Tag: 2021 early signing day

Defense adds some extra beef with lineman Ben Roberts

The defense added some extra beef with lineman Ben Roberts

The defensive commits keep rolling in for the Oregon Ducks ad new head coach Dan Lanning in this early signing period as defensive lineman Ben Roberts puts his name on the dotted line.

Roberts, a 6-foot-4, 290-pounder out of Salt Lake City, had numerous offers including Washington and Nebraska.

He is the No. 1 defense tackle from Utah according to Rivals and ESPN, while also ranking No. 1 among defensive linemen by 247Sports. According to the 247 composite, Roberts is the No. 2 defensive lineman in Utah and was selected to play in the 2022 Polynesian Bowl.

He finished his career at East High School with 192 tackles (94 solo), 21.0 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks, one interception, and one pass break up. Roberts also averaged 8.7 tackles per game and as a senior, helped lead East to the quarterfinals of the 2021 UHSAA/Mountain America 5A State Playoffs. He completed his senior season with 107 tackles (58 solo), 9.0 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, one pass breakup while averaging 9.7 tackles per game.

Big offensive lineman Michael Wooten signs with Oregon

Offensive lineman Michael Wooten becomes the first offensive player to sign with the Ducks in the Dan Lanning era.

It was almost a given the Ducks’ new head coach Dan Lanning was going to connect with the current and future defensive players. But the first offensive recruit signed in the early period as offensive lineman Michael Wooten made it official.

At 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, Wooten adds depth to what is already a deep offensive line group. He was recruited by schools such as Colorado, Arizona State, San Diego State, and UNLV.

Wooten helped the Sierra Canyon rushing attack that piled up 2,427 yards on the ground (202.3 yards per game) and averaged 7.1 yards per carry. The Trailblazers piled up at least 500 yards of total offense four times during his senior season and totaled 400-or-more yards on six occasions.

He also played a key part in a rushing attack that piled up 237 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-35 playoff win over JSerra Catholic in the first round of the state playoffs and Wooten helped SCHS rush for 375 yards and five touchdowns in the Division II CIF semifinals.

Linebacker Harrison Taggart decides to stay with the Ducks

Linebacker Harrison Taggart decides to stay with the Ducks and defensive-minded Dan Lanning.

You just never know how many recruits are going to remain committed and how many are going to go elsewhere.

Dan Lanning has made it 2-for-2 in linebackers on early signing day with the official signing of 3-star recruit Harrison Taggart. Some recruiting services have Taggart listed as a 4-star.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder from Draper, Utah was the top-ranked outside linebacker from Utah according to ESPN and No. 3 according to Rivals. He was also named the No. 2 linebacker from the state by 247Sports and the 247 composite. A three-year letterman, Taggart helped lead his high school team to a 40-2 record and two state championships and a state runner-up finish over the last three seasons.

Taggart finished his career with 237 tackles (151 solo) with 22 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles while averaging 7.2 tackles per game. He also had nine double-figure tackle games, including five 15-plus tackle games.

With Taggart and Devon Jackson in the fold, to go along with Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe, the Ducks are about to have the deepest linebacking corps anywhere in the country.

Devon Jackson holds firm with his commitment and signs with Oregon

Linebacker Devon Jackson held firm with his commitment to the Ducks as he was one of the first to officially sign with Dan Lanning.

Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe are about to receive some help. A lot of help.

Inside linebacker Devon Jackson held firm with his commitment to the Oregon Ducks as he was one of the first to officially sign during the early signing day.

Jackon is listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. Most recruiting services give the Omaha, Neb. native as a four-star recruit. He had offers from Miami, Arizona State, Auburn and Illinois.

It’s a big early win for new Oregon coach Dan Lanning, who has just a few days on the job. Keeping the defensive recruits will be a priority for Lanning as he is finishing out his duties as the defensive coordinator at Georgia.

One of the reasons Oregon hired Lanning is his recruiting abilities and so far, those abilities are coming in handy.

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