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          On The Trail

          ESPN Jr. 300 QB Rypien picks Boise State

          • Erik McKinney, ESPN Staff WriterApr 7, 2014, 02:15 PM ET
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            • Covers recruiting in the Pac-12
            • Joined ESPN in 2009
            • Graduated from USC
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          The quarterback dominoes continue to fall out West, as Brett Rypien, the nation's No. 132 overall prospect and No. 6 pocket passer in the 2015 ESPN Junior 300, announced his commitment to Boise State over the weekend.

          It marks an important commitment for Boise State and new head coach Bryan Harsin, who made a strong run for Kyle Carta-Samuels late in the 2014 recruiting cycle but eventually lost him to Washington. Now, Harsin grabs a commitment from the No. 1 prospect in Washington and is able to make a significant dent in the Pac-12's attempt to run the table in West region quarterback recruiting.

          Already the Pac-12 holds commitments from the nation's No. 1 (Josh Rosen, UCLA), No. 2 (Ricky Town, USC) and No. 7 (Jake Browning, Washington) pocket passers in the 2015 class, and Rypien looked destined for Washington State after Washington landed a commitment from Browning. Rypien's uncle, Mark Rypien, was a star for the Cougars before beginning a successful NFL career.

          The younger Rypien also held offers from Arizona State, Mississippi State, Oregon State and Washington State, but the 6-foot-2, 176-pound quarterback was swayed by the new coaching staff at Boise State, which has already shown it won't hesitate to go after the top recruits in Pac-12 states, as well as Texas.

          Rypien set the Washington state record with 613 yards passing in a game last season. He is commitment No. 4 for Boise State and will now turn his attention to recruiting other prospects from Washington. With his commitment to Boise State, Washington and Washington State could have a fight on their hands for in-state prospects, as Rypien has already reached out to recruits such as Chico McClatcher in an effort to bring more talent to Boise State.

          Five of the top six quarterbacks in the West region have made their commitments in what is a stellar year for quarterback recruiting in the area. Brady White is the top pocket passer left on the board in the West. Dual-threat quarterback Sheriron Jones and pocket passer Kyle Kearns join White as the West region ESPN Junior 300 quarterbacks still uncommitted.