A Canby Cougar may be about to become a Beaver. Standout junior offensive tackle Jacob Strand received a scholarship offer this week to continue his athletic career at Oregon State University, following a private workout with offensive line coach Jim Michalczik.
Strand, who was ranked the No. 1 offensive lineman in the state by Prep Redzone Oregon earlier this year, will play his final season with the Cougs this fall.
Strand announced the Pac-12 offer on Twitter following the visit Tuesday.
“I was in shock when I got the offer — truly life-changing,” Strand told The Canby Current. “I was hoping all day that the time would come, and when it did, I was at a loss of words.
“My coach told me one day that I had the possibility to play football in college. That statement has been my biggest motivation, pushing me through all the hard times.”
“Really happy for Jacob,” his coach — Canby head football coach Jimmy Joyce — said. “He is a tremendous student-athlete and a great young man. A true ambassador for Canby High School and our football team.”
Joyce said he saw the tremendous potential in Strand as a sophomore — which was his first year at the helm of the Cougars — and his athleticism and ability were on full display even during the truncated football season this spring.
“We are just happy that he has another year under the lights at Cougar Stadium,” Joyce said. “It should be a fun time for Jacob, his teammates and the school.”
The NCAA lifted all Covid-19 recruiting restrictions on June 1, and Oregon State was just one of the many schools to quickly take advantage.
That Strand was one of the very first potential recruits to be invited for a one-on-one workout is a testament to the high regard Division I recruiters hold for the 6-5, 270-pound prospect.
And it’s likely just the first of many for the talented lineman — and a number of his teammates.
“Schools can now have coaches on campus, and recruits can visit campuses as well,” Joyce said of the newly reopened recruiting landscape. “So, it has been a busy time. My phone has been ringing off the hook about Jacob and others.”
