OSU football adds Kelso's Payton Stewart to 2024 signing class

The turmoil within the Northwestern football program has led to a standout offensive lineman from Washington committing to Oregon State.
Kelso High senior Payton Stewart had committed to Northwestern but decommitted following the firing of head coach Pat Fitzgerald on July 10. The Big Ten school made the decision after an investigation into hazing within the football program.
After reconsidering his options, the 6-foot-7, 270-pound lineman announced his decision to play for head coach Jonathan Smith and Oregon State in 2024.
The Kelso High School standout is a rising three-star offensive tackle according to 247sports. He chose the Beavers over other Division 1 programs including Arizona State, California, Oregon, Washington State and Boise State, among others, where he has made official visits.
Stewart played in all 10 of Kelso’s games last fall as he helped lead the Hilanders to the Washington state playoffs where they lost 44-14 to Ferndale in the opening round. One of Stewart’s best traits as he enters his senior season is his agility. Stewart also plays center on the Hilanders’ basketball team and averaged 12 points per game.
Stewart joins a strong offensive line class at Oregon State for 2024. The Beavers also have commitments from linemen David Abajian (West Hills, California), Rakeem Johnson (Boise, Idaho), Dylan Sikorski (Sumner, Washington) and Rustin Young (Honolulu, Hawaii).