A rare talent on the Rhode Island high school football scene the past three years, Marven Beauvais will be making the rare transition to Division I college football next season.

The Cranston East senior wide receiver who established himself as the state’s best pass catcher in recent history is committed to the University of Rhode Island.

While not officially a member of the Rams’ 2014 recruiting class because he was not academically eligible by the Feb. 5 signing day, Beauvais has since established eligibility. He will enter the school’s Talent Development Program and be ready to be on the field this season for first-year URI head coach Jim Fleming.

The Talent Development Program is comprised of an “intensive summer academic program.” Once Beauvais has completed that, he’s all set to suit up.

“It just good to finally say I’m playing college football somewhere next year,” Beauvais said.

It always seemed like a matter of where, not if, for Beauvais. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder took the league by storm in his sophomore season, emerging in the middle of the campaign as East’s top receiving option. He finished that year with 27 catches for 604 yards and eight touchdowns.

While the numbers were solid, his potential and size stood out as elite, especially against Rhode Island competition. He followed up his sophomore campaign with a stellar junior season in which he caught 33 balls for 540 yards and 10 touchdowns. He earned First-Team All-State honors.

That set the stage for a monster senior year.

Beauvais averaged two touchdowns per game, racking up 65 catches for 1,237 yards and 18 receiving scores, as well as two kick return touchdowns.

He was an integral piece of an East offense under head coach Tom Centore that was among the most prolific the state has ever seen, and his receiving numbers are believed to be the best in the school’s storied history. He earned another First-Team All-State selection, and also helped the ’Bolts reach the Division I Super Bowl for the first time in 26 years.

“I was able to excel and break records and help my team reach the Super Bowl and stuff like that,” Beauvais said. “In the process, it was all fun. High school is fun. They say it’s the best time of your life, especially when you’re doing sports. I’m just glad that I made the best of it.”

His production on the field and at summer camps prior to his senior season piqued the interest of numerous Division I Football Bowl Subdivision programs, including the University of Connecticut and Rutgers University. URI was also in the mix, and when some of the other teams withdrew interest once Beauvais wasn’t eligible by signing day, the Rams stayed involved.

After a strong senior season academically, and once all his ducks were in a row, URI became the choice. Just like that, high-level college football was a reality.

“It didn’t hit me sophomore year,” Beauvais said. “It really hit me junior year. Coach started telling me and I started hearing from colleges. So it was just a wake up call, like this could really happen.”

Beauvais is expecting play his usual wide receiver position at URI, and while he is certainly a candidate to be red-shirted, his plan is to step in as soon as possible and make an impact.

With Fleming taking over the program on the heels of a 3-9 season, it will likely be a rebuilding process for the Rams, which have added a 20-person recruiting class, plus Beauvais, who is the only incoming Rhode Islander.

He wants to be there for the program’s next steps.

“They’ve got a new coach and he’s trying to bring the program back to its high point,” Beauvais said. “I have faith that he’ll be doing that and bring it back. I’m just glad to be a part of that.”

With high expectations for himself, Beauvais isn’t limiting what he can accomplish in college or beyond. When he started excelling in high school, he started to dream of a future in the NFL.

While that’s still a long shot, he has a unique opportunity not afforded to many Rhode Island high school football players. The goal is to put it the work, maximize his potential and see where the road leads.

“It’s D-I,” Beauvais said. “My plan is just go there and try to make the biggest impact I can. Who knows? Things can happen.”