Lauren RabainoLogan Budd may be new to the Cal Poly football program, but it’s not so new to him.
The quarterback, defensive back and kicker from nearby Morro Bay High committed Sunday to play for Cal Poly on a partial-scholarship package, he said Monday.
Budd, who led the Pirates this past season to their first league title since 1971, was named the San Luis Obispo County Player of the Year and the CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division co-Offensive Player of the Year.
After visiting the Cal Poly campus Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings, he said, he elected to stay close to home.
“I grew up going to (Cal) Poly games,” Budd said. “Since I was little, I always enjoyed it. . (On the visit) I was excited the whole time.”
For Budd’s family, his going to Cal Poly makes perfect sense.
“It was his school of choice,” said Budd’s mother, Karen Jackson. “He’s been going to Cal Poly events since he was a little person.”
Born in San Luis Obispo, Budd has set foot on the Cal Poly campus for events ranging from shows to baseball camps. He said he also decided to become a Mustang because of the school’s academic programs, through which he is considering majoring in agribusiness or forestry and natural resources management.
“He knows what a wonderful reputation the school has,” Jackson explained. “He’s seen people get their (bachelor’s) degrees and master’s (degrees) there.”
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound jack-of-all-trades mastered the field in 2007, leading the Los Padres League in passing, rushing, scoring, yards per punt, total offense, points after touchdowns and – defensively – interceptions.
As a senior, he completed 56 percent of his passes for 1,668 yards and 16 touchdowns with one interception, and compiled 189 carries for 1,360 yards and 22 touchdowns. Defensively, he intercepted nine passes, which he returned for 179 yards and a touchdown. On special teams, he made seven field goals and 44 extra points, and 24 of his 69 kickoffs went for touchbacks. He also averaged 40.3 yards per punt in his final prep season.
Morro Bay went 11-0 before falling in overtime to St. Bernard in the second round of the playoffs, 48-45.
For three years in high school, Budd said, he operated a spread option not too dissimilar to Cal Poly’s triple option.
“That’s my game,” he said. “That’s what I do best at.”
As such a versatile force, though, Budd says he’d be more than willing to play any number of positions.
“Cal Poly has a bunch of different positions (I) can play, and I would love to play any of them,” he said.
He added that he may redshirt his first year to “let (his) body mature,” but that such a decision would ultimately be up to his coaches.
According to the recruiting service Scout.com, Idaho, Northern Arizona, San Diego State, San Jose State, Utah State and Washington State expressed interest in Budd, while Rivals.com additionally listed Utah, Wyoming, Boise State and UC Davis among his suitors.
San Jose State, Utah State and Idaho showed strong interest, Budd said, but Cal Poly was the only school to offer him an official visit.
“(Cal Poly has) a great set of coaches,” Jackson said, praising “their breadth of experience.”
Part of what won the family over, Jackson added, was that the tour was given on Thursday, Friday and Saturday “so (they) could see the campus alive.”
Of the 101 players on Cal Poly’s roster last season, seven hailed from San Luis Obispo County.
Per NCAA rules, Cal Poly head coach Rich Ellerson said he could not comment on recruits until national signing day, Feb. 6.