San Mateo OL Tupa commits to Bobcats
College of San Mateo offensive lineman Pesa Tupa committed to Texas State on Thursday after de-committing from Fresno State the night before. He received an offer from the Bobcats last week and made his decision after a visit to San Marcos last weekend.
“I felt it was the right place to help me grow away from home,” Tupa said. “I also chose Texas State because of the bond and brotherhood I felt on my visit. I felt it was strong, and it made me feel like I was back at my JUCO.”
Tupa also said offensive line coach Eric Mateos was instrumental in his decision to choose the Bobcats, saying Mateos was the first Division I coach to show interest in him and would message him almost every day.
Tupa can sign with Texas State at the end of this semester and join the team this summer. He can play out his final two years of eligibility starting this fall.
Tupa (6 feet 5, 340 pounds) played guard and tackle in two seasons at San Mateo and is expected to play guard at Texas State.
“I’ll play whatever position the coaches want me at,” he said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help.”
Tupa is expected to play right away. After the Bobcats’ spring game, head coach Everett Withers said, “Right now, I would tell you that I don’t know if we have a starting guard.”
He is the second California junior college player eligible this fall from whom the Bobcats have received a commitment in the past two weeks. Cerritos College tight end Elijah Rogers pledged after the spring game.
Basketball commitment: With two players already signed for the 2017 class — Judson shooting guard Shelby Adams and Mount San Jacinto point guard Tre Nottingham — the Texas State men received another pledge this week from Iowa Western forward Alex Peacock.
“The coaching staff is amazing,” Peacock said. “Texas State just felt right to me. I clicked really well with the players when I went on my visit.”
Peacock holds offers from Southern Utah, Coastal Carolina, South Alabama, North Dakota State and Nebraska-Omaha. At 6-6, he’s a defensive player and is expected to play both small and power forward.
Softball winning streak: The Bobcats continued their solid season this week, winning three straight games to improve to 35-11, 14-6 in the Sun Belt.
After dropping the opener of a three-game series last weekend at Georgia Southern (24-22, 12-9), Texas State won the last two to take the series 2-1. On Wednesday, the Bobcats beat UT-San Antonio 3-1. Randi Rupp got the victory, striking out 11 and improving her record to 22-7.
The Bobcats will play their last home game before the Sun Belt Tournament this weekend in a three-game series against Troy (2029, 8-14) beginning with a doubleheader Saturday. combine ended in early March.
Mixon and the woman reached a settlement in a civil lawsuit this month.
The state of Texas also was represented by former Texas A&M star Myles Garrett, the top pick of the draft, who is headed to Cleveland. Baltimore selected Houston Cougars linebacker Tyus Bowser with the 47th pick Friday.
The Chiefs opted for Mahomes with the 10th pick of the first round. Kansas City traded with the Buffalo Bills to secure Mahomes, knowing that other teams were trying for him.
The New Orleans Saints were one of them. The Saints opened their draft war room to two pro golfers — former Texas Longhorn Jordan Spieth and Ryan Palmer.
During a press conference Friday, Palmer let it slip that the Saints tried hard to select Mahomes. Instead, New Orleans used the 11th pick on Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
Reports suggested that the New York Giants also were trying to pull off a trade for Mahomes, who has been likened to former Green Bay great Brett Favre.
In order to land Mahomes, the Chiefs gave the Bills two firstround picks and one in the third round to jump from their draft spot of 27th to 10th.
Kansas City coach Andy Reid, who helped shape Favre’s career with the Packers, loved Mahomes’ promise. He’ll sit behind Alex Smith and learn the pro game.
“Right now Patrick isn’t absolutely ready to play — he’s got some work to do,” Reid told reporters. “He’s going into a great room . ... He can learn from Alex. We have to be patient with him. Tremendous upside. Good person, intelligent with great skill.
“We think they’re both really good football players. We just thought with what we do, Mahomes would fit in well.”
“I’ve been around the best gunslinger ever with Brett Favre,” said Reid, who was Favre’s quarterbacks coach in the late 1990s. “I’m not into comparisons — they’re different players. Brett’s a Hall of Fame player, and this kid has a long way to go before that, but I think when you have an opportunity to talk to him and be around him, he has an energy and certain intensity you like.”
Mahomes watched the draft from Tyler with his family and his agent, Leigh Steinberg.
Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury had been predicting that Mahomes, who gave up his final season of eligibility, would be selected in the first round. He said the Chiefs had been interested all along.
“It’s a team I had my eye on,” Kingsbury told the Kansas City Star. “They had a big interest in him during our season. I had been told they were high on him, and I was hoping they would find a way to get him.”
With pick No. 50, Texas A&M safety Justin Evans was selected by Tampa Bay.