Tag: Oregon recruiting

Report: Oregon’s 5-star OT Kelvin Banks skipped Texas A&M trip, could still visit Texas

Oregon’s 5-star OT commit Kelvin Banks canceled his visit to Texas A&M last week, which feels like a big win for the Ducks.

A week ago, there were a lot of concerns when it came to the Oregon Ducks recruiting trail, especially after a pair of blue-chip wide receivers announced that they were de-committing from the Ducks and choosing new schools to sign with.

On top of that, there was news that Oregon’s 5-star OT commit Kelvin Banks was taking an official visit to Texas A&M, despite remaining solid in his commitment to the Ducks.

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The Oregonian’s Andrew Nemec reports on Wednesday that Banks didn’t end up taking that trip to College Station, which is a nice little win for some understandably troubled Duck fans.

As it turns out, Oregon five-star offensive line pledge Kelvin Banks not only didn’t visit Texas A&M last weekend as planned, he also isn’t sure if he’ll ever take a trip there.

“I didn’t make it,” he told me Tuesday evening. “That’s probably done.”

The Ducks aren’t entirely out of the woods yet, though, as Banks still may visit Texas.

“I might go to Texas, but not for sure yet,” he said.
Oregon fans have the right to be a little bit gun-shy after the loss of both 4-star WR Isaiah Santegna and 4-star WR Nicholas Anderson, but it feels like Banks is pretty solid in the camp of the Ducks. The loss of those two receivers may not end up being a death sentence in the end, either, with Oregon looking more and more likely to sign a pair of blue-chip WRs in the coming months, with Portland 4-star Darrius Clemons leaning heavily towards the Ducks, and 5-star WR Kevin Coleman making a visit to Eugene this weekend and reportedly calling Oregon his “dream school.”
A lot can change on a daily basis in the recruiting world, so none of this is a sure thing, but the mood seems to be leveling out for the Ducks after a tough past week on the recruiting trail.
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Pair of 5-star recruits set to visit Eugene for Oregon’s game vs. Washington State

The Oregon Ducks will be hosting some massive recruits against Washington State this week, with a pair of 5-stars coming to Eugene.

It’s not often that the Oregon Ducks have a game inside Autzen Stadium, and Nike co-founder Phil Knight isn’t regarded as the most important person on the sidelines.

That may be a bit of an overstatement, but you could argue that a pair of recruits visiting Oregon’s game against the Washington State Cougars on Saturday night will carry some massive weight, and the program will likely be doing anything they can to make sure they have everything they need.

Both 5-star WR Kevin Coleman and 5-star DL Jayden Wayne announced that they are set to visit Eugene this weekend for the game against the Cougars.

Coleman is ranked as the No. 3 WR prospect in the nation, and he recently called Oregon his “dream school.” Adding Coleman to the 2022 recruiting class would be massive for the Ducks, especially after two blue-chip receivers in Isaiah Sategna and Nicholas Anderson recently flipped their commitments.

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Wayne is rated as the No. 29 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to 247 Sports. Standing at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, Wayne would be a huge addition to Oregon’s defensive line in the future, and undoubtedly be one of their biggest “gets” on the recruiting trail for the 2023 class.

After a successful road trip to Seattle a week ago, the Ducks have a lot of momentum as they continue on their path towards the College Football Playoff. Earlier in the week, Mario Cristobal remarked that based on games over the past few years, it is Washington State that may stand as Oregon’s biggest rivals in the conference.

We’ll see if they can show up like they did against the Huskies for this one and put on a show for some of the top recruits in the nation.

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Report: 5-star OT Kelvin Banks remains committed to Oregon despite visit to Texas A&M

Should we be worried about 5-star OT Kelvin Banks flipping from the Ducks? After recent recruiting news in Oregon, this visit to Texas A&M is something to keep an eye on.

Sometimes, when you hear footsteps coming, it’s easy to convince yourself that you’re imagining things.

