Tag: Oregon recruiting

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?

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=none image=https://duckswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

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.

[lawrence-related id=11936]

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.

[lawrence-related id=11917]

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.

[listicle id=11900]

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.

[listicle id=11900]

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.

[listicle id=11605]

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.

[listicle id=11605]

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.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVJxGyyA8Ri/

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.

[listicle id=10423]

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.

[listicle id=8985]

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.

[listicle id=7368]

Oregon target Ben Roberts decommits from Washington

Four-star d-lineman Ben Roberts de-committed from the University of Washington on Tuesday, fueling speculation he could end up in Eugene.

 

Oregon Ducks target and four-star defensive lineman Ben Roberts (Salt Lake City, Utah) announced on Instagram Tuesday morning he is decommitting from the University of Washington.

Roberts’ de-commitment catches the attention of basically every school in the Pac-12. The 6-foot-4, 290 pounder in the class of 2022 had 14 recorded offers, including Oregon and Washington as well as Colorado, USC, Washington State, UCLA, Baylor, Tennessee, and Nebraska, among others.

Roberts is the 36th ranked defensive tackle in the country and third ranked prospect in all of Utah – a state with plenty of recent ties to Oregon thanks to the Sewell brothers, Kingsley Suamataia, and Jackson Powers-Johnson.

Roberts took a trip to Oregon and unofficially visited the Ducks during Saturday Night Live. While he does have two official visits already in the bag, at Tennessee and Virginia Tech, his trip to Eugene was more recent (July 31) which fueled speculation he is planning to come to Oregon even among 247’s experts, where the Ducks now have 67% of the crystal ball projections.

[listicle id=4948]

Ducks extend offer to 2024 North Medford tight end AJ Pugliano

The Oregon Ducks extended an offer to class of 2024 tight end AJ Pugliano from local North Medford High School.

The Oregon Ducks are just getting started on the recruiting trail for the class of 2024, extending their second in-state offer to North Medford tight end AJ Pugliano last week after he impressed at the team’s Saturday Night Live camp.

Pugliano grew up rooting for the Ducks, and getting his first D1 offer from the University means a lot to him.

“I’ve always talked about how the first of your offers hold a little more personal weight,” Pugliano said in an interview at 247Sports. “And to have it come from my childhood team is special.”

While the local kid sure seems like a decent bet to end up in the green and yellow in a few years, Oregon is not going to be the last school to give Pugliano an offer.

“Obviously Oregon has been recruiting me but as well so has Oregon State, Washington and Eastern Washington,” said Pugliano.  “The whole process is just getting started for me. Right now coach (Don) Johnson and coach (Bobby) Williams at Oregon plus coach (Thomas) Ford at Washington seem to the be the coaches that stick out.”

Pugliano is planning to do more unofficial visits, at Oregon State and Washington, before he makes his decision. He has multiple years until he has to sign, and plans to take the process slow to really explore all of his options before making a decision.

“My timeline for a decision isn’t really specific,” said Pugliano. “I’ve still got a long ways to go until college, so my focus is appreciating those who believe in me and getting better everyday.”

[listicle id=4127]

Emoni Bates cuts his list to four, Oregon remains an option

Star prospect Emoni Bates reclassified to 2021 and narrowed his list of options to four – and the Oregon Ducks made the list.

In late July Emoni Bates, the top prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, included the Oregon Ducks on his non-traditional top-8 post high school list. The list included four other schools and three professional options – the G-League, the Overtime Elite League, and the National Basketball League.

Now, barely two weeks later, Bates has cut his list in half. Only the G-League remains among non-college options, while Oregon is one of three schools remaining alongside Memphis and Michigan State, where he initially committed over a year ago.

Bates also made the decision to reclassify and join the class of 2021, meaning he will be eligible to suit up at his next stop as soon as next year.

While it is extremely exciting to think about adding Bates, who has drawn comparisons to Paul George, on Oregon’s roster in the fall, it seems very likely he will take his talents to the G-League rather than going the college route.

Still, being among the top three schools on Bates’ list is a testament to how strong of a recruiter Dana Altman has become, and it is a great sign for future recruiting efforts in Eugene.

Plus, there’s always a chance Bates makes the move out to Oregon – which would instantly elevate the Ducks into the national conversation heading into the 2021-2022 season.

[listicle id=4293]