Oregon K Camden Lewis to return for 2023, mentor freshman Grant Meadors

Oregon K Camden Lewis is coming back to Eugene for his final season with the Ducks in 2023.

The college career for Oregon Ducks’ kicker Camden Lewis has been a roller coaster, but the last couple of seasons have seen an upswing, and the fifth-year senior is going to do everything he can to make sure his final season with the Ducks is no different.

Lewis told me on Tuesday night that he is officially sticking around for his final year of college eligibility in 2023 and plans to finish his master’s degree as well. That was always an expected outcome, but with four years of football already logged in his college career, there was the possibility that Lewis might be ready to move on to new ventures in his life.

Lewis’ start at Oregon was a bit rocky, to say the least, making just 10 of his first 18 field goals in 2020 and 2021 for the Ducks. He eventually lost the starting job to Henry Katleman in 2021, but stuck around in Eugene through the offseason and won the starting job back. Since taking his place back on the field, Lewis has gone 27-for-32 on-field goals and hit 119 extra points on 120 attempts.

Now, going into his final season at Oregon, Lewis will be adding a new role to his duties — mentor.

Oregon brought on 2023 kicker Grant Meadors, who is among the most highly-rated kickers at the high school level, earning the distinction of No. 1 kicker in his class according to Chris Sailer Kicking.

While it’s unclear whether or not Meadors would be ready to kick at a collegiate level as a true freshman, the Ducks now have the luxury of being able to lean on their reliable veteran rather than leave potential game-winning opportunities to a highly-rated, yet unproven player.

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Friday Night Notes: Florida picks up 2 DBs, Oregon nabs top ’23 kicker, plus more

Latest high school football recruiting news from around the U.S.

USA TODAY High School Sports‘ Friday Night Notes is a weekly high school football recruiting recap that looks at the latest news from around the country—from the Class of 2023 to ’24 and beyond.

No team had a better recruiting week than Florida, which has become a haven for elite defensive back prospects looking for an access point to reach the next level.

The Gators continued building up their secondary this week by gaining commitments from two of the top remaining undecided defensive backs in the class of 2023.

Andrew Ivins, 247Sports

The big prize for Florida was getting cornerback Dijon Johnson, who committed to playing for coach Billy Napier on Wednesday. Johnson (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) had originally committed to Ohio State but backed out a few months ago.

Johnson is a four-star recruit ranked No. 7 among corners and No. 96 nationally in his class. His game features ridiculous straight-line speed and ball skills. Last season as a Junior, he posted six interceptions, including four pick-sixes. Johnson says he expects this class to get better, per ESPN.

“The future is bright in Gainesville. I feel like I can help take the program back to the top with Coach Napier and the rest of the recruits they got coming in. … [The class] is going to keep going up. The class is going to keep getting better and better.”

Speaking of which, the Gators also got a commitment from Milton (Ga.) safety Bryce Thornton on the same day. Thornton had previously narrowed his choices down to Alabama and Florida, which hosted him for several visits as they sought to recruit him. Thornton (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) is a three-star prospect who posted 93 tackles last year. He also has some experience as a running back and as a kickoff returner.

Florida now has 22 hard commits total, worth 267.85 points. As a result, they have received a small jump in the 2023 recruiting rankings, now placed No. 8 behind LSU.