Tag: Ja’Maree Caldwell

Michigan State DT Derrick Harmon enters the transfer portal and could be a target for Oregon

Potential transfer target for the Ducks, again.

Earlier this spring, Dan Lanning suggested that he and his staff would be taking a less aggressive approach to the spring transfer portal than they have in portals past, only pursuing players that will make a sizable impact for the Oregon Ducks. Derrick Harmon could be one of those players.

Harmon is a defensive lineman for the Michigan State Spartans, and on Tuesday morning, he entered the transfer portal, according to a report from Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer. Harmon entered the portal this past winter as well, but he withdrew his name to stay at Michigan State.

In two full seasons and a redshirt freshman year at Michigan State, Harmon played in 25 games as a Spartan, taking 979 defensive snaps. In his career, Harmon has tallied 71 total tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, and forced a fumble. 247Sports ranks him as a 4-star transfer and the No. 1 defensive tackle in the portal.

When Harmon entered the transfer portal in the winter, the Ducks tried hard to bring him to Eugene, hosting him for a visit in mid-December. Ultimately, Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith convinced Harmon to stick around for the offseason, but now that Harmon’s back in the portal, the Ducks have a second chance to make the addition.

What jumps out about Harmon’s game is his ability to ignore the blocks of opposing centers and guards. He consistently locates the ball carrier and stops them at the point of attack, and he’s equally productive whether the opposing offense is passing or running the ball.

Although they’ve made upgrades this offseason, the interior defensive line is one of the Ducks’ weakest position groups. The addition of Ja’Maree Caldwell, a former Houston Cougars defensive tackle, was massive, but the addition of a player like Harmon would reinforce Oregon’s D-line depth.

Texas DT target Ja’Maree Caldwell chooses Oregon

Texas suffered a tough loss on the recruiting trail in the transfer portal.

Texas will not be bringing in the impact tackle it hoped for through the transfer portal. Houston defensive tackle transfer Ja’Maree Caldwell is headed to Oregon.

The Texas defensive tackle room has been a major topic of discussion since the Longhorns’ season ended on Jan. 1. The team lost two elite tackles in T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy both of which could see their name called early in the NFL draft. Replacing them is easier said than done.

The team is set to return the highest graded returning defensive tackle among SEC players in Alfred Collins. He put up an impressive 80.6 grade according to Pro Football Focus. Who will play alongside Collins is up for question after the presumed first option is headed to Oregon.

It’s hard to fault Caldwell for choosing the Ducks. Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi has a background in defensive line coaching at the NFL level. Texas doesn’t yet have a defensive line coach of its own following the departure of Bo Davis to LSU. The Tigers’ poaching of the Longhorns’ top defensive position coach came at just the right time to send Caldwell to Oregon.

Coaching changes make the portal difficult to navigate. It could be the reason Caldwell won’t be a Longhorn. Even so, another coaching change could help Texas address a different need in the portal with an impact player. The team will look to inch closer to a more complete squad than it is presently before the 2024 season.

6 things to know about the newest Oregon transfer Ja’Maree Caldwell

Get to know Ja’Maree Caldwell, a defensive lineman from Houston and the newest Oregon Ducks transfer.

On Friday night, the Oregon Ducks received news of a marquee transfer, fifth-year defensive lineman Ja’Maree Caldwell, who is headed to Eugene from the Houston Cougars. It was the second transfer commitment the Ducks have received in the last two days; the other was wide receiver Evan Stewart formerly of Texas A&M.

Picking up Caldwell is a massive win for Dan Lanning and Oregon because interior defensive line has been a position of need. At one point, the Ducks were in the running to land Walter Nolen, the No. 1 player in the portal, but he chose Ole Miss over Oregon.

Nolen was the best player in the portal, but Caldwell is an elite pick-up for Oregon. 247Sports ranks Caldwell as a four-star transfer and the No. 2 defensive lineman in the portal, behind only Nolen.

Below, are six things to help you get to know the newest Oregon Duck.

Ducks land big-time transfer from Houston DL Ja’Maree Caldwell

The Oregon Ducks got a commitment from former Houston Cougars’ DL Ja’Maree Caldwell, the No. 2 DL in the transfer portal.

The hits keep coming for the Oregon Ducks, who landed another transfer portal addition. The latest is the commitment from former Houston Cougar Ja’Maree Caldwell.

Caldwell is a 6-foot-1, 325-pound defensive lineman who will provide a big body for the Ducks for a position group that was definitely in need of more depth this offseason.

Caldwell played two seasons at Houston, where he racked up 39 total tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. He was rated a four-star player in the transfer portal, and the No. 17 player available this offseason. 247Sports had him as the No. 2 defensive lineman in the portal, behind only Walter Nolen, who committed to Ole Miss.

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