Ever since Dan Lanning came to Oregon, he stated that it was of the utmost importance for the Ducks to recruit their home state, and keep the best talent in the area actually in the area.
That’s something that they were successful with this year in the 2024 recruiting cycle, with 3-star tight end A.J. Pugliano signing his letter of intent on Wednesday and officially joining the Oregon Ducks.
Pugliano, a Medford native, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 521 player in the 2024 class, and the No. 30 TE in the nation. He is also rated as the No. 3 player in the state of Oregon.
Pugliano is the second tight end in Oregon’s 2024 class, joining 4-star Roger Saleapaga.
Keeping this talent in Oregon.@AJ_Pugliano is a Duck!#GoDucks x #NSD24
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) December 20, 2023
Pugliano chose the Ducks over schools like Arizona, and Washington State.
At the moment, the Ducks have a solid outlook for the TE position in 2024, assuming that Terrance Ferguson returns for another year, which is still in question. Should Ferguson declare for the NFL Draft, though, then there is a chance that Pugliano could play his way into the rotation in a minor role, much like we saw from true freshman Kenyon Sadiq in 2023.
Here are some of Pugliano highlights:
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