Tag: Oregon recruiting

‘I think the place sells itself;’ Tosh Lupoi details experiences recruiting players at Oregon

“You don’t have to be a car salesman to represent this place and understand how special it is.”

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There was no understating how big of a deal it was when the Oregon Ducks hired former NFL coach Tosh Lupoi to be their new defensive coordinator under head coach Dan Lanning. His resume speaks for itself.

He’s a two-time national championship-winning coach with the Alabama Crismon Tide, and he helped coach his team to the big game in four consecutive years under Nick Saban. More recently, Lupoi spent time with the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, and Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s considered one of the best recruiters in all of college football, especially with his ties to the west coast after cutting his teeth at California and Washington earlier in his career.

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So when Lupoi accepted the job in Eugene and had a chance to be one of the leading recruiters for the Ducks, fans certainly got excited.

In talking to Lupoi on Monday afternoon following the Ducks’ final practice of the spring, he was asked how his experience had been thus far, and what his sales pitch was to recruits now that he was at Oregon.

“That’s one of the main reasons I’m here — you don’t have to be a car salesman to represent this place and understand how special it is,” Lupoi said. “You’re at a place where you can consistently compete for a national title — you’re at least in a position that you possibly can. You’re at a place where you’re going to consistently coach top-10 picks, and you’re at a place that’s arguably connected better than any other program in the world when it comes to the relationships — that Nike relationship, the Alumni Association, that’s part of this place. I think the place more so sells itself.”

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So far, the recruiting cycle has been good to the Ducks. After Lanning and his new staff took over in December, they were able to land a number of highly-rated recruits and leave with the 13th-ranked class in 2022. While there is still a lot of work to do in the 2023 class, Oregon seems to be in a good spot to potentially land 5-star players like DL Jayden Wayne, EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei, and DL David Hicks.

Both Hicks and Wayne were inside Autzen Stadium for the spring game, and Uiagalelei has been a frequent visitor to Eugene over the past few months. They’ve certainly been in close contact with Lupoi ever since he took over in Eugene, but if we’re to listen to the Oregon DC, he hasn’t had to work very hard to paint the Oregon Ducks in a nice light.

This place sells itself.

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Oregon Ducks survive recruiting cut for blue-chip top-10 ATH Rodney Gallagher

Thanks to his relationship with Junior Adams, 4-star ATH Rodney Gallagher included the Ducks as the only west coast team in his top-8.

When the Oregon Ducks were hiring a new staff under head coach Dan Lanning, they made a concerted effort to try and get some of the best recruiters in the nation to Eugene.

That effort is bearing fruit right now, with a continuous stream of the top players in the nation including the Ducks in their recruiting cut-downs and strongly considering Oregon for a college location.

The latest player to do so is 4-star athlete Rodney Gallagher, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound prospect out of Pennsylvania who is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 10 athlete in the 2023 class, and No. 97 player overall.

Gallagher hasn’t visited Eugene but included the Ducks in his most recent recruiting cut-down because of his relationship with WR coach Junior Adams.

“Oregon made the list because I built a nice relationship with (receivers) coach (Junior) Adams,” Gallagher told 247Sports. “Great dude all around.”

We will likely see Gallagher make his way out to the west coast at some point this summer to get a look at the campus, but we know that Oregon has made an early impact in his recruitment.

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Rodney Gallagher’s Recruiting Profile

Jackson Bowers, elite 4-star TE from Arizona, sets his sights on Oregon Ducks

The Oregon Ducks are in the mix to land 4-star TE Jackson Bowers, an elite prospect out of Arizona.

This past weekend at the Oregon Ducks spring game, we saw a glimpse of what the future of the tight end position can be with the new offense led by OC Kenny Dillingham. If featured some vertical route concepts and an emphasis on getting pass-catchers in space, no matter their size. Players like Terrance Ferguson and Moliki Matavao got on the stat sheet, combining for 5 catches for 91 yards.

Now we might be getting a look at what the TE position could look like a couple of years down the road. 4-star TE prospect Jackson Bower, an Arizona native who stands at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, cut down is recruiting options to 7, and he included the Ducks in the mix.

