wisdom things that really made my decision to be a Bulldog.
“He sat me down and told me what I could do at Fresno State. You could come here and be a starter at an early age. Having the support of that guy, it really felt like family.”
While the steady erosion of the current Pac-12 continues to unfold with schools like Oregon and Washington among the latest to leave the conference, the conference’s instability does appear to be benefiting Fresno State to some degree on the recruiting front.
Studt joins Clovis West seniors Marshel Sanders, Jordan Pierro, Tytus Khajavia and El Diamante offensive lineman Marsel Akins among local recruits who’ve committed to the Bulldogs.
Like Studt, Sanders also fielded multiple offers from Pac-12 programs, including Washington, Arizona State and Cal, but chose to stay home.
In Studt, Fresno State will be getting a three-star recruit (ranking by 247 Sports) who made The Bee’s All-Star last season.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker finished with 71 total tackles (5.9 per game) and 4.5 sacks, along with one interception during his junior season.
Studt’s recruiting process at Fresno State was further aided by one of his closest friends selling him the idea of playing for the Bulldogs.
After all, Fresno State freshman quarterback Jayden Mandal was once a three-star recruit at Buchanan, too.
“He was always trying to get me to be a Bulldog,” Study said of Mandal. “Him just edging me on, showing me the things we can be apart of, really sealed the deal.”
Oral commitments are nonbinding. Many football recruits, however, often like to solidify their scholarship deal and sign during the early signing period, which runs Dec. 20-22.