However, if you’ve been bitten once or twice before, it’s hard not to at least check out the situation.

That could be how the Oregon Ducks are feeling on the recruiting front at the moment, potentially spooked by the recent de-commitments from both WR Nicholas Anderson and WR Isaiah Sategna, two blue-chip players in the 2021 class.

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While Oregon fans are trying to make sense of the loss of those two recruits, news is now coming out that another Oregon commit, 5-star OT Kelvin Banks, is taking a visit to the Texas A&M Aggies this weekend, according to The Oregonian‘s Andrew Nemec. 

Nemec says that despite Banks’ visit to College Station, he remains “firmly committed” to Oregon.

The potential loss of Banks, should he end up flipping down the road, would be a detrimental blow to the Ducks. Banks currently stands as the No. 14 overall prospect in the nation, and the highest offensive line recruit that has ever committed to Oregon. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound tackle projects to be a player who dominates on Sundays down the road, and he remains one of the biggest recruiting wins in Mario Cristobal’s career.

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In any year, it would be tough to lose a player like Banks, but it would hurt a little bit extra this season, especially after the news that former 5-star OT Kingsley Suamataia entered the transfer portal a week ago. Suamataia was Oregon’s top recruit in the 2021 class.

Again, we may be reading a bit too far into all of this. Banks says that he is firm in his commitment to the Ducks, and we should be able to take him at his word. However, when you’ve seen a pair of blue-chip players flip in a matter of a week, nobody can blame you for spooking easily.

Until February 3rd when Banks signs his binding national letter of intent on signing day, his verbal commitment will be up in the air, no matter what he says publicly. Start the countdown. Nobody can blame you for being nervous until then.

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Should we be worried about Oregon’s pair of de-commitments from 4-star WRs?

Should we be worried about 4-star WRs Isaiah Sategna and Nicholas Anderson flipping? What could it mean about Oregon’s recruiting down the road?

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While the wins keep rolling for the Oregon Ducks on the field, a trio of tough blows on the recruiting front has come over the past week that might cause some unrest in the fanbase, and force questions to be asked.

While the news that 5-star offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia was entering the transfer portal stung last week, more recent developments on the recruiting front might be a bit more concerning. On Monday, 4-star WR Nicholas Anderson announced that he was de-committing from Oregon and flipping to the Oklahoma Sooners, and Wednesday night brought the de-commitment from 4-star WR Isaiah Sategna, who is flipping to his home state Arkansas Razorbacks.

Recruiting prowess has been a hot topic for the Ducks as of late, and with another top-rated class in the Pac-12 taking shape, seeing blue-chip prospects decide to go elsewhere is concerning, to say the least. With the loss of Anderson and Sategna, Oregon’s 2022 recruiting class dropped from No. 7 nationally to No. 8. They still stand at No. 1 in the conference.

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So is there an explanation for it all?

Definitely, and it’s likely an explanation that can be seen as a positive for the Ducks.

First off, you have to look at the young talent on the roster and consider the fact that any recruit coming into the program knows that they will have to be competing with last year’s recruiting class for playing time. At Oregon, that means any WR coming to Eugene next year will be battling with the likes of Troy Franklin, Donte Thornton, Kris Hutson, and Isaiah Brevard, all of whom are considered “blue-chip” prospects (4- or 5-star player). On top of that, there’s always the chance that some additional players stick around for another year in order to improve their NFL draft stock. Might Mycah Pittman or Devon Williams choose to stay for one more year? You can’t rule it out at this point.

So the quick answer is that when you consider the players on the roster, anyone coming in might think twice about how quickly they can get onto the field in their freshman season, choosing to go elsewhere instead. Now also add in the fact that the 2022 recruiting class is not yet finalized, and the Ducks already have 4-star WR Tetairoa McMillan and 3-star WR Stephon Johnson verbally committed. On top of that, Oregon is still targeting multiple WRs to bring in. Specifically, look at 4-star WR Darrius Clemons, and 5-star WR Kevin Coleman.

