RECRUITING NOTES:
But there are also some big commitments coming up in which the Ducks are going to play a role. We will cover some of the expected upcoming announcements and where we think Oregon stands.
Elijah Rushing: He is set to commit next week and this one looks to be a two-horse race with the elite edge rusher having visited Oregon nearly a half dozen times and the home state Arizona Wildcats more often with at least 8 different trips to Tucson.
While we heard Ryan Pellum indicate that the thing that tipped his choice toward USC was the offensive-minded head coach, I think we could see a similar effect here. Rushing loves the Oregon campus, he loves the staff and the plan laid out for him on and off the field was top-notch.
Prediction: Oregon
Chris Johnson:The Ducks really liked him and thought he had a lot of potential; but with a camp on site for evaluation purposes, there was a thought that Johnson might be a better fit as a safety and the staff also really loved the length of another recent visitor – Sione Laulea. At the end of the visit for the two, the feeling that I got was that the staff really felt strong enough about their spot with Laulea that they made him their top remaining target.
Johnson loved his visit to Eugene and in many other years, he might have already committed. But I think that this is just a unique season for recruiting and this is one in which I think the offer became uncommittable.
One thing to note is that Arizona State cornerbacks coach Bryan Carrington stated that the defensive back was ‘No. 1 on his board.’
“Coach BC told me again that I was his number one guy,” Johnson told Rivals two weeks ago. “He said, If I come here, he can’t guarantee me anything, and I definitely don’t want anything given to me. But he said that If I come here, I will have a great opportunity to play early as a freshman cornerback.”
Prediction: Arizona State
Da’Jaun Riggs: I mentioned prior to the visit that I think Oregon would take a commitment from Riggs no matter what and the visit did nothing to dissuade running backs coach Carlos Locklyn from that thought.
But I also said that I think that Oregon is willing to take two running backs this cycle as far back as February – and it seems others are starting to catch up and have also joined in saying that Oregon will take Frazier even if another running back is committed.
I know Jason Brown has been to campus a lot – and this staff has had plenty of opportunity to evaluate his game. The reality is that they like Riggs more than Brown. I am not sure that the Ducks take two running backs if one of them is not named Nate Frazier – but the staff also know much better than I do who all might be departing after 2023. Either way, this is one in which I think Oregon made a specific move for Riggs and that the Ducks will be in a good spot.
Prediction: Oregon
Sione Laulea: I mentioned that the Ducks were in good position with him – but there is still some thought that USC did a great job and the Ducks are not a lock in this case. There still needs to be some digging before I would make a prediction. I do think this is a two team race between Oregon and USC.
Prediction: Too Close to Call
Gatlin Bair:Bair is coming off a visit to Michigan, exceeding his already high expectations as did his official visit to Oregon. Right now, there is a lot of glow from the visit, but Bair is also not making a decision any time soon and is still considering the possibility of another official visit in the fall.
While he is also an elite sprinter, Bair is going to make his decision based on football specifically which will sort of dim some of the chances for the Ducks. Also of note, Bair plans on taking his religious mission straight out of high school and that means that he will not enroll in school until 2026 – and will have to be re-recruited by everyone.
Prediction: Michigan
Brandon Baker:He rose 64 spots to the No. 25 overall position in the most recent updates and is the number one offensive tackle in the nation according to Rivals.com. The elite Mater Dei prospect is also a Duck legacy as the younger brother of former Oregon defensive lineman Gary Baker.
But Baker has not let that cloud his process. Oregon lost its offensive line coach and main recruiter earlier this year and that set them back some. In fact, there were some inside the Hatfield Dowlin Complex that felt Baker was on the verge of committing prior to Adrian Klemm’s departure.
A’lique Terry has done a fantastic job of establishing a relationship with Baker and putting Oregon back in the driver's seat. I was never as concerned about the loss of Klemm as others because head coach Dan Lanning had also developed a really good bond with Baker and I think at the end of the day, the length of the relationships that existed were always going to work in Oregon’s favor.
Prediction: Oregon
JacQawn McRoy: I don’t think there is much to add to what I have already said both before and after his official visit. The visit was out of the park and I think really solidified what I have said for some time now. I think this one is wrapped up and under the tree ready for Oregon to open.
Prediction: Oregon
There you have it, a boatload of predictions for your Wednesday pleasure.
