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Oregon: “I'm really connecting with the coaches there. They're really down-to-earth. They love connecting with my family. Coach [Bryan] McClendon has been showing me different plays and different schemes that they're working on out there. It looks like a really fun offense. It's just a really good scheme, so they've shown me where I would be with them, and I think it's a place I would enjoy.”

Full story: https://bwi.rivals.com/news/penn-state-locks-in-official-visit-with-texas-wide-receiver

Good morning.

If you haven't yet visited the front page of The Little Website That Could, be sure to peruse today's Flock Talk, which blankets the forest of Oregon football with an English Ivy of insight and literate observation:


Among the salient points elucidated and illuminated are:

Oregon's defense has measurably more talent than it did in 2014, but ignition of the offense is still being worked out in R&D.

Duck fans may come down with a case of Boogie Fever.

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USC transfer Jay Toia remains an unidentified object on the Oregon radar.

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Final series of the year, Ducks look to get some momentum headed into the postseason

Mike Farrell's Three-Point Stance Column from Rivals National includes some interesting Duck tidbits.


He lists Tyler Shough as one the 12 Big-12 prospects he's excited to see in 2021:

8. QB
Tyler Shough, Texas Tech
— He’s jumping into a great situation to put up monster numbers and the limited spring was a showcase for that.

He rates Kayvon Thibodeaux as the top NFL prospect in the PAC-12

Pac-12: DE
Kayvon Thibodeaux
, Oregon — Some have him as the No. 1 player overall in the NFL Draft and he’s clearly DE1.


In the TTU spring game Shough led all quarterbacks, throwing for 106 yards with an 8-of-15 completion rate.

4-star, 6-3, 320 Jay Toia has entered the transfer portal.

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Etiwanda (Calif.) four-star DT Dejon Roney has spent the offseason polishing up pass-rush moves + taking a closer look at some programs in the Pac-12

The latest: https://n.rivals.com/news/four-star-dejon-raney-has-eyes-on-the-pac-12

A quick look at some of the moves that won him camp Defensive Line MVP.

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Yesterday Rob Mullens appeared on the Ryan Leaf and Guy Haberman Show on Sirius Radio.

The hosts asked him about the upcoming matchup with tOSU (107 days, 100 days to Fresno State) and he told them:

“This league has won more national championships when you combine all sports, than anybody,” Mullens said. “But at the end of the day, because of the visibility of football, that carries a disproportionate share of all of these college conferences. We have to take advantage of our opportunities. A lot of those come in the postseason, but we’re going to have some great opportunities in the nonconference segment this fall. We’ll have one, even though its Game 2 and we’re focused on Game 1, Ryan … but the chance to take a trip to Ohio State, we would’ve loved to have them last year, but the chance to go out and compete against what many believe will be a top three, top five team on the road, will give us a chance to show what Pac-12 football is like.”

Exactly the kind of remarks an AD might make three months before a big game, except the Ohio State universe didn't take it that way.

Phil Harrison of the website buckeyeswire wrote: "While appearing on Sirius XM Radio with Ryan Leaf and Guy Haberman, Mullens said Oregon needs to take advantage of the trip to the banks of the Olentangy and plant a proverbial Pac-12 flag into the turf (no offense Baker Mayfield)."


Mullens didn't say that. As former chairman of the playoff committee he's too practiced a diplomat to say that. But Bucknut fans were quick to pounce on the perceived slight.

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In their history the Ducks are 0-9 against tOSU. We can be confident Mario Cristobal and his players know the only way to approach that game in Columbus is to focus on themselves, prepare first for Fresno State. As Mike Bellotti used to say, "Respect all, fear none."

Just between you and me, however, there's a streak of arrogance in Buckeye fans that reminds me a little of Husky supporters. It's going to be an interesting 107 days.

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Wingspan, catch radius, work ethic, explosiveness, deep threat, 19.4 yards a catch

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Top defensive performers out of @RivalsCamp LA included a handful of positional MVPs, including some notable elite underclassmen as well as Boston College, Utah and Oregon commitments

STORY: https://n.rivals.com/news/rivals-camp-series-los-angeles-top-defensive-performers

Last projections before the selection show next Monday. Ducks projected as the 12th seed and regional host. One thing to note, they have Cal in at this point as they have won their last 3 conference series including against Stanford and UCLA. Ducks will have their hands full this weekend as Cal is trying to get off the bubble. Pac 12 getting 7 out of 11 teams in with this projection.

Tom Fornelli of cbs.com ranks Power 5 coaches.

Ryan Day of Ohio State is 4th, he says. Kyle Whittingham is the PAC-12's best at 14. David Shaw makes the list at #24.

Mario Cristobal gets a gaze at 16. Fornelli cites his two conference championships and acknowledges how he's shaken up recruiting in the league. To climb higher, it's suggested, the Ducks have to reach the playoffs.

Rivals100 DE Cyrus Moss has three officials locked in for June + will see two more contenders in October before making a college decision

"I want to see what each school has to offer. The school that feels right is the biggest thing for me."

Scott takes a look at three major targets today in his Inside Reed.

Today in their reporting on the Rivals Five Star Challenge stop in Southern California, Adam Friedman, Josh Helmholdt, Sam Spiegelman had this to say about Zion Branch (emphasis added):

Branch certainly looks the part of a Rivals100 safety, measuring in at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds on Sunday. During position drills he showed fluidity and explosiveness. We would have liked to see more of him during one-on-ones, but he will get a chance to show more at the Five-Star Challenge next month. Branch has narrowed his focus to Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oregon and USC. He will start taking official visits next month with trips to Ohio State, Oregon and USC lined up, but will wait and take his final official visits to Alabama and Clemson in November.

It sounds like from this report that the Ducks still have a shot at the highly sought after safety.


Though the battle for his services will be intense, he's scheduled to visit Oregon on June 25th,


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His commitment is doubly important because it could represent a package deal:

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Dalton threw it 217ft., punching his ticket to the Championships in Eugene. He will go in as an underdog, but he just keeps improving. Let’s see what happens.

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Would rather see a home and home with Notre Dame or another one-off with Portland State.