Rivals four-star safety C.J. Pollard has a top six consisting of Arizona State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, USC and Utah, but with a plan to commit on ESPNU during The Opening in early July, he is scrambling to get in his final three unofficial visits before making a decision.
The 6-foot-0, 187-pound safety, out of USC-pipeline Junipero Serra High School (Gardena, California), still hasn't seen Oregon, Michigan or Notre Dame in person, but plans to change that with a visit to Eugene on Friday and a trip to the Midwest to check out the Wolverines and Fighting Irish next week.
"I'd say a visit has been in the works even before I got my (Oregon) offer, because I always knew how nice it was and, hearing everything from the recruits, how beautiful it is up there," he said. "It's something I look forward to."
Most people see Pollard as a USC lean, but he indicated that he is intrigued by what the Ducks can offer a player with his skill-set. That message has been drive home thanks to Oregon safety Glen Ihenacho.
"It was a safety, Glen Ihenacho, that went to Oregon. Me and him kind of have the same circumstances, same city, same type of athlete," Pollard explained. "He just told me that everything worked out so perfect for him. He's looking at a starting job or a lot of playing time this year."
The California product will have a chance to experience the atmosphere first-hand during a short one-or-two-day trip beginning Friday.
"I want to see a lot of love from the coaches, the fans, feel the vibe and make me feel like home," Pollard said. "That's a place I might be living for four years, so I want to feel like home and like they have a place for me."
Despite trips to Michigan and Notre Dame next weekend, Oregon will have the last chance to make an impression on Pollard.
Team Alpha Pro was the first squad from The Opening to be publicly announced and is full of Oregon commits and targets. Theo Howard, Dillon Mitchell and Vavae Malepeai, all of whom are Ducks pledges, make up key offensive weapons on the roster, while Pollard, Nigel Knott and Jared Mayden - three defensive backs with Oregon offers - anchor the secondary.
"There's a group chat with me, Nigel (Knott), Theo (Howard) and I think Dillon Mitchell is in there, too," Pollard explained. "Basically, we just say how Oregon, when it comes to football and facilities, Oregon kind of wins that right now. Not so much tradition, like other schools, but as far as schools on the rise and as far as facilities, it's like a football heaven."
USC is the unspoken favorite to land the dynamic defensive standout, but with a visit to Eugene in the works, as well as a potential bonding experience with several Oregon commits and targets on the horizon, Pollard could surprise with his commitment at The Opening.
