Tag: Oregon recruiting

5-star DL David Hicks takes last minute trip to Eugene before signing day

The Ducks got a late visit from 5-star Texas A&M commit David Hicks this weekend ahead of the early signing period.

The visitor list for the Oregon Ducks this weekend was looking pretty solid, with some key transfers and current commits coming to town before the early signing period gets underway later this month.

That list got a lot more impressive on Saturday when the news came out that 5-star DL David Hicks, a Texas A&M commit, was also on campus for an unofficial visit. I can now confirm On3 Justin Hopkins’ report that Hicks is in Eugene.

The Ducks have been making a push for Hicks over the past couple of months after making a good early impression. We will see over the next couple of weeks if they can end up flipping him from the Aggies, while the Oklahoma Sooners are also in the mix.

David Hicks Recruiting Profile

Recruiting Party: Updated list of transfers and recruits set to visit Oregon this month

Over the next two weeks, a lot of recruits and potential transfers will be taking visits to Oregon. Here’s an updated list of incoming prospects.

With the clock ticking down to the start of the early signing period for the 2023 recruiting class later this month, it’s been all systems go for the Oregon Ducks’ coaching staff as they work to make significant additions to their roster this offseason.

While a lot of the time when we talk about recruiting visits, the focus is on high school athletes looking to make their college decisions, this edition is a bit different. We now have college athletes coming to Eugene looking to decide whether or not they want to join the Ducks via the transfer portal as well.

There is a good mix of both high school recruits and portal players taking visits to the Pacific Northwest this weekend, meeting with Dan Lanning and checking out the Ducks. Here is an updated list of players that we have confirmed are coming to Eugene over the next two weeks:

Report: Coveted transfer portal OL Ajani Cornelius to take official visit to Oregon

Former Rhode Island OL Ajani Cornelius, one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal, is taking an official visit to Oregon this weekend.

The Oregon Ducks are making in-roads early on when it comes to one of the most highly-coveted players in the transfer portal this year, getting former Rhode Island offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius to come out to Eugene on an official visit this weekend, per a report from 247Sports. 

Cornelius, who stats at 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, has received upwards of 24 scholarship offers since entering the transfer portal at the end of November, with teams like Oregon, Auburn, Florida, and Nebraska all after him, among others.

The Ducks also got former Alabama Crimson Tide WR Traeshon Holden on an official visit in Eugene this week as well.

As the early signing period in the 2023 recruiting class draws near, the Oregon coaching staff is going all out in their efforts to add talented players to the roster. You can bet that Cornelius is near the top of the list of guys they want to bring in.

Ajani Cornelius Transfer Portal Profile

No. 8 ranked QB in 2024 class includes Ducks in recruiting cutdown

The Ducks are in the running to land 4-star QB Michael Van Buren, the No. 8 QB in the 2024 class.

There’s a lot of quarterback news currently going on with the Oregon Ducks.

While a lot of fans are asking whether or not Bo Nix is going to return for another year in 2023 or head off to the NFL, there was also a report on Thursday that 5-star commit Dante Moore, who is expected to sign with the Ducks later this month, could potentially be taking a visit to the UCLA Bruins this weekend.

While all of that is going on, it appears that the Ducks are in good shape for one of the top QBs in the 2024 recruiting class. On Thursday, 4-star QB Michael Van Buren announced his top 8 schools, including Oregon with the likes of schools like Miami, Oklahoma, and Penn State.

According to 247Sports, Van Buren is rated as the No. 8 QB in the 2024 class, and the No. 103 player in the nation. Van Buren is yet to take a visit to Oregon, but you can expect that he will make his way to campus in the coming months as his recruitment ramps up.

Michael Van Buren’s Recruiting Profile

Elite former Alabama WR Traeshon Holden takes visit to Eugene

Former Alabama WR Traeshon Holden, one of the top players in the transfer portal, appears to be in Eugene for a visit.

It appears that the Oregon Ducks are looking to make an early splash in the transfer portal.

On Thursday night, it became clear that Traeshon Holden, a former Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver who is looking for a new team, is in Eugene for a visit. Holden, one of the top-ranked WRs in the portal this year, is high on our list of potential targets for the Ducks.

As a former 4-star recruit who was rated as the No. 187 player in the 2020 class, Holden has 46 catches for 670 yards and 7 touchdowns. Holden had a breakout season in 2022 with 6 TD’s for the Crimson Tide, making it relatively surprising that he chose to enter the portal.

After losing both Dont’e Thornton and Seven McGee to the portal this year, plus the departure of Chase Cota, the Ducks have a need for more bodies at the WR position. If they were able to get Holden to commit to the Ducks, it would be a massive win for Dan Lanning and his new offensive coordinator, Will Stein.

Traeshon Holden’s Transfer Portal Profile

Report: Oregon’s 5-star QB Dante Moore to potentially take visit to UCLA

According to a report from 247Sports, Oregon’s 5-star QB Dante Moore is potentially taking a visit to UCLA this weekend.

