Ducks Digest

Can Oregon Ducks Flip 4-Star Offensive Lineman from Tennessee Commitment?

The Oregon Ducks are currently trending to flip four-star offensive lineman Douglas Utu from Tennessee. Utu committed to the Tennessee Volunteers in June. A new prediction says the Ducks and Oregon coach Dan Lanning are trending for the elite recruit.

Charlie Viehl

Douglas Utu visits Tennessee
Douglas Utu visits Tennessee / Douglas Utu / Instagram
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Four-star offensive lineman Douglas Utu committed to the Tennessee Volunteers in June, but the Oregon Ducks are currently trending to flip Utu from Tennessee.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the rest of his staff used the bye week as an opportunity to hit the road recruiting, and the Ducks are attempting to flip multiple committed recruits from across the country.

On Friday, Sept. 20, On3 national insiders Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons both placed predictions for the Ducks to flip Utu from Tennessee.

Douglas Utu visits Tennessee
Douglas Utu visits Tennessee / Douglas Utu / Instagram

According to the 247Sports Composite, Utu is the No. 69 recruit in the country and No. 1 from the state of Nevada, regardless of position. 247Sports also lists the Tennessee commit as an interior offensive lineman, and he is ranked second overall at the position.

According to Wiltfong, the Ducks view Utu as an offensive tackle prospect, his preferred position opposed to somewhere along the interior of the line.  

Utu plays his high school football for Bishop Gorman, a traditional powerhouse in Nevada. The Ducks currently hold a commitment from four-star Alai Kalaniuvalu from Bishop Gorman, Utu’s teammate along the offensive line.

Utu visited Oregon in May before committing to the Volunteers, and he posted a picture with Lanning and fellow Ducks recruits to social media as part of his visit. The Ducks look to host Utu for a game in Autzen, most likely Oct. 12 against Ohio State as Oregon will be hosting a number of top recruits.

National recruiting analyst for 247Sports Greg Biggins scouted Utu as a prospect, and he has high praise for the Tennessee commit.

“He’s a physical player, strong at the point of attack and is a finisher,” wrote Biggins. “He’s a natural bender with a strong punch. He has the quickness to recover against speed rushers and the strength to hold his ground against the bull rushers. He’s plenty aggressive as well and has the nastiness needed to excel in the trenches. He has the talent to play for any program in the country and has a definite NFL upside to him as well.”

In addition to Kalaniuvalu, Oregon Ducks offensive line coach A’lique Terry has two other commits on the offensive line in the 2025 recruiting class. Four-star Ziyare Addison is Terry’s highest rated recruit according to the 247Sports Composite. Three-star Demetri Manning from Bellevue, Washington, committed to Terry and the Ducks over schools such as Ole Miss, Miami, and Washington.

If the Ducks can flip Utu from Tennessee, they will most likely be done recruiting high school prospects along the offensive line. However, depending on NFL draft decisions after the season, Lanning and company might look to add to the trenches via the transfer portal.

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Charlie Viehl
CHARLIE VIEHL

Charlie Viehl is a 23-year old Boston College graduate and is an Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans beat reporter for On SI. A native of Pasadena, California, he covered sports across Los Angeles while at Loyola High School and edited the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program’s magazine at BC. While pursuing a career in sports journalism, he is also a lifelong musician. He is excited to bring his passion for storytelling and sports to fans of college athletics.

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