The BulleTin • Thursday, FeBruary 4, 2021 A7
COLLEGE FOOTBALL | OREGON STATE RECRUITING
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: I have been
dating this guy seriously for
a year. We have talked about
marriage and we were even
looking at rings. Due to cer-
tain recent events, I have
come to realize that my hope
for his Christianity to grow
stronger is probably never
going to happen. I love this
man with all my heart, but I
also need a husband who will
pray with me, have a heart for
God, who will want to go to
church and make decisions
by praying and leaning on
God.
We have talked about this
and what my needs are, but
he’s not sure if he will get
there. Do I hold on and hope
through my actions and life,
he will learn how to walk
with God fully, or should I let
him go and try to find some-
one else?
— Brokenhearted Believer
Dear Believer: If you can’t
accept this man just the
way he is, let him go. You
shouldn’t marry anyone hop-
ing to change him because it
wouldn’t be fair to either of
you. If faith is your No. 1 pri-
ority, it would be better for
both of you if you look fur-
ther for a life partner.
Dear Abby: My friend
“Gina” and I have known
each other for many years.
The other day she got into a
heated discussion on Face-
book with several other peo-
ple we’ve known for years. It
was about politics. When I
read her post, I was shocked.
She belittled and bullied
those who didn’t share her
opinion. I have since deleted
my FB account because I
don’t want to see such hatred.
What do I tell her when she
asks why I’m no longer on so-
cial media?
— Social Media Distanced
Dear Social: Tell Gina the
truth. Say you deleted your
account because you were
shocked when you saw peo-
ple with differing political
opinions being bullied and
demeaned, which you found
shocking and offensive. If
she’s foolish enough to push
you for more detail, tell her
how her post affected you. It’s
shameful that adults in this
day and age cannot calmly
discuss their differences with-
out resorting to those tactics.
Dear Abby: I am torn
between two guys. I have
known the first guy for a
year, and we had some ups
and downs. Six months ago
he had a heart attack, but he
pulled through, thank God.
But since then, things have
been very hard. Our relation-
ship went sour and we broke
up.
I met the second guy on-
line a month ago. He seems
very sweet and down to earth
and treats me like a princess.
The first guy and I ended up
talking again, and the prob-
lem is, I’m still in love with
him. I think both of them are
wonderful and I don’t know
what decision to make. Please
help me.
— Choices, Choices in Delaware
Dear Choices: Before mak-
ing any decision, it’s import-
ant you fully understand
why your relationship with
Guy No. 1 went sour after his
heart attack. Could it be re-
lated to his near-death expe-
rience? You need to have all
the facts before jumping back
into a romance with him.
You haven’t known Guy
No. 2 long enough to really
know who he is yet. Do not
pull the plug on this one until
you have more answers than
you were able to put in your
letter to me.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Madalyn Aslan
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
DYNAMIC | POSITIVE | AVERAGE | SO-SO | DIFFICULT
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR THURSDAY, FEB. 4, 2021: Unconven-
tional, sincere and highly effective, you have your own original way of doing
things. This unique approach wins you admirers this year as you finally com-
plete a very successful project. If single, you get bored easily, so it’s difficult to
find someone who will hold your attention. This you do in 2022. If attached,
acceptance of conflicting attitudes and priorities is a must. LIBRA, fitting in
more, balances you out.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Today heightens analytical skills. You’ll enjoy deeper insight into the
motivations and needs of others. There’s a deepening awareness of the after-
life and a sense of unity with loved ones who have passed on. Tonight: You’ll
be reflective and draw on past experiences.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
A loved one blossoms with a new beauty or talent. This brings you
joy. Legal matters are concluded. You discover how to rise above jealousy
or insecurity to bring a more transcendent and supportive quality to love.
Tonight: You express your feelings with special eloquence.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Today’s a wonderful time to toss out debris, to get neat and orga-
nized. Minimize stress with efficiency. Other people need time to discuss
ideas and views. Patience and listening bring you rewards. Tonight: Postpone
decisions about love. You’ll go through a change of heart.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
Concentrate with delicate tasks or if using tools or machines. Check to
Transfers capable of immediate impact add value
BY NICK DASCHEL
The Oregonian
What did Oregon State
coach Jonathan Smith make of
his 2021 football signing class,
officially completed Wednes-
day with the addition of four
transfers, two scholarship high
school seniors and nine pre-
ferred walk-ons?
We know what is being said
nationally, including some lazy
analysis. It is low-rated for the
most part, a given going in be-
cause the lack of scholarships
OSU could offer in 2021. Of
the players the Beavers signed,
there isn’t the star power of an
Oregon or USC.
What the national and re-
gional rhetoric doesn’t include
are transfers. That is an area
where Oregon State could see
immediate payoff. Receiver
Makiya Tongue (Georgia),
cornerback E.J. Jones (Kan-
sas), running back Deshaun
Fenwick (South Carolina)
and offensive lineman Heneli
Bloomfield (Utah State) signed
Wednesday. All are currently
enrolled at OSU, on campus
Leon Neuschwander/For The Oregonian/TNS file
Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith looks on from the sideline during
a game against Washington State in Corvallis in November.
and planning to take part in
spring football. At least three of
the four are serious contenders
for starting jobs in 2021.
