Tag: Gatlin Bair

Dan Lanning details Oregon’s approach to the Big Ten going forward

The Oregon Ducks are headed to the Big Ten, but Dan Lanning and his staff are approaching the season the same.

The Oregon Ducks have played their final football game as a member of the Pac-12. And the next time the teams put on their shoulder pads, they’ll wear a Big Ten emblem on the right side of their jerseys.

The Ducks’ move to the Big Ten has been official for several months now, but there are still things that will change for Oregon Football in the 2024 season. The biggest shift is the schedule. The Ducks are accustomed to their biggest matchups each year coming against Washington, USC, and Oregon State, but next season, they’ll have to get ready for Michigan and Ohio State as well.

On Wednesday, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning appeared on the Oregon Football Coaches’ show to talk about the coming season. During his appearance, he was asked whether his or the team’s approach to next season changed at all because of the move to a new conference.

“Yeah, the process is really the same for us as a coaching staff,” Lanning said. “We’re kind of at this point where you haven’t had a chance to really go back and revisit what happened within the season. So we’re evaluating us first. It’ll start with where can we get better? Where can we improve what we do really well? What do we not do so well? And then attack that. And then we’ll probably get with some staffs and try to plug some ideas that we think might fit and then starting to deep dive into a study of what we’re going to be facing moving forward and what those teams look like.”

Although they’ve yet to play a game as a member of the Big Ten, the Oregon Ducks are already acclimating well to their new conference. In the 2024 recruiting cycle, the Ducks’ landed their best recruiting class in school history, and it’s also the third-best class in the country (behind Georgia and Alabama) and the best in the Big Ten.

To further the Ducks’ splashy introduction to the Big Ten, two of Oregon’s marquee recruits are Jeremiah McClellan (a 4-star wide receiver initially committed to Ohio State) and Gatlin Bair (a 5-star WR initially predicted to commit to Michigan.

The biggest hurdle Dan Lanning has yet to overcome as the Ducks’ head coach is beating Oregon’s chief rival, the Washington Huskies. After Kalen DeBoer’s departure to Alabama this offseason, next season’s matchup with the Huskies will give the Ducks their best shot to beat the Huskies during Lanning’s tenure. And because of the move to Big Ten, the Cascade Clash will be played after Thanksgiving this year, during rivalry weekend.

‘He’s not just a track kid;’ Will Stein weighs on 5-star Oregon WR commit Gatlin Bair

The Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Will Stein expressed his excitement for the addition of 2024 5-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair.

At the end of early signing day in December, there was one asterisk tacked on to the Oregon Ducks’ already historic 2024 recruiting class. Gatlin Bair, a top-30 recruit in the 2024 class, was still uncommitted, and although he was leaning towards Michigan, the Ducks were still very much in the running for the elite wide receiver.

Fast forward five weeks. The Wolverines have won the national championship, and Jim Harbaugh has left Michigan for the Los Angeles Chargers, leading Bair to commit to Oregon just days before national signing day.

247 Sports ranks Bair as the 27th best player in his class, the No. 6 WR, and he is one of the Ducks’ two 5-star recruits. His commitment pushed Oregon’s 2024 class into 3rd place nationally, behind only Alabama and Georgia.

One of Bair’s best assets on the football field is his elite speed. Throughout high school, Bair competed in track and field, posting a 10.15 100-meter dash time as a junior (for reference, Oregon’s fastest player, Rodrick Pleasant, ran a 10.14 in high school). On Wednesday morning, Will Stein, the Ducks’ offensive coordinator, appeared on the Oregon Football Coaches show where he made clear that there is more to Gatlin Bair than his wheels.

“He’s not just a track kid, he’s a football player,” Stein said. “Not only is he super fast, but when you watch his tape, he’s a football player. When I first watched him I knew he was a track star. But how does that translate to the football field? He has every single movement, every single skill set that you want in a football player.”

Bair is expected to take a two-year Latter-Day Saint mission after he graduates from high school, so it will be a while before we see him on the Autzen sideline, but the Stein and the Ducks’ coaching staff have plans for where he’ll fit when he does join the team.

“He’ll probably play on the edge for us just because he can take the top off the defense,” Stein said. “He has elite hands, elite speed and toughness as well.”

