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Local defensive lineman talks about being a Bulldog

Fresno State brought in five defensive linemen in this recruiting class, including Fresno (Calif.) San Joaquin Memorial defensive end Jaylen Ruiz.
The 6-foot-3, 260-pounder caught the eye of the Fresno State coaches when he camped there over the summer. He mulled over offers from SMU and Houston before finally committing to be a Bulldog in September.
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"It was pretty much like a family thing when I was there, they treated me like family," Ruiz said. "I felt comfortable being around everyone there."
As a commit Ruiz officially visited Fresno State in December and then signed his letter of intent last Wednesday.
"I had to go to school super early, sign everything and fax it over," Ruiz said. " I didn't get to talk to [the coaches], they were super busy. We didn't do anything special [on signing day], we just went out to eat after."
Ruiz is a Valley guy, but doesn't have many close friends on the Bulldog's roster. Most of the guys he knows he met on his recruiting trip. He does have a relationship with safety Justin Holmes from Fresno's Edison High School and is familiar with quarterback Zack Greenlee from Stockton's Lincoln High School and nose guard Ryan Steele from Kingsburg High School.
Head coach Tim DeRuyter made a point of getting local recruits to sign up, and thinks he has a good one in Ruiz.
"Jaylen Ruiz, another guy that was in our camp last summer, moves really well for a big guy," DeRuyter said. "He's been fired up to be a Bulldog ever since camp last summer and we expect big things from him because he's a big guy that is really athletic."
DeRuyter and the staff told Ruiz what he expects from him when he gets to campus.
"They said I would be a great fit for their defensive end position," Ruiz said. "You can check into a 4-3 defense, or check out of it into the 3-4 base."
In high school Ruiz was an inside player, but should have little problem making the transition outside.
"We played a 3-5 in high school and I was at the nose guard position," he said. "Defensive end is just more of a comfortable spot for me, more than the nose, because it is not as congested out there."
Besides his size and speed, Ruiz is the kind of player that never stops, never gives up.
"My strengths are my motor pretty much. I am constantly going."
As far as what he is looking forward to, Ruiz said, "I want to go to college and live on my own."
Since Ruiz is a local recruit, he gets to visit campus often. He is scheduled to graduate on May 28 and arrive on campus for summer school sometime in June.
Stay tuned to TheBulldogReport.com for more updates on the 2013 Fresno State recruiting class. You can follow us on Twitter at @FresnoDogs.
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