California State University San Diego, or better known as San Diego State University, is the place that Raider long snapper Garrett Frum is headed this fall after receiving a conditional scholarship.
Frum’s path to play football for SDSU took a different turn than it would have for most players. Last season, he was enrolled and playing football for the Utah State Aggies.
“I went there out of high school [Utah State] and played there last year,” said Frum. “It just wasn’t a good fit for me. They brought in other transfers and they started over me.”
Frum decided to come to Moorpark in the spring and practice with the team during the summer. Head Coach Mike Stuart was glad to have Frum on the team since the Raiders needed to fill a long snapper position vacated from the season prior.
“It’s a tough position [long snapper] to recruit for,” said Stuart. “Especially to find the type of caliber he [Frum] is at that position.”
Frum still has to prove himself on the field next fall for SDSU. He currently has a modified scholarship offer from the team, meaning that he still has to tryout. If their coaching staff likes what they see from Frum, then he gets a conditional scholarship offer to play on the team.
As a long snapper, Frum is on the field for special teams plays mostly. The main thing a long snapper will be used for is on-field goal attempts, extra points and punting situations. Stuart expressed how under-appreciated the position is, but how important the long snapper actually is.
“It’s a position that’s easily overlooked,” said Stuart. “A lot of times, coaches will just approach someone who may have just done it in high school, and they can just do it on punt team.”
The one thing that excites Frum is the stadium where he’ll be playing. SDSU uses Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, the same place the NFL’s San Diego Chargers call home.
“It’s pretty sweet,” said Frum. “It’s a pretty cool atmosphere, and the fan-base is crazy. They have a lot of alumni that still live in San Diego.”
Athletic Director Howard Davis is very excited for Frum to be continuing his education and football career after Moorpark College.
“It’s fantastic,” said Davis. “It’s what our athletic programs are all about, getting educational opportunities for young men and women.”
Coach Stuart believes that Frum’s scholarship is going to be the first of many for players on his team. He feels there is potential to see double digit numbers of players receiving scholarships by signing day in the spring.
“I wouldn’t be shocked to throw out a number between 12 and 15 guys going out next year,” said Stuart. “After the spring, I would think we’d have six mid-year guys.”
