Noah Sewell entered the weekend as one of the highest-rated recruits yet to pull the trigger on his collegiate decision. He exited the weekend as a future Oregon Duck.
Sewell, a five-star linebacker from Orem (Utah) High, committed to Oregon rather than 32 other power programs that extended offers, including Alabama, Georgia, Arizona State and others.
The reason for Sewell’s commitment to the Ducks? The All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl star announced his choice shortly after his Orem squad repeated as Utah state champions, and apparently picked the school where he was most comfortable.
“Noah has always felt comfortable there and, honestly, has felt like a part of that team being around those guys,” Sewell’s father, Gabriel, told 247Sports. “He has always been about visualizing things and the start Oregon had this year, especially defensively, as well as being in that locker room a couple times this year to feel the change in culture, helped open his eyes even more to the possibility of Oregon.
“The program is trending up fast in the defensive side of things. When people think of Oregon, they don’t think of a power defense. But coach Andy Avalos and that staff have developed a great relationship with Noah. When he’s watched them play, it’s been more in line with what they have been talking to him about. The relationship with coach Joe (Salave’a) and coach Mario (Cristobal) was longstanding and meant a lot to him as well.”
Sewell was in Oregon less than a month ago, celebrating the Ducks’ victory against Washington State with fans and fellow recruits. He came away convinced that Oregon’s coaching staff and system are the right fit to get the most out of him.
That’s all music to the ears of Mario Cristobal and his staff, which will get an enormous boost from Sewell’s commitment. The 6-foot-2, 266-pounder is ranked among the top-20 overall recruits nationwide and one of the top linebackers in the nation, and he told 247Sports he plans to sign in December’s Early Signing Period and enroll early in Eugene.