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Clemons is a 6-foot-3 WR from Westview High School in Portland, Ore. He is a home-state kid who is currently “warm” on Oregon according to 247 Sports, and his Crystal Ball is pointed heavily in the Ducks’ favor.

Coleman, on the other hand, is considered the No. 3 WR in the nation, and he is also reportedly “warm” on Oregon. Of course, Coleman is also “warm” on Florida State, Alabama, Arizona State, and USC. The Crystal Ball has him currently favoring Florida State.

Regardless of whether or not the Ducks end up landing Clemons or Coleman, or both, it’s clear that there is a chance, and that has to factor into the current commit’s decisions. In the case of Anderson and Sategna, it appears they made a business decision and decided to play elsewhere.

So at face value, yes — Oregon losing blue-chip players to other schools is something to worry about, but once you decipher what the actual reasons might be, it’s understandable. None of this is to say that competition is 100% the reason why both prospects flipped their commitment, but logic would lead you to believe it played a part in it all.

Over the next several months, we will find out how solid Oregon’s 2021 class ends up being, and we can judge their recruiting prowess from there. Until then, I don’t think there should be a lot to worry about on that front.

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Oregon 4-star WR Isaiah Sategna de-commits from Ducks, flips to Arkansas

4-star WR Isaiah Sategna announced on Wednesday that he is de-committing from the Ducks, and flipping to his home-state Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Oregon Ducks suffered yet another tough blow on the recruiting front this week, with 4-star WR commit Isaiah Sategna announcing that he is going to de-commit from the Ducks and instead flip to Arkansas.

Sategna is the second commit to flip in less than a week, with Nicholas Anderson announcing his intention to flip to Oklahoma earlier in the week.

“I want to thank Coach McClendon, Coach Cristobal, and Sam Popper and the rest of the Oregon staff and fans for supporting and believing in me,” Sategna wrote on Twitter. “Unfortunately after talking with my family, we have decided that it is in my best interest to de-commit and go to a school closer to home. I want to thank the University of Arkansas for believing in my talents and being the first school to offer me a scholarship during my sophomore season. With that being said, I have decided to commit to the University of Arkansas and be a hometown hog!!”

Sategna is ranked as the No. 1 player in Arkansas, and the No. 22 WR in the nation.

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Washington Huskies coach Jimmy Lake takes shot at UO ‘academic prowess’ and recruiting battle

The Ducks and Huskies are in very different places when it comes to success on the field, but that didn’t stop Jimmy Lake from taking shots at Oregon.

It’s “Husky Hate Week” here in Eugene, with the Oregon Ducks set to travel up a couple of hundred miles north later this week to take on the Washington Huskies in one of the more heated rivalries in the Pac-12.

While the two teams are in wildly different places when it comes to on-field success, some fuel has been thrown onto the fire thanks to Washington coach Jimmy Lake. Despite his team’s embarrassing start to the season where they lost to an FCS team in Week 1, and then got throttled by Michigan in Week 2, Lake decided to pull some punches and take a shot at the Ducks, saying that Oregon is not someone they compete with in recruiting, noting that they see themselves going against schools with more “academic prowess.”

If you were to ask Mario Cristobal, I bet he’d say they don’t necessarily compete with Washington for recruits, either…

For the past three years, Oregon has been ranked No. 1 in the Pac-12 recruiting rankings and is often inside the top-10 in the nation as well. Over that time, Washington has ranked No. 6 once, and No. 2 twice. Not exactly on the same level.

If Lake doesn’t consider players at Oregon to be smart enough to play for his school, he may be in the wrong business. No matter which schools he thinks that his team is competing with in recruiting, it’s pretty obvious that he’s losing the battle.

Have a fun Husky Hate Week, everyone.

