On Wednesday night, Utah State got competitive on the local recruiting front.

Jeff Manning, the Logan High quarterback and the Tribune's Class 3A MVP, committed to the Aggies after meeting with Andersen. Considered the best quarterback in the state, Manning's commitment gives Andersen his first signature recruit.

Manning, who was initially offered by former coach Brent Guy, said Utah State wasn't really a priority under the old regime. But in the weeks since Andersen's arrival, things changed in a hurry.

"I just felt good about everything," Mannng said. "I felt good about the offense they are going to run. They said we're going to run an aggressive spread that feature no-huddles. I felt comfortable and I just really love the coaches."

Manning's commitment comes as a bit of a surprise. Not the actual commitment, mind you. But the timing. A few days ago, Manning's father, Paul, said that Jeff would be mulling an offer from Oregon and that a decision is not to be expected until after the first of the year.

But Andersen and his staff have been relentless in pursuing Manning, meeting with the family on a regular basis in the last few weeks. The talks have apparently been positive enough for Manning to make a quicker decision.

"I really think coach Andersen's making the state a priority," Manning said. "He's really focused on the state and you can tell things are changing."

Because Manning will embark on a two-year LDS Church mission after high school graduation, Manning's first year on the field will be in 2011. Andersen already has Diondre Borel entrenched at quarterback for the next two seasons, so Manning would presumably have a shot to compete for playing time as a freshman.

Manning is rated by scout.com as one of the best quarterbacks in the west. He accounted for 4,001 yards of offense this past season, and won a state championship as a junior.