Tag: Oregon recruiting

5-star forward Mookie Cook set to announce his college decision Thursday afternoon

5-star forward Mookie Cook will make his college announcement Thursday afternoon. Oregon, Gonzaga, and Kentucky are his final three.

Back on March 9, five-star forward and Portland native Mookie Cook revealed the top three schools remaining in his recruitment, a list that included Oregon as well as Gonzaga and Kentucky.

Now, Cook revealed through the social media account of recruiting analyst Joe Tipton that he is planning to make his announcement during halftime of the Geico Nationals game on Thursday, which is set to tip-off at 3:00 PM PT.

Cook is from Portland but played high school ball at Compass Prep in Chandler, Arizona. He is a 6’7 small forward ranked No. 4 in the Class of 2023. Currently, the 247 Crystal Ball predictions lean toward Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks, which would be a massive pickup for next year’s recruiting class.

There are also (unsubstantiated) rumblings that Cook could attempt to reclassify to the class of 2022, allowing him to potentially join a class alongside a pair of five-star recruits Kel’el Ware and Dior Jordan – which would make up the most impressive recruiting class in Oregon basketball history.

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Oregon is ‘best positioned’ to steal 5-star DL Lebbeus Overton from Texas A&M

A new report from 247Sports shows that Dan Lanning and the Ducks are in a great position when it comes to the recruitment of 5-star DL Lebbeus Overton.

When it comes to the 2022 recruiting class, things for the most part are signed, sealed, and delivered. On Tuesday morning, we even saw a handful of 2022 class members take the field in Oregon for their first collegiate practices, with Jahlil Florence, Devon Jackson, Jusius Lowe, Harrison Taggart, and Michael Wooten making their Ducks’ debut.

However, there are still a couple of top-rated recruits left on the board, and the college football world is awaiting their announcements. One of those players is 5-star OT Josh Conerly, who will announce his commitment on April 8. The other is 5-star DL Lebbeus Overton. He hasn’t announced a commitment date, but as we get closer to him making a decision, there is a hierarchy of teams to beat.

Fortunately, for the Ducks, they are in a great position to potentially land him over the Texas A&M Aggies, who currently stand as the favorites.

Here is the explanation from 247Sports Steve Wiltfong:

Right now we see the Ducks as the school best positioned to beat the Aggies.

New head coach Dan Lanning is the reason. Overton and Lanning got really close when Lanning was the defensive coordinator at Georgia and Overton is excited now that Lanning is in the corner office. He could see himself going out to Eugene and helping Lanning build that program up.

Overton likes the young staff at Oregon, he enjoyed the vibe on campus during his official in March, and the ties to Nike make a future out West enticing as well.

Wiltfong explains that since Overton grew up rooting for Texas A&M, it will be hard for any other school to land his commitment outside of college station, but the relationship built between Lanning and Overton while Oregon’s new head coach was in Georgia is something special, and it could be the difference down the stretch.

The other schools in contention for the 5-star’s commitment are the Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Oklahoma Sooners.

As we await an announcement from Overton, the Ducks should feel really good about where they stand with the top unsigned defensive player in the 2022 class. They aren’t the favorites to land him right now, but they are certainly lingering in a great spot.

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 QB and key Oregon target to visit Eugene for Ducks’ spring game

The visitor list for Oregon’s spring game has some incredibly important names on it. 5-star recruits everywhere you look.

When Oregon Ducks’ head coach Dan Lanning laid out his recruiting plan for the spring, it centered around getting some of the best athletes in the nation to Eugene on April 23rd for the spring game. It was in that setting that Lanning wanted to show the nation what Oregon could be, and wow the recruits with the energy of Autzen Stadium.

It looks like Lanning is going to get his wish, with news coming out that 5-star quarterback Jaden Rashada, the third-best unsigned QB in the 2023 class, will be coming to Eugene for a visit that weekend.