It seemed the only negative Stein could think of about the 5-star receiver was the weather in his hometown, which Stein felt the impacts of on multiple recruiting visits with Bair.

“And he lives in basically the frozen tundra. We got stuck up there twice going to see him, but it was well worth it,” Stein said.

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What 5-star WR Gatlin Bair’s signing means for Oregon from a scholarship perspective

The Oregon Ducks signed 5-star WR Gatlin Bair on Wednesday, but he doesn’t intend to join the team until 2026 after taking an LDS mission.

The Oregon Ducks made a splash in the recruiting world over the weekend with the verbal commitment from 5-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair, the No. 6 WR in the 2024 class, and the No. 27 overall player in the nation, according to 247Sports.

That commitment was made official on Wednesday, with Bair putting pen to paper on National Signing Day.

While Bair is a massive addition to the Ducks, his situation is a bit unique in the sense that he will not be joining the team right away with the other members of the 2024 class. Instead, Bair is planning to go on a two-year LDS mission and enroll at the University of Oregon ahead of the 2026 football season.

From a scholarship perspective, that has created a bit of confusion for fans who are wondering if his letter of intent will hold up for two years while he is away, and how that counts towards Oregon’s 85-scholarship limit. I’ve tried to clear this up with a couple of people in the program.

From what I’ve been able to find out, Bair’s NLI will be valid over the next two years while he is away, so while he may not be physically with the team, he is still considered a signed member of the program. He will not have to re-sign when he comes back from his mission. However, Bair will not count against Oregon’s scholarship limit, per source. This is important to note, since the Ducks are currently over the 85-scholarship limit by over half-a-dozen members, and will need to trim down the roster following spring football.

Time will tell when we actually see Bair in Eugene and participating in football activities with the team, but for the time being, he is locked in as a member of the program, but not counting against the scholarship total.

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SIGNED: Five-star WR Gatlin Bair is officially a Duck

The Oregon Ducks officially added 5-star WR Gatlin Bair to the roster on Wednesday.

The late signing period isn’t expected to be even close to as eventful as the early period for the Oregon Ducks, but Dan Lanning and Junior Adams managed to add one of the most elite players on the board to the roster officially.

5-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair officially signed his national letter of intent on Wednesday morning, locking in his commitment with the Ducks.

Bair, who is Oregon’s second 5-star signee in the class, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 27 overall player in the nation, and the No. 6 WR in 2024. He is also the highest-rated recruit to ever come from the state of Idaho.

Though Bair is a member of the 2024 class, he plans to go on an LDS mission out of high school, so he won’t officially join the Ducks until the 2026 season.

Former Nebraska target Gatlin Bair commits to Oregon

A former Nebraska target has commitetd to another Big Ten program.

One of the nation’s top wide receivers and one of the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ previous top targets in the 2024 recruiting cycle, wide receiver Gatlin Bair has committed to the University of Oregon.

The football and track star out of Burley, Idaho is one of the fastest recruits in the nation and was once in the 2024 recruiting cycle committed to the Boise State Broncos.

Bair also picked the Ducks over offers from Michigan and TCU where he took official visits to this past summer. At one point in his recruitment, the speedster was expected to pick the Wolverines when it came to making his next decision.

While Bair is part of the 2024 recruiting class, he will not be a part of the Oregon program until 2026, as he will be serving a mission for the Church of Latter-Day Saints for two years.

Bair is ranked as a four-star prospect by three of the four recruiting services and a top-100 prospect by On3, 247Sports, and Rivals. 247Sports is the highest on Bair, ranking him as a five-star prospect and No. 27 overall.

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Where 5-star WR Gatlin Bair ranks amongst Oregon’s highest-rated commits in school history

A look at where 5-star WR Gatlin Bair ranks among the highest-rated recruits in Oregon Ducks school history.

The Oregon Ducks landed a huge win in the recruiting world on Saturday afternoon with 5-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair announcing his commitment in the 2024 class. This is the second 5-star player that the Ducks added in this class, with the other being EDGE Elijah Rushing.

Oregon’s 2024 class was already the highest-rated in school history, and it now stands as one of the very best in the nation as well. But when it comes to individual recruits, where does Bair stand when compared to Oregon history?

