The562’s coverage of Millikan athletics in the 2023-24 school year is sponsored by Curtis Boyer.
Millikan Football certainly knows how to put on a show, and Wednesday’s Signing Day celebration was no exception.
There were smiles, laughs, a few tears, and even a last-minute commitment change by All-American wide receiver Ryan Pellum, who signed with Oregon after committing to USC back in June.
Along with Pellum, cornerback Loyall Mouzon signed with Fresno State, defensive end/linebacker Greg McClendon III signed with San Jose State, and defensive back Kyle Parker signed with Utah Tech.
“Where I grew up, we couldn’t pay for school, so for me, my goal is to get as many kids to college as possible,” said Millikan head coach Romeo Pellum, who recently completed his fifth season at the school. “That’s a championship to me. A lot of coaches want to win championships, but as many kids as I can get to sign scholarships, that’s a championship for me. So today we have four championships and we’re gonna celebrate them.”
In the days leading up to Wednesday’s Signing Day, there had been rumors swirling about a potential change in commitment from Millikan superstar Ryan Pellum. The other signees had their school of choice included on their name placard, but Pellum’s did not have a college listed.
A natural showman on the field, it’s not surprising that Ryan would continue delivering drama and excitement up until his final pen stroke.
“I was considering it for a little bit, and then the last couple days my decision kind of flipped over to Oregon,” he said. “I feel like there’s some older guys there that can show me the routes, what I’ve gotta do and where I’ve gotta be. I think that will develop me better as a receiver and as a person in that receiver room.”
The theme of Ryan’s initial commitment was “Family”, and he famously held up his young son, Kaceyn, who was wearing a USC onesie to help him announce his pledge to the Trojans. The decision to move away from home didn’t come lightly, but Pellum said he felt he was making the right long-term decision for himself and his son.
“It affected (my decision) a lot,” said Pellum. “I can’t think about right now, I’ve gotta think about the future and what I could provide for him in the future. So if I grind it out for these years in my college years, I could provide him a big future. So that’s what I’m thinking about.”
The Pellum family is also no stranger to Oregon, and their football program. Ryan’s uncle, Don Pellum, was a linebacker for the Ducks in the early ‘80s, and began his lengthy coaching career at his alma mater. Don coached for more than two decades at Oregon, working mostly with the linebackers before his promotion to defensive coordinator in 2014. He was most recently the linebackers coach at UCLA before retiring last year.
Ryan said that he was eager to stay on the West Coast, and having that family connection made it even better for him and his family, who always showed a large presence at his games.
“Definitely, being on the west coast was a big thing, and Oregon’s not too far,” Pellum said. “Oregon is a place that my family has been before. I got my uncle there, so we’ve got ties up there and everything. It’s a good place for my family to come up and stay if they want to.”
Loyall Mouzon earned his scholarship to Fresno State thanks to a stellar debut season with the Rams. After moving from New York, Mouzon immediately turned heads during spring practice and was a walking big play during the 2023 season.
“I’m extremely blessed to be in this position, for me and my family. I just want to take care of them,” said Mouzon of signing his college scholarship. “I’m excited, I’m really proud of my guys that also signed today … I’m just ready to build my future at Fresno.”
Joining Mouzon in the Mountain West Conference is Greg McClendon III, who has been a longtime San Jose State commit. He’s got the potential to play a few different positions for the Spartans defense, but regardless where he plays there’s a ton of upside for the 6-foot-4, 215-pound athlete.
McClendon got emotional during his speech at the podium, specifically when he discussed being a role model for his younger siblings.
“Just the thought of saying I did it,” said McClendon on what was going through his mind as he fought back tears. “My family being here supporting me, my friends, my teammates, my coaches, teachers, staff members, school security, just everyone that was here throughout my journey. It was just me telling them thank you … Being able to succeed and see them happy was really what motivated me this whole time.”
Coach Pellum then declared that McClendon would be an impact player for San Jose State as soon as he steps on campus as a freshman next summer.
Finally, defensive back Kyle Parker put pen to paper with Utah Tech, where he will join another Millikan Ram, running back Nygel Osborne, who signed after last season.
“It’s just a blessing to get the opportunity to elevate my game and develop as a person,” said Parker of getting the chance to play college football. “I want to be the best version of myself, that’s what I’m here for. And I think football helped me with life and more things than just football on the field.”
Parker said that Osborne hosted him on his visit to St. George, and the two have known one another since youth football, so they’ll each have a friend from home for the foreseeable future up in Utah.
Osborne was among a solid contingent of former Rams in attendance, and Coach Pellum shouted out some of those returning college players, including Aaron Okoro (Briar Cliff), Ezavier Staples (UCLA), and Myles Jackson (Stanford).
While this is another strong signing class for the Rams, it’s not yet complete. Coach Pellum said he expects to have another handful of signees in February.
