In the world of college football where the transfer portal is as relevant as it is, life for incoming recruits and true freshmen has arguably gotten a bit tougher. Not only are coaching staffs now spending more time and resources on recruiting current college players who can help make an impact right away, but when a high school recruit does land at his new school, it may be a longer runway ahead of them before they can get on the field and be a difference-maker because of the propensity of transfers ahead of them on the depth chart.
Despite that, there are still a select number of incoming freshmen that are talented enough to not only see the field, but potentially have an impact on the team right away.
For the Oregon Ducks, 5-star wide receiver Jurrion Dickey has been tabbed as one of those players who could potentially make waves as a true freshman in Eugene.
Here’s what On3’s Charles Power had to say about Dickey:
Jurrion Dickey looked like the most physically and technically advanced wide receiver in the cycle throughout the offseason and early in the fall. The Oregon signee ended up missing most of his senior season with an injury, but he showed enough to indicate he’s primed to make an early impact if healthy. The 6-foot-2.5, 215-pounder has a complete skill set as an outside receiver. He’s an outstanding route-runner with the ability to drop his weight and change directions with ease. Dickey is physical and coordinated at the catch point and presents a big challenge for defenders in the open field with his play speed and ability to run through arm tackles. If he’s good to go, we expect Dickey to be catching passes in Eugene early on next season. Fellow Oregon signee safety Tyler Turner is another we could see making an early impact.
It will be incredibly tough for Dickey to get a lot of playing time as a freshman, as the WR spot in Eugene is deep and talented at the moment. Not only do you have guys like Troy Franklin and Kris Hutson returning as major contributors from 2022, but there are also guys like Kyler Kasper and Justius Lowe who are entering their second year after coming to the Ducks as highly-rated recruits. On top of that, Oregon brought in WR Traeshon Holden from Alabama, and WR Keyonteze Johnson from Troy.
In order for Dickey to move up the depth chart enough to have an impact in his first season, he’s going to need to be incredibly impressive. Fortunately, it seems like that’s entirely possible, with the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder ranking as the No. 2 WR in the 2023 class, and No. 21 overall player in the nation.
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