Local 3-Star DB Brandon Ramirez commits to Fresno State
Brandon Ramirez dreamed of playing college football on Saturdays from a young age – and for one team in particular.
“Probably since six, seven years old,” Ramirez said. “All through Pop Warner, we were called the Bulldogs. Hanford Bulldogs.”
Ramirez, a three-star strong safety out of Fresno (Calif.) San Joaquin Memorial, committed to the Fresno State Bulldogs Tuesday afternoon. He described himself as “Bulldog born, Bulldog bred” when he broke down his decision to BarkBoard.com.
“Staying close to home was a huge factor,” Ramirez said. “The relationships with the coaches over the past month have grown. I’m comfortable with my decision, and I felt it was right timing.”
Ramirez is one of the premier two-way playmakers in the Central Valley. At 6-0 and 200 pounds, he is a physical, hard-hitting safety who possesses elite speed to cover a lot of ground. He owns the school’s 100-meter record at 10.72 seconds, previously held by Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan.
At San Joaquin Memorial this season, Ramirez has rushed for 330 yards on 56 carries (5.9 yards per rush) and six touchdowns. He currently leads the Panthers with 31 tackles through four games.
His pass coverage abilities are well-documented. Ramirez helped defeat local power Fresno (Calif.) Central with a game-winning pass breakup.
The game-sealing defense from @BRANDORAMIREZ_8 on 4th down. @SJMgridiron upsets Central at Koligian Stadium. pic.twitter.com/OaYSS8oRnQ
— Gabe Camarillo (@gabecamarillo_) August 27, 2022
Ramirez is generally a sure tackler who explodes to the football and packs a punch.
Not many running backs can hit like this. @BRANDORAMIREZ_8 vs Bullard last year. Ramirez just picked up an offer from hometown Fresno State. @BarkBoard
pic.twitter.com/bDpTeoMHRM
— Gabe Camarillo (@gabecamarillo_) March 30, 2022
By choosing the Bulldogs over offers from Colorado, BYU, and Air Force, he opted to stay at home, as many locals have from the 2023 class. Quarterback Jayden Mandal and cornerback Imari Conley committed to Fresno State earlier this year.
Secondary coach JD Williams was the main recruiter for Ramirez, who plans to play strong safety at Fresno State. It’s the third local high schooler in two years that Williams recruited, following Conley and former Fresno (Calif.) Bullard standout Jayden Davis, a current freshman safety for the ‘Dogs.
Ramirez echoed Conley in his admiration for Williams’ six-year NFL career and extensive coaching experience. He pointed to another recent coaching development as critical to his choice.
“Coach Tedford coming back was a big part of it,” Ramirez said, “because he’s a legend around here.”
Ramirez took a patient approach to his recruiting, waiting until after his senior year of high school began before he landed on his next stop. But Fresno State picked up steam over the last month, especially after he took a visit for the season opener on September 1.
One thing stood out to Ramirez more than anything else – “the atmosphere.”
“They came out with a nice win,” Ramirez said of attending the Bulldogs’ win over Cal Poly. “I was hopeful for how they played and excited.”
Ramirez missed the Oregon State game due to his own game being played last Saturday – he saw pictures of the crowd and said it “was great for the Valley” – but he made tentative plans to watch the team take on No. 7 USC in person.
He will be watching a lot of Panthers turned Bulldogs. The Fresno State roster is littered with San Joaquin Memorial products such as wide receivers Josh Kelly and Mac Dalena as well as walk-on quarterback Alec Trujillo.
Although he follows in their footsteps, Ramirez looks to blaze his own path at Fresno State. After all, it’s what he dreamed of as a kid.
“The grit that comes from the Valley,” Ramirez said. “I feel like the hard work is different over here. I just want to continue the Bulldog legacy and do some good things for my hometown.”