There have been several five-star players to come through Eugene over the past few decades, but here’s a look at where the newest WR commit ranks amongst the highest-rated Oregon Ducks of all-time.

Where Oregon stands in 2024 recruiting rankings following addition of 5-star WR Gatlin Bair

With the addition of 5-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair, the Oregon Ducks have jumped up once again in the national recruiting rankings.

Oregon Duck fans received a chance to celebrate the impressive 2024 recruiting class that Dan Lanning put together in December, signing a group of players that ranked fifth-best in the nation and went down as the single-best recruiting class in Oregon history.

Duck fans celebrated that class once again on Saturday afternoon after five-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair — the top-ranked uncommitted player left on the board — announced his commitment to Oregon.

Bair, who is Oregon’s second five-star signee in the class, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 27 overall player in the nation and the No. 6 WR in 2024. He is also the highest-rated recruit to ever come from the state of Idaho.

The final signing period for the 2024 class comes later this week on Feb. 7, but here is a look at where the Ducks stand in the national recruiting rankings after the addition of Bair:

Duck fans react to 5-star WR Gatlin Bair’s commitment to Oregon

Oregon Duck fans celebrated the news that 5-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair was committing to the Oregon Ducks on Saturday.

The Oregon Ducks are busy hosting one of the best group of high school recruits in school history this weekend, with a handful of 5-star players on campus in Eugene currently.

Meanwhile, a 5-star player in the 2024 class announced that he was coming to Eugene as well, with wide receiver Gatlin Bair announcing that he would be committing to the Ducks, joining the already elite 2024 class that ranked as the best in school history.

Bair is rated by 247Sports as the No. 27 overall player in the 2024 class, and the No. 6 WR. He is also the highest-rated recruit to ever come out of the state of Idaho.

Here’s how Oregon fans reacted to the news on social media on Saturday afternoon.

Ducks land commitment from 5-star WR Gatlin Bair

The Oregon Ducks landed a massive commitment from 5-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair.

The Oregon Ducks just made a giant splash in the recruiting world, securing a commitment from 5-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair in the 2024 class, getting him to sign in Eugene rather than with the Michigan Wolverines.

Bair, who is Oregon’s second 5-star signee in the class, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 27 overall player in the nation, and the No. 6 WR in 2024. He is also the highest-rated recruit to ever come from the state of Idaho.

While the Ducks have been after Bair for a long time, his commitment didn’t look promising for quite a while. The elite WR was verbally committed to the Boise State Broncos for several months, but he reopened his recruitment after head coach Andy Avalos was fired. After that, most predictions were for Bair to commit to the Michigan Wolverines. However, once both head coach Jim Harbaugh and strength coach Ben Herbert left for new jobs with the Los Angeles Chargers, new predictions came in for Bair to choose the Ducks.

Through all of that, the Ducks stayed persistent and were ultimately able to land the blue-chip prospect, adding him to an already elite recruiting class that ranked No. 5 in the nation before this latest addition. Now, Oregon’s 2024 class is ranked No. 3 in the nation.

Though Bair is a member of the 2024 class, he plans to go on an LDS mission out of high school, so he won’t officially join the Ducks until the 2026 season.

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Ducks pick up massive predictions to land 5-star wide receiver

A massive recruiting prediction came in for the Oregon Ducks on Monday afternoon.

The Oregon Ducks have been hot on the recruiting trail as of late, and it’s looking like they could keep that up in the coming days.

A massive pair of recruiting predictions came in on Monday afternoon, with both 247Sports recruiting analysts Steve Wiltfong and Brandon Huffman placing crystal ball predictions for 5-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair to commit to the Ducks.

Bair is rated as the No. 27 overall player in the 2024 class and the No. 6 wide receiver. He is one of the top-ranked players left unsigned but is planning to make a decision before the late signing period begins on February 7th.

At the moment, the Ducks have the No. 5 ranked recruiting class in the nation, with 5-star EDGE Elijah Rushing leading the way. Should Bair end up choosing the Ducks, he would be the second 5-star recruit in what would become the third-ranked recruiting class in the nation, passing both Ohio State and Miami.

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