Blake Purchase, Collin Gill earn early praise from Dan Lanning in fall camp
One of the most common refrains from coaches and players in college football is that when a high school prospect finally arrives on campus and joins the team, you can throw the recruiting stars out the window. What you did at the previous level might have helped you get to where you are, but they don’t mean anything going forward.
Some players leave high school with all of the accolades and hype, while others weren’t recruited as prominently, but still find a spot on prominent teams. How successful they are at the next level is up to them.
No two players better depict that journey on Oregon’s roster this fall than true freshmen Blake Purchase and Collin Gill. While both had different recruiting processes in high school, the pair have earned some high praise so far during fall camp.
On one hand, Purchase was rated as the No. 1 player in the state of Colorado coming out of high school, and the No. 17 EDGE in the nation (No. 183 overall). Head coach Dan Lanning has been impressed with how quickly he’s been able to get up to speed in Eugene since coming to town this summer.
“On the first day it’s like he’s trying to figure out where to line up, but when you when you let that guy go, he just got explosive power,” Lanning said. “He’s got quickness and he’s got a want to be better. And it’s certainly showing up on the field.”
On the other hand, Gill was the 77th-rated CB in the 2023 class, and the No. 1,264 player overall. Despite the low ratings as a recruit, he’s had a big impact so far with the Ducks.
“He had a couple of interceptions on Saturday, which is pretty impressive for him,” Lanning said. “Still, at times he’s got to figure out where he’s supposed to line up but he’s the guy that’s a willing tackler, willing to hit and he’s done a good job when the ball has been thrown his way.”
We will see if either player gets much time on the field this fall, but the reviews so far are glowing for a pair of true freshman who took different paths to Oregon.
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