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4-star WR Nicholas Anderson de-commits from Oregon, flips to Oklahoma Sooners

4-star WR Nicholas Anderson announced his de-commitment from Oregon on Monday, flipping to the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Oregon Ducks suffered another tough blow on the recruiting front on Monday morning, with 4-star WR Nicholas Anderson announcing that he was flipping to the Oklahoma Sooners.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to Oregon Football and the entire fanbase for their treatment of me and my family through my entire recruiting process,” Anderson posted on Twitter. “That being said, after speaking with the staff personally, I have made them aware of my decision to de-commit from Oregon.”

Anderson is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound WR who ranked as No. 38 receiver in the country.

This news comes a week after it was announced that former 5-star offensive tackle, Kinglsey Suamataia, would be entering the transfer portal and leaving Oregon as well. Suamataia was the highest recruit in Oregon’s 2021 class, but had yet to see much of the field this season.

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Ducks land commitment from 4-star LB Harrison Taggart

The recruiting trail stays hot for Oregon! Mario Cristobal added 4-star Harrison Taggart on Sunday, the No. 34 LB in the nation.

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Mario Cristobal and his top team of recruiters landed a massive win on Sunday night, picking up the commitment from 4-star linebacker Harrison Taggart, adding him to the class of 2022 that already ranks atop the Pac-12 conference standings.

The 6-foot-2, 208-pound linebacker out of Draper, Utah chose the Ducks over offers from Arizona, UCLA, USC, Utah, and Nebraska.

Taggart is ranked as the No. 34 linebacker in the 2022 recruiting class, and the No. 5 linebacker in the state of Utah. He is now part of an Oregon class that ranks 6th in the nation, with commitments already from 5-star OT Kelvin Banks, as well as a number of 4-stars, like WR Tetairoa McMillan, CB Jalil Tucker, LB TJ Dudley, and QB Tanner Bailey.

The Ducks may be struggling to be dominant on the field as of late this season, but they still remain among the best in the nation when it comes to the recruiting trail.

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Oregon lands commitment from 4-star Devon Jackson, No. 12 LB in nation

The Ducks picked up a major win ahead of the Stanford game on Saturday, landing 4-star LB Devon Jackson.

A couple of hours before kickoff against the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday, Mario Cristobal and the Oregon Ducks landed a big commitment from 4-star linebacker Devon Jackson.

Jackson is from Omaha, Nebraska, and is coming to Eugene as part of the 2022-23 class that is picking up steam in the national rankings. Jackson, a 6-foot-2, 200-pounder is rated as the nation’s No. 12 linebacker and No. 109 prospect overall. He is the No. 1 overall prospect in the state of Nebraska and will cap his prep career playing in the All-American Bowl.

The Ducks now are ranked as the No. 6 recruiting class in the nation for 2022, and No. 1 in the Pac-12 with the addition of Jackson.

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Oregon’s 4-star WR commit, Isaiah Sategna, is dominating HS football in Arkansas

Oregon’s 4-star WR commit Isaiah Sategna is putting on a show during his senior year in Fayetteville, leading the state in receiving yards and touchdowns so far.

Back in July, the Oregon Ducks scored a massive commitment from Arkansas WR Isaiah Sategna, a 4-star WR recruit who is also a track phenom.

Sategna, who stands at 5-foot-11, 170-pounds is ranked as the No. 29 receiver in the nation, chose the Ducks over USC and helped boost Oregon’s 2022 recruiting class up in the national recruiting rankings, where they now sit at No. 7, according to 247 Sports.

Now, in his senior year of high school with Fayetteville, Sategna is absolutely putting on a show, proving that he is one of the best players in the entire state midway through the year

With an expectation that some of the veteran receivers on Oregon’s roster are going to be taking off for the NFL Draft after this season, Sategna will have a chance to come to Eugene next season and join a receiving corps that includes Troy Franklin, Dont’e Thorton, Kris Hutson, Isaiah Brevard, and Isaah Crocker. If you take into account the other commits from the 2022 class, all of whom are listed as 4-stars at this point, and you can add Tetairoa McMillian and Nicholas Anderson.

Talk about depth with a high upside.

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