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According to a report from On3 Recruiting (subscription needed), Rashada is looking forward to seeing Oregon once again after developing a nice relationship with the coaching staff on a visit earlier this year.

“I’m pretty close with their coaching staff, with all of them from the offensive coordinator (Kenny Dillingham) to the running backs coach (Carlos Locklyn) to the defensive staff. I’ll be up there for the spring game,” Rashada told On3.

Going into the spring, the Ducks had their sites set on a trio of big-time quarterback recruits; Nico Iamaleava Jr., Dante Moore, and Rashada, all of whom are 5-star prospects. With Iamaleava committing to the Tennessee Volunteers, it has left Moore and Rashada as Oregon’s top QB targets. While we expect the Ducks to go after Moore in a strong way this spring as well, it’s been clear through their actions and the retweets of offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham on Twitter that Oregon is very intent on getting Rashada to Eugene.

That’s going to happen, and it’s coming on one of the biggest days of the season for the Ducks.

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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Oregon Ducks make final cut for 2nd-ranked cornerback in 2023 class

The Ducks are in the running for one of the best cornerbacks in the 2023 class. Expect a visit this spring or summer.

The Oregon Ducks are in the mix for one of the best and most promising defensive players in the 2023 recruiting class.

On Monday, 5-star cornerback Tony Mitchell, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound defender from Alabaster, Alabama released his final recruiting cutdown, listing the Ducks right in the mix. Mitchell, who is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 2 CB in the 2023 class, and No. 19 player in the nation.

Along with the Ducks, Mitchell also included the Florida Gators, Texas A&M Aggies, Georgia Bulldogs, and Alabama Crimson Tide.

In a new twist that we haven’t seen much in recruiting graphics, the images of dollar bills were floating behind Mitchell in his announcement, signifying the importance of the NIL deal that will certainly play a part in his recruitment. In order for this high-caliber player to come across the country to be with the Ducks, it will likely take some money.

Tony Mitchell’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 5 0.9907 AL CB
Rivals 4 6.0 AL CB
ESPN 4 87 AL CB
On3 Recruiting 5 95.72 AL CB
247 Composite 4 95 AL CB

Vitals

Hometown Alabaster, Alabama
Projected Position Cornerback
Height 6-foot-2
Weight 180 pounds
Class 2023

Recruitment

  • Offered by Oregon on January 28th, 2021
  • Visited Oregon in July of 2021

Top-Five

  • Oregon
  • Alabama
  • Georgia
  • Florida
  • Texas A&M

Crystal Ball

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 OT predicted to pick USC Trojans over Oregon Ducks

A flurry of new predictions don’t look too good when it comes to the recruitment of 5-star OT Josh Conerly.

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When it comes to the 2022 recruiting class, things are pretty much signed, sealed, and delivered at this point. However, there are still a couple of big fish out there who have yet to commit and sign with their teams for this fall.

5-star offensive tackle Josh Conerly is one of those players, and the Oregon Ducks having been fighting hard for his commitment over the past several months. Unfortunately, after Conerly recently took a visit to the USC Trojans, a flurry of predictions are coming in that land the Washington product down in sunny Los Angeles rather than Eugene this fall.

Conerly came on a visit to Eugene earlier in the spring and had great things to say about the Ducks, but it was always going to be an uphill battle to get his commitment, especially when fighting with USC and Michigan down the stretch. We will see if anything changes before his announcement on April 8th, but at this point, it isn’t looking great for Oregon.

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No. 1 safety in 2024 class schedules recruiting visit to Oregon

One of the best players in the entire 2024 class will be taking a visit to Eugene this coming month.

One of the very best players in the entire 2024 class has scheduled a visit to Eugene to come to see Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks next month.

5-star safety Peyton Woodyard, a 6-foot-2, 188-pounder from St. John Bosco in California, will reportedly make a trip to Eugene for a weekend in early April. Woodyard is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 safety in the 2024 class, and the No. 8 player overall.

