Ten high school football prospects signed with Fresno State on Wednesday, and nine of them are three-star recruits.

The signings came at a pivotal time for the program, which announced the hiring of Matt Entz as the Bulldogs’ new head coach the same day.

Time will tell if the 2025 freshman class sticks around as former interim head coach Tim Skipper recruited these players.

Eight of the prospects are from California, including two from the Valley.

For player profiles, click here.

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Two Valley Players Become Bulldogs

Defensive back Jonavon Darrington (Clovis West High) and offensive lineman Brayden Walton (Buchanan High) are among the signings.

Darrington, a 5-10, 165-pounder, was a two-way player and return specialist. He made 24 tackles in 11 games with five pass breakups and had 58 receptions for 719 yards and nine touchdowns. His 13 returns produced 321 yards.

Walton, a 6-7, 325-pounder, is rated as the No. 169 offensive tackle in the nation. He committed to Washington State in July but flipped to Fresno State in September.

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Offensive Additions

Two quarterbacks are coming to Fresno: Jonathan Craft (El Cerrito High) and Brayden Turner (Monte Vista High).

Craft played in only five games this season at El Cerrito. He threw for 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns, and had four rushing touchdown his junior year.

Turner played at the alma mater of former Bulldog quarterback Jake Haener in Danville. Junior year stats: 2,134 yards, 19 touchdowns. Senior year stats: 1,698 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, 35 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown.

Isaiah Dillon from Pacifica High is the only wide receiver in this class so far. He played both sides of the ball, and was also kickoff return specialist. The all-county standout led his team to a Div. IV CIF Section Championship title with 49 receptions for 849 yards and nine touchdowns.

Signing on to help out in the trenches aside from Walton are Jonah Leaupepetele (Apple Valley High) and Malcolm Polu Jr. (Tafuna High in American Samoa).

Leaupepetele, 6-4, 325 pounds, committed to Fresno State in October over Arizona, Cal, Cal Poly, Colorado State, and Wyoming.

Not much information was given on the 6-5, 310-pound Polu Jr. except that he helped Tafuna to its fifth straight section title this season.

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Defensive Additions

Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle put together a solid defense that kept the team in close games, even at times being the reason why the Bulldogs won. He’s hoping to keep the consistency going with these signees.

Joining Darrington in the secondary is DaJhon Hall from Hesperia. He had 111 career tackles in three years on varsity at Oak Hills High.

Robert James III, the 6-2, 265-pound defensive lineman from Inglewood is the son of Robert James Jr. His father played for the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs. James III played ball at Serra Gardena and choose Fresno State over six schools.

Linebacker Lucas Blumling from Scottsdale, Arizona, was a utility player for Desert Mountain High. The first-team all-region pick had 66 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and two forced fumbles his senior year. He also caught 18 passes for 327 yards and three touchdowns.