Tongue is a former four-star
high school prospect, while
Fenwick had multiple SEC of-
fers out of high school. Jones
started eight games for Kansas
in 2020.
Those are significant adds
“Still a little bit of room. We have a little bit of room and
we’re going to keep recruiting and we’ll polish off this class
here in the very near future.”
Ducks
Continued from A5
Oregon coach Mario Cris-
tobal said UO is “still saving a
spot for a special talent” during
his appearance on the pro-
gram’s in-house radio show,
referring to five-star defensive
end J.T. Tuimoloau, though
not by name. Tuimoloau is not
expected to sign until April,
hopefully following on-campus
visits, if they’re allowed at that
time, to Oregon, Ohio State
and Alabama among others.
“Still a little bit of room,”
Cristobal said. “We have a little
bit of room and we’re going to
keep recruiting and we’ll polish
off this class here in the very
near future.”
The Ducks once again have
the best class in the Pac-12,
with seven players ranked as
the best from their respective
states (Oregon, Arizona, Utah,
Nevada, Colorado, New York
and Nebraska) and the best of-
fensive player from California.
“It’s widely regarded as the
best class in our history,” Cris-
tobal said. “We’ll find out on
the field when it all plays out.
But in terms of players in the
country and some of the best
players at every position, widely
regarded as the best class in our
history. For the third consecu-
tive year having a top class in
the Pac-12 conference, which
is great because we like to have
those consecutive type of ac-
complishments like having a
back-to-back Pac-12 champi-
onship. This is directly related
to that; talent acquisition.”
The Ducks added 12 players
on offense and 11 on defense,
with 13 signees (Ty Thomp-
son, Terrance Ferguson, Moliki
Matavao, Troy Franklin, Dont’e
Thornton, Jackson Light, King-
for a team in dire need of a run-
ning back, receiver and corner-
back for next season. Beyond
that, Wednesday’s list of signees
added two scholarship offen-
sive linemen, a position group
that was missing from Decem-
ber’s early signing class.
“We were going across the
board and trying to create
depth and additions at every
position,” Smith said.
Asked if there was an area he
wanted to address and was un-
able to do during the two sign-
ing periods, Smith said no.
“We’re always going to look,
and if they can add some value
to our roster, we’re going to
pursue them,” Smith said. “I
don’t see a glaring hole that we
missed on this list.”
Among Oregon State’s 2021
26-man signing class from
December and February are
a dozen preferred walk-ons.
More than half come from the
state of Oregon. Walk-ons not
only provide additional compe-
tition for practice, but some in
time become key players, even
starters. Several of the signed
walk-ons may have had a lim-
ited or no senior high school
football season because of the
pandemic. Because of that,
there’s a possibility for talent
and skill that won’t show up on
a video.
“We feel like these guys are
going to be able to come in and
truly compete and contribute
and play,” Smith said.
— Mario Cristobal, Oregon Ducks football coach
sley Suamataia, Bram Walden,
Keanu Williams, Keith Brown,
Jaylin Davies, Jeffrey Bassa and
Daymon David) already on
campus and another (Jonah
Miller) expected to arrive on
March 26.
The additions on Wednesday
won’t join the program until
the summer, but Cardwell and
Dickerson each are at import-
ant positions for Oregon, which
addressed its areas of need in
both the immediate and short-
term.
Cristobal said the 6-foot,
193-pound Cardwell, who
committed last week, is “a very
large special talent and adds a
dimension to that backfield”
with a combination of speed
and power.
“We were late to the party in
the sense of when we offered
him, but he knew the entire
time that he was somebody that
I wanted for over a year,” run-
ning backs coach Jim Mastro
said on UO’s signing day radio
show. “He brings size. We’re
looking to get bigger every year
and we’ve done that. He’s as dy-
namic as they come and we’re
looking at a special skill set.”
The top-rated running back
on the West Coast, the 6-foot,
193-pound Cardwell rushed for
1,968 yards and 34 touchdowns
during his two all-league sea-
sons at St. Augustine High in
San Diego.
“Hard to see a talent like
that anywhere in the coun-
try, let alone out on the West
Coast,” Cristobal said. “When
you’re big, that powerful and
that explosive, you can make
people miss subtly or you can
run through them, you can run
around them, you can stretch
the field from the backfield and
be involved in the passing game
and you can block like he does.
He’s a home run hitter. He does
it between the tackles, does it
outside, does it in the screen
game.”
A MaxPreps All-American
and consensus No. 1 player
from Nebraska, Dickerson
helped lead Westside High
(Omaha) to a state champion-
ship last season by posting 19
tackles (16 solo), one for loss,
four interceptions, nine pass
breakups, two fumble recover-
ies and a forced fumble.
Dickerson is the No. 8 cor-
nerback in the 247Sports Com-
posite and chose Oregon over
Minnesota, where he was pre-
viously committed, and nearby
Nebraska.