A bit of news that may make Oregon Duck fans uncomfortable came about on Thursday, with 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong reporting that 5-star QB Dante Moore is potentially taking a visit to UCLA over the weekend.

Moore has been committed to the Ducks since early July, and has been said to be locked in with Dan Lanning and Oregon. Just last week, Lanning paid a visit to Moore in Detroit, and Wiltfong also reported that new Oregon OC Will Stein paid a visit to the 5-star QB commit on Thursday.

It’s never great to hear about your top commit taking visits to other schools late in the game, but there is still a general feeling that Moore is locked in with the Ducks. He is expected to sign with Oregon during the early signing period later this month.

Dante Moore’s Recruiting Profile

5-star DE Matayo Uiagalelei narrows recruitment down to final 3

5-star EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei is down to three schools in his recruitment, with the Ducks among the finalists.

The Oregon Ducks are still in the mix for one of the highest-profile recruits in the 2023 class, with 5-star DE Matayo Uiagalelei announcing the final three schools in his recruitment.

It is down to Oregon, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and USC Trojans. All three schools have been aggressive in the recruitment of Uiagalelei, who is rated by 247Sports as the No. 2 EDGE in the 2023 class, and No. 10 overall player in the nation.

It will be interesting to see where Uiagalelei chooses to go, as NIL is expected to be a major factor in his recruitment. There is also the other brother to look at, as QB D.J. Uiagalelei recently entered the transfer portal and is looking to leave the Clemson Tigers.

A date has not yet been set for Matayo to make his official commitment.

Matayo Uiagalelei’s Recruiting Profile

4-star WR Taeshaun Lyons announces commitment date, final four contenders

The chase for 4-star WR Taeshaun Lyons could get ugly, with Oregon, Washington, and Miami all included in his top-4 schools.

There’s a chance that some feelings are going to get hurt when 4-star WR Taeshaun Lyons announces his commitment later this month.

Lyons, who is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 30 WR and No. 231 overall player in the 2023 class, is down to just four schools in his recruiting process, and three of them have some strong feelings about each other, to say the very least.

The four schools are the Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies, Miami Hurricanes, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. We all know about the rivalry between Oregon and Washington, but with Mario Cristobal leaving the Ducks for Miami last year, it’s given Oregon fans a reason to dislike the Hurricanes as well.

Lyons will announce his commitment on December 16, and at the moment, it is the Fighting Irish who are favored to land his commitment, according to the 247Sports Crystal Ball.

We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but get your popcorn ready if you’re someone who likes to watch fans from different schools argue on the internet.

Taeshaun Lyons’ Recruiting Profile

Elite top-100 WR in 2024 places Ducks in top 7 schools

The Ducks made the latest recruiting cutdown for WR Jordan Anderson, a top-100 player in the 2024 class.

The Oregon Ducks are making good headway in the 2024 recruiting class, and one of their top targets in the cycle recently showed them some love by including them in his top 7 cutdown.

Wide receiver Jordan Anderson, a 6-foot-0 burner from Long Beach, California, recently trimmed his list to 7, keeping Dan Lanning and the Ducks in the mix with schools like USC, Michigan, Texas, Washington, Utah, and Colorado.

Anderson is rated by 247Sports as a 4-star recruit, ranked as the No. 13 WR in 2024 and the No. 83 overall player in the class.

Anderson made a visit to Eugene earlier this season, coming to town for the Washington game in November.

There’s still a ton of time before Anderson has to make his commitment final, but he is certainly someone to keep an eye on going forward.

Jordan Anderson’s Recruiting Profile

4-star RB Dante Dowdell is locked in on Ducks, despite Ole Miss buzz

A recent report shows Dante Dowdell is 55-45 in favor of Oregon over Ole Miss. According to @zacharycneel, the 4-star RB remains locked in on his commitment to the Ducks.

Early on Wednesday morning, some recruiting buzz was started for the Oregon Ducks when a report from 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong said that 4-star RB Dante Dowdell, who has been committed to Oregon since May of 2022, was still up in the air on his commitment to the Ducks, with the split between Ole Miss and the Ducks sitting in the balance.

“I still like Ole Miss too,” Dowdell said, via 247Sports. “It’s still a hard decision to finalize between those two. It’s probably 55-45.”

According to a source who is close to the situation, I can report that Dowdell is still very much locked in on the Ducks despite those comments, and he is not considering a flip to the Rebels.

Dowdell, who has a close relationship with both Dan Lanning and Oregon RB coach Carlos Locklyn, is expected to sign with the Ducks during the early signing period later this month.

While the Ole Miss Rebels have continued to make a push for Dowdell, who ranks as the No. 3 player in the state of Mississippi, I’m told that there is no threat to his commitment with Oregon.

“We’re Ducks,” a source told me.