It’s pretty darn solid: 17-year-old Nick Mitchell will join his older brother Josh on the gridiron at Corvallis, Ore.

Mitchell, Mount Si’s all-Kingco-ranked quarterback last fall, made a verbal commitment to play football with Oregon State University after high school graduation in 2014.

OSU was the right fit, says Nick.

“It seemed like the perfect school to go to,” he said. “It’s a great family atmosphere. They not only help you become a better player, but also a better man.”

Older brother Taylor attends Humboldt in California. His younger brother, Caleb, plays for Mount Si. All-Kingco lineman Josh Mitchell was tapped to play at Oregon State just before his senior season.

While the family connection wasn’t crucial to his decision, Nick says it is nice having a brother there.

Plus, getting the big decision done allows him to “focus on my senior season, making my game and myself, better.”

Last fall, the ‘Bird Dog’ passed for more than 2,000 yards, making 30 touchdowns in Mount Si’s drive to the semi-finals. He was a first-team All-Kingco selection.

These days, he’s lifting five days a week in the weight room, practicing and throwing. Camps are also in the offing, including a trip to the Elite 11 Regional Camp in Chicago May 3.

With a full-ride offer, he expects to red-shirt his freshman year. As for studies, Mitchell plans to go into business marketing.

Before then, this fall, Nick intends to maintain the Mount Si magic that took the 2012 team all the way to state.

“We have a lot more returning players than people may think,” he said. “Our guys are working hard in the weight room. We have the guys to have another great season,” rattling off the names of classmates like Bailey Takacs, Trevor Daniels, Chris Schlicting, Brad Christensen, Evan Johnson and Beau Shain.

“I’m going to work hard and make my team the best we can be,” Mitchell said. “It should be a great season.”

College offers for juniors are rare, but they happen at Mount Si High School. Last year, Mount Si football’s star kicker Cameron Van Winkle got a spring offer from the University of Washington as a junior. Midfielder soccer star Miranda Rawlings committed to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in the middle of her junior year.