Bowers is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 13 TE in the 2023 class, and No. 163 player overall. Though he is currently predicted to land with the BYU Cougars, his recruitment has by no means come close to an end.

Crystal Ball

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Jackson Bowers’ Recruiting Profile

4-star Texas running back places Oregon Ducks in his top-6

Cameron Cook, the No. 20 RB in the 2023 class, is riding high on the Oregon Ducks after his recent visit.

The Ducks got some big news on the recruiting front on Sunday morning, with a 4-star running back out of Texas announcing his top-6 and including Oregon in the mix.

Cameron Cook, who is ranked as the No. 20 RB in the nation and No. 301 player overall, listed the Ducks in his final recruiting cut-down. Oregon just offered Cook earlier this spring, and he was on campus for a visit a couple of weeks ago to meet the coaching staff and see Eugene.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound all-purpose back also runs track in Texas, and has found success at both the RB and WR positions in high school.

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Cameron Cook’s Recruiting Profile

6-foot-8 edge rusher Collins Acheampong lists Oregon Ducks inside top-6

The Oregon Ducks are in the mix for 4-star Collins Acheampong, a massive edge-rusher from the state of California.

The Oregon Ducks have a nice history when it comes to massive defensive ends who could likely dominate on the basketball court just as well as they did on the football field.

With players like Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, and Dion Jordan, this isn’t a new mold of player in Eugene. However, it’s the type of edge-rusher that we haven’t seen in a few years.

That may change in the coming months.

4-star defensive end/tight end Collins Acheampong, a 6-foot-8 Californian who also excels on the basketball court, recently announced his top-6 and included the Ducks squarely in the mix. According to the On3 Recruiting Database, Acheampong is the No. 34 EDGE in the 2023 class, and No. 340 player overall.

Acheampong announced that he will be making his decision on July 1st.

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Collins Acheampong’s Recruiting Profile

4-star linebacker from Texas includes Oregon Ducks in top-12

The Oregon Ducks are squarely in the mix when it comes to the recruitment of 4-star Texas linebacker Derion Gullette.

Over the last several years since the Oregon Ducks stepped up their recruiting efforts in the southern portion of the United States, and particularly in the state of Texas, we’ve seen a decently-sized pipeline of talent coming up to the Pacific Northwest.

That doesn’t look to be changing under Dan Lanning and the new coaching staff.

This past week, one of the best linebackers in the state of Texas, 4-star Derion Gullette, announced his top-12 list of schools and feature the Oregon Ducks prominently in the mix.

Gullette stands at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds and is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 26 EDGE and No. 225 player overall in the 2023 class.

According to 247Sports, Gullette also played some WR in high school, and had over 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns receiving in 2021. The Ducks just recently offered him earlier this year, so while we haven’t seen him hosted on a visit just yet, that is likely to come at some point in the next several months.

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Derion Gullette’s Recruiting Profile

Caleb Presley, top CB on the west coast, places Oregon Ducks in top-12

There’s no better CB on the west coast than 4-star CB Caleb Presley. He put the Ducks in his top-12 on Friday.

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When it comes to the top-rated defensive backs out west, the Oregon Ducks already have a commitment from the second-best guy on the list, 4-star CB Cole Martin.

On Friday afternoon, they made the cut for the top guy on that list, 4-star CB Caleb Presley.

Presley, who is a 6-foot-0, 180-pound player from Washington, is ranked as the No. 9 CB in the nation, and No. 83 player overall. He currently stands as the No. 2 guy in the state of Washington, and he was a high school teammate at Rainier Beach with Josh Conerly, the 5-star OT who just committed to Oregon earlier this month.

Presley listed Oregon in his top-12 alongside the likes of Alabama, Notre Dame, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, Utah, and Washington.

Presley paid a visit to Eugene a couple of weeks ago, and will likely make a return trip before too long as well.