Woodyard is one of the most coveted players in the 2024 class despite not even starting his junior season yet. He already has visits taken to USC, Texas, Texas A&M, and LSU. He will be joined by St. John Bosco teammate Ty Lee in Eugene.

Peyton Woodyard’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 5 0.9946 CA S
Rivals 4 6.0 CA S
ESPN N/A N/A N/A N/A
On3 Recruiting 4 93.33 CA S
247 Composite 4 90 CA S

Vitals

Hometown Bellflower, California
Projected Position Safety
Height 6-foot-w
Weight 188 pounds
Class 2024

Recruitment

  • Does not yet hold an offer from Oregon

Crystal Ball

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 DL from Georgia shows favor for Dan Lanning and the Ducks

The Oregon Ducks made the cut for 5-star DL Vic Burley in his latest recruiting trim-down.

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Not only did the Oregon Ducks get a dynamic up-and-coming head coach when hiring Dan Lanning from the Georgia Bulldogs this last offseason, but they also got one of the best recruiters in the south to bring his talents to the pacific northwest.

Lanning’s overhaul of the Oregon staff and decision to fill out the ranks with elite recruiters has paid dividends so far, especially when it comes to players from SEC country. It seems that now more than ever, the Ducks are making the cut for a number of highly-rated players from states like Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, all of whom are considering a trip to Oregon to join what Lanning is building.

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The latest player to make this consideration is 5-star defensive lineman Vic Burley, a 6-foot-5, 276-pound player from Warner Robins, GA. Burley is listed by 247Sports as the No. 4 DL in the 2023 class, and No. 35 player overall.

He recently included the Ducks in his top-12 going into the spring, and will hopefully take a trip out to Eugene at some point this year to check out the facilities.

Vic Burley’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 5 0.9840 GA DL
Rivals 4 5.9 GA DL
ESPN 4 86 GA DL
On3 Recruiting 4 94.42 GA DL
247 Composite 4 95 GA DL

Vitals

Hometown Warner Robins, Georgia
Projected Position DL
Height 6-foot-5
Weight 267 pounds
Class 2023

Top-12

  • Oregon
  • Georgia
  • Clemson
  • South Carolina
  • Florida
  • Ohio State
  • Alabama
  • Texas A&M
  • Michigan
  • Florida State
  • Tennessee
  • Oklahoma

Crystal Ball

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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Oregon Ducks make the cut for 4-star DB out of Alabama

4-star safety DaKaari Nelson listed the Oregon Ducks as one of his top remaining schools.

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Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks continue to stay in the mix with some of the top guys down south, recently making the cut for safety DaKaari Nelson, a highly-rated player out of Selma, Alabama.

Nelson, who stands at 6-foot-3, 203 pounds, is a 4-star recruit who ranks as the 18th best safety in the nation, and 187th best overall player.

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In his most recent recruiting cut-down, Nelson included Oregon in his top-11, where he also listed Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas, Clemson, Oklahoma, Penn State, Central Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Florida State.

While much of Oregon’s coaching staff has strong recruiting ties on the west coast, it is great to see some of the top guys from down south continue to look at the Ducks in their recruitment. With Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi on the staff, Oregon is pretty well spread across the nation when it comes to connections with talented players.

DaKaari Nelson’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 4 0.9278 AL S
Rivals 4 5.9 AL S
ESPN 4 80 AL S
On3 Recruiting 4 90.13 AL S
247 Composite 4 90 AL S

Vitals

Hometown Selma, Alabama
Projected Position Safety
Height 6-foot-3
Weight 203 pounds
Class 2023

Top Schools

  • Tennessee
  • Auburn
  • Arkansas
  • Clemson
  • Oklahoma
  • Penn State
  • Central Florida
  • Ole Miss
  • Texas A&M
  • Florida State

Crystal Ball

No Predictions Yet

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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Opinion: Honorary coaches wrinkle emphasizes Oregon Ducks’ all-in nature of spring game

Dan Lanning has stressed the importance of the spring game for recruiting. Now, with 4 Oregon legends as honorary coaches, he’s stepped it up a notch.

