Iona is Happy With Beavers

Happy Iona, a 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive lineman from Bethel High School in Spanaway, Wash., has verbally committed to Oregon State over offers from Washington, Washington State and Idaho, according to Bethel Head Coach Gavin Kralik.

"Happy really liked coach (Joel) Thomas and the way Washington recruited him, but at the end of the day it was his connection with (Oregon State Defensive Line Coach Joe) Seumalo that won him over," Kralik told Scout.com Thursday morning. Seumalo has family in Spanaway, which also helped pave the way to this decision.

Iona verbally committed to the Beavers Wednesday after taking an unofficial visit to Corvallis with his uncle and grandmother, and Kralik said getting the key people in Happy's family all on the same page was critical. "We told Happy that if he was going to make a commitment, this is where you are going," he said. "That definitely helped solidify the deal."

Iona is the No. 55 player in Scout.com's recently released West 150, which makes him the No. 10 DL overall. He is also the No. 6 player in the state of Washington.

Happy Iona Scout.com Profile