“Tremendous athlete, just
tremendous talent,” Cristobal
said. “Has a lot of special team
value as well. Explosive, long,
fast, great academic guy. An ex-
plosive, tough, physical football
player. He wants to play a phys-
ical brand of football. He wants
to be challenged and wants to
be on the big stage. To be able
to pry him away from some of
the powers that be in that area,
it speaks volumes about his de-
sire to be great, not to mention
the great job by (cornerbacks)
coach Rod Chance and the rest
of the staff.”
Chance, who recruited Dick-
erson previously while at Min-
nesota, said the newest Duck
runs the 100 meters in the 10.5-
10.6 second range.
“He has some really smooth
running mechanics, really
knows how to get from point
A, to point B,” Chance said.
“He has position flexibility.
He’ll create immediate special
teams value for our football
team whether that’s in the re-
turn game or in the coverage
units by having the speed that
he does have.”
The addition of Dickerson
also gives UO five defensive
backs, including two top 10
corners, in this year’s class.
Combined with a trio of top-
30 receivers, two of whom are
in the top 10, two top-10 tight
ends, a top-10 running back,
top-5 quarterback and another
vaunted quartet of offensive
linemen, it’s easy to see why this
group of Ducks is the best ever
assembled, at least on paper.
“Everything that we’re say-
ing is being validated by the
actual outcome and the per-
formances,” Cristobal said. “It
makes us hungrier. We’re more
motivated than ever to take that
next step and this class is an ex-
cellent step in that direction.”
“There’s no need for people
to be alarmed. We Victorians
know what to do, and we have
proven, as a state, very suc-
cessful at managing these sorts
of outbreaks, these sorts of is-
sues.”
Australia has 909 deaths at-
tributed to COVID-19, includ-
ing 820 in Victoria state. Most
of those were during a second
deadly wave last year when a
hard lockdown and overnight
curfews were put in place in
Melbourne.
Chris Pietsch/AP file
Oregon coach Mario Cristobal re-
acts to a play on the field during
a game against Montana in Sep-
tember 2019 in Eugene.
see what commitments others have made for you. Be cautious about devot-
ing precious time and energy to a lost cause, or you could create futile pain
for yourself. Tonight: Relax.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Make the most of your inherited traits and early teachings. You
will feel a sense of hope and encouragement. Insights are revealing. Your
optimistic, confident use of words will draw others to you. Tonight: A family
discussion over dinner is eye-opening.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
It’s a good time for emails, calls and dealings with the media. It’s not
the time to procrastinate. Protect the reputation you’ve worked hard to
establish. Peer pressure is strong. Keep good company. Tonight: Resist the
temptation to gossip, as your words will be repeated.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Don’t try to force your values on those who aren’t receptive today. As-
sociates are rather conservative. Comparison shop for the best prices when
making purchases. Favors you perform now will be returned later. Tonight:
Make kind, generous gestures toward those less fortunate.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Your own mind-set creates much of what is happening. Notes of hu-
mor and lightness are more effective with associates than an overbearing or
severe manner. If you sense you’re overbearing or expecting too much, pull
back. Tonight: Awakening to new values and philosophies.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Today gives you a flair for strategy and subtle action, and finds you
unusually introspective. You’re able to cherish your secrets and privacy.
Those closest to you will know only what you want to reveal. Tonight: A
favorable time to work with affirmations and visualization.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Today adds to your charm and popularity and is a good time to devel-
op nurturing friendships. You’ll be responsive to peer pressure, especially
from those in pursuit of all kinds of pleasure. Tonight: Enjoy yourself, but do
keep your goals and priorities in sight.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
You are motivated and enthused at work, but diplomacy and patience
are a must to assure success. Separate family and personal issues from pro-
fessional responsibilities. You will feel ambitious and competitive. Tonight:
Reach out to an elderly family member.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
You’ll feel vital and creative today. Your appearance improves,
lending strength to your self-esteem. This results in good fortune that affects
your personal life as well as your professional status. Ask others for help
and express your love openly. Tonight: You will meet with deep and loving
acceptance.
Tennis
Continued from A5
Australian Open organizers
didn’t immediately have details
of how many players were or-
dered to isolate.
Under the current plans, up
to 30,000 spectators are ex-
pected daily at Melbourne Park
for the two-week Grand Slam
event and there was no imme-
diate indication of a change.
All arrivals in Australia
must undergo a mandatory
14-day quarantine under the
COVID-19 pandemic regu-
lations. The Australian Open
chartered 17 flights and used
three hotels in Melbourne for
the bulk of the players to quar-
antine and had other secure ac-
commodation and facilities in
Adelaide, South Australia state,
for some of the biggest stars,
including Serena Williams,
Naomi Osaka, Novak Djokovic
and Rafael Nadal.
Players were tested every day
during quarantine and all were
cleared before the tuneup tour-
naments began at Melbourne
Park on Monday. The first
three days of competition were
incident free.
“This is one case. There’s no
need for people to panic,” An-
drews said in his news confer-
ence announcing the case and
a raft of low-key restrictions.