Those who follow recruiting often gauge a recruit by his star rating or the competing offers he has received.
The preferred walk-on spots, however, are often glossed over, assuming they don't come with the same firepower.
But in some cases, that assumption can be wrong. Very wrong.
USC's Clay Matthews, Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden, Fresno State's Logan Mankins, Hawaii's Cole Brennan, Wisconsin's J..J Watt, Miami's Santana Moss and Oregon State's Mike Hass are just a few of the many walk-on players who have excelled over the past 20 years.
On Saturday, Oregon State added a preferred walk-on to the fold they hope grows into a player that belongs on the aforementioned list, Lake Oswego offensive lineman Gunnar Braden.