Caleb Presley’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 4 93 WA CB
Rivals 4 5.9 WA CB
ESPN 4 83 WA CB
On3 Recruiting 4 93.15 WA CB
247 Composite 4 0.9604 WA CB

Vitals

Hometown Seattle, Washington
Projected Position Cornerback
Height 6-foot-0
Weight 180 pounds
Class 2023

Recruitment

  • Offered on November 3, 2020

Top-12

  • Oregon Ducks
  • Alabama Crimson Tide
  • Notre Dame Fighting Irish
  • LSU Tigers
  • Michigan Wolverines
  • Michigan State Spartans
  • Stanford Cardinal
  • Texas A&M Aggies
  • UCLA Bruins
  • USC Trojans
  • Utah Utes
  • Washington Huskies

Film

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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5-star quarterback sets official visit date to return to Oregon Ducks

The No. 3 QB and No. 5 overall player in the 2023 class will be taking an official visit to Eugene next weekend.

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This week brought the news that the Oregon Ducks are currently the leading candidates to land 5-star quarterback Jaden Rashada, and now it’s being announced that another 5-star quarterback, Dante Moore, has set up his official visit with the Ducks.

According to On3 Recruits, Detroit, Michigan native Dante Moore, who is ranked as the No. 3 QB in the 2023 class, and No. 5 player overall, is set to visit Eugene from April 29th to May 1st.

This will be a return visit for Moore, who came and met the new coaching staff earlier this year back in January ahead of national signing day.

There was a belief that Rashada, the No. 5 QB in the 2023 class, would be on campus for the Oregon spring game this weekend, but he will instead be headed to Ole Miss and will be delaying his trip to Oregon until later in the spring.

At the moment, it looks like the Ducks are in a great position as far as the recruitment for both of these players goes, so it will be interesting to watch where the dominoes land as the summer gets closer.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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Recruiting Party: Updated list of prospects coming to Eugene for Oregon Ducks spring game

For months, Dan Lanning has stressed the importance of getting top recruits to Eugene for the spring game. Here’s who is scheduled to visit.

Since he accepted the job as the new head coach of the Oregon Ducks, Dan Lanning has been repeatedly saying the spring game would stand as one of the biggest opportunities to land recruits this offseason.

“One of the biggest things that we can do as a fan base and as a staff is to focus on getting guys here on the 23rd for our spring game,” Lanning said. “April 23, 1 p.m., we need to pack the crowd and make Autzen the experience we know it can be.”

That’s what Lanning said back on national signing day, which was on Feb. 4. Since then, the Oregon staff has done a great job of lining up visits and making sure some of the top prospects in the nation will be in Eugene this weekend for the spring game. Autzen will be packed, the sun is supposed to be shining, and it will be a perfect opportunity to keep the forward momentum in the recruiting landscape rolling.

As the spring game gets closer, we will undoubtedly see more players confirm they will attend, and there may be a few who make other plans as well. Regardless, here is an updated list of players we know are planning to be in Eugene this weekend:

Oregon Ducks make cut for 5-star WR Shelton Sampson Jr.

5-star Shelton Sampson, the No. 3 WR in the 2023 class, included the Oregon Ducks in his top-6.

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It’s hard to imagine a five-star wide receiver from the state of Louisiana going somewhere other than LSU to play his college ball, but the Oregon Ducks are certainly going to try to make that happen.

On Monday, Shelton Samson Jr., the No. 3 WR in the 2023 class and No. 32 player overall, listed the Ducks in his top six, which in itself should be considered a huge win for Dan Lanning and Oregon. The Ducks were listed alongside the LSU Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies, Florida State Seminoles, Alabama Crimson Tide and Michigan Wolverines.

Sampson stands 6-foot-4, 190 pounds and is the second-best player in the state of Louisiana. He hasn’t visited Eugene to see the facilities and meet the coaching staff, but you can expect that will come at some point this spring or potentially in the fall.

Shelton Sampson Jr.’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 4 93 LA WR
Rivals 5 6.1 LA WR
ESPN 4 86 LA WR
On3 Recruiting 5 95.80 LA WR
247 Composite 5 0.9841 LA WR

Vitals

Hometown Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Projected Position Wide Receiver
Height 6-foot-4
Weight 190 pounds
Class 2023

Recruitment

  • Offered on April 13, 2022

Top 6

  • Oregon Ducks
  • LSU Tigers
  • Alabama Crimson Tide
  • Michigan Wolverines
  • Texas A&M Aggies
  • Florida State Seminoles

Film

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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