Oregon looking to flip one of Michigan football's top 2025 recruits?
![Michigan tight ends coach Steve Casula huddles with players at warmup of the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 20, 2024. Michigan tight ends coach Steve Casula huddles with players at warmup of the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 20, 2024.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3177,h_1787,x_0,y_28/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/wolverine_digest/01j4ycgv90g0g8d48cgm.jpg)
In the world of recruiting, nothing is final until a prospect puts pen to paper on their national letter of intent. In the modern era, with the transfer portal readily available, sometimes a recruit's signature isn't even the end of a recruiting battle.
Flipping commitments is like two wins in one action for college football programs. Not only do you strengthen your own recruiting class, you damage the class of someone you're competing against. One of the programs most proficient in this ability is Oregon football, who has combined its strong NIL presence with innovative marketing to become a force on the recruiting trail and on the gridiron.
On Thursday, Oregon turned its attention to one of Michigan's highest-rated commits in the 2025 recruiting class — four-star Center Valley (Pa.) Southern Lehigh tight end Andrew Olesh, who gave his verbal pledge to the Wolverines over Alabama, Penn State and Florida back on July 8. Olesh has now received a scholarship offer from the Ducks.
#Oregon has offered #Michigan Top100 TE commit Andrew Olesh via his Instagram. pic.twitter.com/2wS8DyLeiR
— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) August 9, 2024
At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Olesh is the fourth-highest ranked recruit in the Wolverines' class, considered the No. 94 overall prospect, No. 4 tight end and No. 3 player from the state of Pennsylvania in the 2025 cycle, per 247Sports' Composite rankings. Olesh holds 31 scholarship offers from FBS programs.
At the time of this publication, Olesh has given no public indication of his interest in Oregon, other than the above Instagram post announcing the scholarship offer. However, when a program like Oregon offers a scholarship to a committed prospect, it raises the attention meter considerably. Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore and tight ends coach Steve Casula will need to remain vigilant in their recruitment of Olesh should the Ducks choose to turn up the heat on this recruitment.
247Sports' director of scouting Andrew Ivins had this to say about Olesh as a prospect:
"Three-level pass catcher with a favorable combination of measurables and traits that has a chance to emerge as a game-changing combo tight end on Saturdays. Tested in the upper percentile spring before senior season, clocking a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash and a 4.13 in the short shuttle at just under 6-foot-5, 215 pounds. Has been deployed primarily as a large outside receiver at the prep level, but has proven to be an effective move blocker out on the perimeter and has finished a bulk of his run-blocking chores when asked to work out of a three-point stance. Mixes gears well as a route runner and turned heads at the Elite 11 Finals with his dynamic cuts, large catch radius, and superb body control. Competitive with the ball in his hands as he will use his burst and agility to get out of tackles. Will need to add some mass in the coming years and keep progressing as an in-line player to reach full potential, but should be viewed as a future multi-year starter at the Power Four level that can elevate a passing attack after a developmental year or two. NFL upside given the growth potential and how he moves."
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