Tag: Jabbar Muhammad

ESPN names Dillon Gabriel Oregon’s most important newcomer

ESPN named incoming QB Dillon Gabriel as Oregon’s most important newcomer for 2024.

The Oregon Ducks are in the middle of one of the most successful offseasons in program history. They signed a top-three recruiting class — the highest in school history, added some key players in the transfer portal, and retained a sizable portion of their roster. Everything is shaping up for 2024 to be an electric season for the Ducks.

On Wednesday, Blake Baumgartner and Tom VanHaaren of ESPN listed the most important newcomers for each team in ESPN’s preseason Top 25. For Oregon, they chose the Ducks’ presumable starting quarterback in 2024, Dillon Gabriel.

After two years of being spoiled by the QB play of Bo Nix, Oregon fans will have to get used to a new face running the offense, but there isn’t a more suitable replacement for Nix than Gabriel. In five seasons of college football, Gabriel has racked up 15935 total yards and 152 total touchdowns, and he is an early candidate to win the Heisman Trophy in 2024.

Baumgartner pointed out that expectations for Gabriel will be high this season, but he also had high praise for the Oklahoma transfer.

“Gabriel takes over for Bo Nix as Oregon is making the transition from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten. Expectations for Gabriel, who threw for 3,660 yards (sixth in the FBS) and 30 touchdowns (eighth nationally), will be sky-high. Last season, the Ducks had the nation’s second-best offense in total yards (531.4 YPG) and the best passing offense (346.9 YPG). Gabriel is a very experienced quarterback, having spent time at both UCF and Oklahoma, and has thrown for 14,865 yards and 125 touchdowns in his five-year career. With one more season left to use, can Gabriel help the Ducks get some of the final inches that eluded them in two losses to Washington amid a 12-win campaign in 2023?”

Gabriel approaches the game in a much different way than Nix, so fans shouldn’t expect the Ducks offense to look the same as it did in 2022 and 2023. Gabriel doesn’t have the same arm strength as Bo, but he’s still willing to throw the deep ball. He is also a much more willing runner, and he has plenty of ability to extend plays and pick up first downs with his legs.

It’s not a surprise that Gabriel was picked as Oregon’s most important offseason addition. QB is the most important position for any football team, and Gabriel is one of the most talented QBs in college football. But there are several other new Ducks who could make an instant impact, such as Jabbar Muhammad and Evan Stewart. Muhammad will likely be the Ducks’ No. 1 cornerback and Stewart could be one of the Ducks’ top two receivers. Two impactful positions and two impactful players.

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Oregon nears the top of transfer portal rankings after latest addition

Where Oregon stands in transfer portal rankings after latest addition of CB Jabbar Muhammad.

The Oregon Ducks’ excellence in the transfer portal has continued into the end of January, with Dan Lanning and the Ducks most recently adding Jabbar Muhammad, a former Washington cornerback.

After Muhammad’s transfer, Oregon climbed near the top of the 247 Sports’ transfer portal rankings. Also, after the addition of Muhammad, Oregon retained its spot at No. 5 in the overall rankings of the 2024 recruiting class.

Muhammad is a blue-chip transfer, but he certainly isn’t the only big portal pickup Lanning has made this offseason. Early in December, the Ducks received commitments from star quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore, and they’ve also added elite players such as Evan Stewart and Jamaree Caldwell.

Since classes have begun at most universities, movement in the transfer portal is winding down, so these rankings won’t change much until the portal reopens in the spring. Below, I’ve listed what are likely the final transfer portal rankings of the winter transfer window.

Breaking down Oregon’s new-look secondary ahead of the 2024 season

A deep dive into the Oregon Ducks secondary entering the 2024 season, which features several new faces ready to have an instant-impact.

We usually wait until later in the year to dive deep into a position group and preview how things are shaping up for the Oregon Ducks going into the season, but when looking at the secondary that is being put together in Eugene, we simply couldn’t wait.

On Saturday afternoon, the Ducks landed a commitment from former Washington Huskies’ cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, adding yet another proven veteran playmaker with an incredibly high upside to a defense that returns a majority of starters from last season.

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The Ducks have also added guys like Kam Alexander, Brandon Johnson, and Kobe Savage to the secondary, all of whom project to be instant-impact players.

To keep track of all of the movement, and offer an idea of what the Ducks’ starting secondary players and depth pieces will look like, let’s break down all of the names that you need to know and project how they will impact the team in 2024.

Where CB Jabbar Muhammad stands among the top-rated transfers in Dan Lanning era

A look at where Oregon Ducks’ new cornerback transfer Jabbar Muhammad ranks among top-rated transfers to come to Oregon under Dan Lanning.

The Oregon Ducks held a massive recruiting weekend, with their Junior Day bringing in top-rated high school prospects to Eugene from all over the nation.

Headlining that list of visitors, though, was former Washington Huskies’ cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, one of the top available players in the transfer portal. On Saturday afternoon, Muhammad announced his commitment to Oregon on social media, leading head coach Dan Lanning to tweet out his famed duck emoji while courtside at the Oregon men’s basketball game vs. Arizona.

In 2023, Muhammad had 46 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 3 interceptions. He also had 16 PBU’s, and a coverage grade of 77.7, per PFF, which was fifth-best in the Pac-12 (minimum 300 snaps).

Before his time at Washington, Muhammad spent three seasons at Oklahoma State, where he racked up 71 tackles and 1 INT in two seasons on the field. He was also named to the second-team All-Big-12 in 2022.

Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen Lanning add some top-rated portal players to the roster, whether it was Bo Nix, Jordan Burch, or Christian Gonzalez.

So where does Muhammad rank among the 32 (non-specialist) Oregon transfers in the Lanning era? There are two ways to look at it. For starters, you can take into account the 247Sports transfer portal rankings. However, those rankings don’t always match what we see play out on the field. For instance, Bo Nix was a three-star prospect in the portal, but he finished his college career as a Heisman Trophy finalist in New York.

For good measure, I added my own rankings based on how good each player ended up being in Eugene.

Let’s take a look at the 25 best transfers that the Ducks have landed since Lanning has been here, and see where Muhammad lands:

Duck fans react to former Washington CB Jabbar Muhammad’s transfer to Oregon

Oregon Duck fans celebrated the addition of former Washington Huskies’ CB Jabbar Muhammad on social media.

On Saturday afternoon, Oregon Duck fans got a good last laugh over their biggest rival, the Washington Huskies, with the news that former Washington All-Pac-12 cornerback Jabbar Muhammad would officially be transferring to Eugene and joining Dan Lanning’s team going into the 2024 season.

In 2023, Muhammad was a second-team All-Pac-12 player with 46 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 3 interceptions. He also had 16 PBU’s, and a coverage grade of 77.7, per PFF, which was fifth-best in the Pac-12 (minimum 300 snaps).

Before his time at Washington, Muhammad spent three seasons at Oklahoma State, where he racked up 71 tackles and 1 INT in two seasons on the field. He was also named to the second-team All-Big-12 in 2022.

The Ducks now add Muhammad to a secondary that has retooled impressively this offseason, adding former UTSA CB Kam Alexander, former Kansas State S Kobe Savage, and former Duke DB Brandon Johnson to a unit that already includes Jahlil Florence, Tysheem Johnson, Rodrick Pleasant, and several other talented players.

As you would expect, Duck fans celebrated the news after it came out. Here are some of the top reactions on social media:

6 things to know about Oregon’s new transfer Jabbar Muhammad

Get to know Oregon’s newest cornerback transfer Jabbar Muhammad

In the wake of Kalen DeBoer’s departure to Alabama, Washington Huskies players have begun entering the transfer portal en masse. Star Huskies CB Jabbar Muhammad was one of those players, and he’s now committed to the Oregon Ducks. 

Before DeBoer was announced as Alabama’s next coach, there was speculation that the Crimson Tide were pursuing Oregon coach Dan Lanning. To dispel those rumors, Lanning tweeted a video affirming his commitment to the Ducks, and the video closed with the screen saying, “If you’re scared your coach is leaving… then come play for us.”

Muhammad seems to be the first player to have answered Lanning’s call, and his transfer is a big addition for the 2024 Ducks. Cornerback is a position of need for next year’s defense, so bringing in Muhammad and his experience will make a strong impact.

Below are six things to help you better get to know the Ducks newest transfer.

Texas emerging as favorite for Washington transfer DB Jabbar Muhammad

“Muhammad Island” could be a fun storyline for the Longhorns in 2024.

Thursday has been a great day for the Texas football program. Continue reading “Texas emerging as favorite for Washington transfer DB Jabbar Muhammad”

7 Things to know about Oregon’s transfer DB Brandon Johnson

Get to know Oregon’s new CB Brandon Johnson, a transfer from Duke.

Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks can’t seem to get enough of the transfer portal, picking up a new transfer target or commitment seemingly every day. On Wednesday afternoon, Oregon added their 10th transfer commitment of 2024: Brandon Johnson, a former defensive back for the Duke Blue Devils.

The Ducks are losing their top CB from 2023, Khyree Jackson, this offseason, so the addition of Johnson is opportune. Oregon has also added 4-star transfer CB Kam Alexander as well as a long list of blue-chip players in the 2024 class.

Earlier this week, Washington’s star CB Jabbar Muhammad entered the portal, and speculation grew that he would end up at Oregon. After Johnson’s transfer, it is still a possibility, with Johnson projected more as a nickel safety than an outside cornerback.

Here are the things you need to know about Oregon’s newest CB.

NFL Draft: 3 players from the National Championship the 49ers could target

Looking at three players that should be on the 49ers NFL draft radar after an impressing in the college football national championship.

Before the NFL playoffs get underway with Wild Card Weekend, college football decided its champion in a highly-anticipated battle between undefeated Washington and undefeated Michigan in Houston.

Although Washington was billed as the team with the high-powered offense led by Heisman Trophy runner-up Michael Penix Jr., it was Michigan who struck first with a pair of explosive scoring plays in the first quarter.

While Washington threatened a comeback bid throughout the contest, Penix Jr.’s group could never get out of first gear against Jim Harbaugh’s stingy defense. Michigan capitalized late to extend their lead in a slugfest to secure the 2024 national championship with a dominant 34-13 victory.

With the college football season officially wrapped up, here’s a look at three players that may have caught the San Francisco 49ers’ attention for the NFL draft with impressive performances on Monday night.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

8 under-the-radar 2024 NFL draft prospects to watch in CFB Week 3

8 under-the-radar 2024 NFL draft prospects to watch in CFB Week 3, including some FCS standouts facing off against BCS foes

The third weekend of college football is one of the last to feature primarily non-conference games. It’s a good chance to check out some 2024 NFL draft prospects who might not have the national exposure, or players from smaller schools who get an opportunity to show what they can do against major programs.

Here are eight 2024 NFL draft prospects who are under the radar to watch this weekend.