The USC Trojans are getting smoked by the Oregon Ducks in college football recruiting. It’s hard to avoid that reality, as unpleasant as it is.
Oregon’s collection of four- and five-star football recruits dwarfs what USC has been able to do. Washington and UCLA also have reason to be concerned, alongside USC, about the extent to which Dan Lanning is stacking recruits and building future rosters in Eugene. It’s true that if Oregon doesn’t make a big splash in one of the next two seasons, we could see some recruits sour on the Ducks, but right now, this is a destination program with a robust NIL setup and attractive, modern facilities. Oregon and Ohio State are the two teams favored to meet in the Big Ten Championship Game later this season. Oregon is widely viewed as a top-five-caliber team with a great shot at making the College Football Playoff semifinals, not merely the playoff itself. USC might not make the playoff in 2024, but the Trojans must at least take big forward steps so that the “reputation gap” between the two programs decreases this year.
Oregon Ducks have 12 4- or 5-star commitments
The other three West Coast schools in the Big Ten have 10 — combined
I said on @Cover3Podcast that Oregon will build the No. 2 roster in the Big Ten and it’s happening faster than I thought.
— Bud Elliott (@BudElliott3) June 29, 2024
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