What did Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith make of his 2021 football signing class, officially completed Wednesday with the addition of four transfers, two scholarship high school seniors and nine preferred 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 because 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 regional 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 (Kansas), running back Deshaun Fenwick (South Carolina) and offensive lineman Heneli Bloomfield (Utah State) signed Wednesday. All are currently enrolled at OSU, on campus 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 offers out of high school. Jones started eight games for Kansas in 2020.

Those are significant adds for a team in dire need of a running back, receiver and cornerback for next season. Beyond that, Wednesday’s list of signees added two scholarship offensive linemen, a position group that was missing from December’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 unable to do during the two signing 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 competition for practice, but some in time become key players, even starters. Several of the signed walk-ons may have had a limited 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.