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Earlier this week, the Oregon Ducks announced they will have honorary coaches present for the annual spring game set for April 23 at Autzen Stadium.

In a release, Oregon announced De’Anthony Thomas and Haloti Ngata will be the coordinators for the Yellow Team, while LaMichael James and Arik Armstead will be the coordinators for the Green Team.

It’s a fun wrinkle to the spring game I don’t recall seeing before, but it also highlights the importance of the day for the Ducks, which is something Dan Lanning has stressed since arriving in Eugene.

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That Saturday, which has been dubbed “Duck Day” by Lanning, is meant to be a showcase for the school, and it will be a perfect way to show the numerous recruits that will be in town for Oregon’s exhibition game just what the are in for if they commit to the Ducks.

So far we know a few highly rated recruits who will be in town for the game, headlined by five-star running back Richard Young and five-star defensive lineman Jayden Wayne. As the weeks go on, more will certainly hop on board. It’s all part of Lanning’s plan to attack recruiting in the 2023 and 2024 classes.

“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 on national signing day in February. “April 23, 1 p.m., we need to pack the crowd and make Autzen the experience we know it can be. That’s one of the big pieces moving forward, and then just getting these guys on the phone, on-campus, on zooms, and that’s where we’ll attack moving forward.” 

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By bringing in former Oregon legends to participate in the game and join in on the fun, Lanning is ensuring that these recruits — and players on the roster who may not be certain about their future in Eugene — see a little bit about what it means to be a Duck, and witness how important a place it was for some of the best players in Oregon history.

Who knows if it will work, or if the recruits on campus for the spring game will even take notice of the Oregon legends they’re standing alongside. What matters is that Lanning is trying, though, and bringing in new ideas and innovations to try and up the Ducks’ recruiting efforts to land some of the top talents in Eugene. At the end of the day, that’s what is most important of all.

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4-star edge rusher and brother of Oregon commit schedules visit to Eugene

Since Elijah Rushing last came to Eugene, his brother, Cruz, committed to the Ducks. Both Rushing brothers will come see Oregon again next weekend.

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The Oregon Ducks made some big ground earlier this year when they announced three-star safety Cruz Rushing was committing to play in Eugene. Rushing will be a solid piece for the Ducks, and it gave Dan Lanning and his staff an in-road to Cruz’s younger brother, Elijah.

Elijah Rushing is a four-star edge rusher from Salpointe Catholic in Arizona. He stands 6 feet, 5 inches and 220 pounds. He is the No. 1 edge rusher in the 2024 class, per 247Sports.

Rushing made a trip to Eugene earlier this year to check out the campus, and it was announced on Wednesday that he will come back with his older brother next weekend for another visit. Here is what he had to say from his first trip to Eugene:

“They seem to have a great vision for the future of Oregon,” Rushing told me after the visit. “They’re talking about how they want to and are going to build a dynasty at Oregon.”

Elijah Rushing’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 4 0.9769 AZ EDGE
Rivals 4 5.8 AZ OLB
ESPN N/A N/A N/A N/A
On3 Recruiting 4 92.0 AZ EDGE
247 Composite 4 90 AZ EDGE

Vitals

Hometown Tucson, AZ
Projected Position EDGE
Height 6-foot-5
Weight 220 pounds
Class 2024

Recruitment

  • Offered by Oregon on Jan. 23, 2022
  • Visited Oregon on Jan. 23, 2022

Offers

  • Oregon
  • Notre Dame
  • Miami
  • USC
  • Michigan
  • U-Mass
  • Nevada
  • Utah
  • Arizona
  • ASU
  • Oregon State
  • Washington

Crystal Ball

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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