All for now!
But there are also some big commitments coming up in which the Ducks are going to play a role. We will cover some of the expected upcoming announcements and where we think Oregon stands.
Elijah Rushing: He is set to commit next week and this one looks to be a two-horse race with the elite edge rusher having visited Oregon nearly a half dozen times and the home state Arizona Wildcats more often with at least 8 different trips to Tucson.
While we heard Ryan Pellum indicate that the thing that tipped his choice toward USC was the offensive-minded head coach, I think we could see a similar effect here. Rushing loves the Oregon campus, he loves the staff and the plan laid out for him on and off the field was top-notch.
Prediction: Oregon
Chris Johnson:The Ducks really liked him and thought he had a lot of potential; but with a camp on site for evaluation purposes, there was a thought that Johnson might be a better fit as a safety and the staff also really loved the length of another recent visitor – Sione Laulea. At the end of the visit for the two, the feeling that I got was that the staff really felt strong enough about their spot with Laulea that they made him their top remaining target.
Johnson loved his visit to Eugene and in many other years, he might have already committed. But I think that this is just a unique season for recruiting and this is one in which I think the offer became uncommittable.
One thing to note is that Arizona State cornerbacks coach Bryan Carrington stated that the defensive back was ‘No. 1 on his board.’
“Coach BC told me again that I was his number one guy,” Johnson told Rivals two weeks ago. “He said, If I come here, he can’t guarantee me anything, and I definitely don’t want anything given to me. But he said that If I come here, I will have a great opportunity to play early as a freshman cornerback.”
Prediction: Arizona State
Da’Jaun Riggs: I mentioned prior to the visit that I think Oregon would take a commitment from Riggs no matter what and the visit did nothing to dissuade running backs coach Carlos Locklyn from that thought.
But I also said that I think that Oregon is willing to take two running backs this cycle as far back as February – and it seems others are starting to catch up and have also joined in saying that Oregon will take Frazier even if another running back is committed.
I know Jason Brown has been to campus a lot – and this staff has had plenty of opportunity to evaluate his game. The reality is that they like Riggs more than Brown. I am not sure that the Ducks take two running backs if one of them is not named Nate Frazier – but the staff also know much better than I do who all might be departing after 2023. Either way, this is one in which I think Oregon made a specific move for Riggs and that the Ducks will be in a good spot.
Prediction: Oregon
Sione Laulea: I mentioned that the Ducks were in good position with him – but there is still some thought that USC did a great job and the Ducks are not a lock in this case. There still needs to be some digging before I would make a prediction. I do think this is a two team race between Oregon and USC.
Prediction: Too Close to Call
Gatlin Bair:Bair is coming off a visit to Michigan, exceeding his already high expectations as did his official visit to Oregon. Right now, there is a lot of glow from the visit, but Bair is also not making a decision any time soon and is still considering the possibility of another official visit in the fall.
While he is also an elite sprinter, Bair is going to make his decision based on football specifically which will sort of dim some of the chances for the Ducks. Also of note, Bair plans on taking his religious mission straight out of high school and that means that he will not enroll in school until 2026 – and will have to be re-recruited by everyone.
Prediction: Michigan
Brandon Baker:He rose 64 spots to the No. 25 overall position in the most recent updates and is the number one offensive tackle in the nation according to Rivals.com. The elite Mater Dei prospect is also a Duck legacy as the younger brother of former Oregon defensive lineman Gary Baker.
But Baker has not let that cloud his process. Oregon lost its offensive line coach and main recruiter earlier this year and that set them back some. In fact, there were some inside the Hatfield Dowlin Complex that felt Baker was on the verge of committing prior to Adrian Klemm’s departure.
A’lique Terry has done a fantastic job of establishing a relationship with Baker and putting Oregon back in the driver's seat. I was never as concerned about the loss of Klemm as others because head coach Dan Lanning had also developed a really good bond with Baker and I think at the end of the day, the length of the relationships that existed were always going to work in Oregon’s favor.
Prediction: Oregon
JacQawn McRoy: I don’t think there is much to add to what I have already said both before and after his official visit. The visit was out of the park and I think really solidified what I have said for some time now. I think this one is wrapped up and under the tree ready for Oregon to open.
Prediction: Oregon
There you have it, a boatload of predictions for your Wednesday pleasure.
All for now!
