Oregon Ducks Predicted To Flip Washington Commit Tight End Vander Ploog

The Oregon Ducks are attempting to flip the class of 2025 tight end Vander Ploog. Ploog is currently committed to Washington but has been in Eugene for the past two games at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks' 2025 recruiting class currently ranks No. 7 nationally but they do not have a commitment from a tight end, yet.

Oregon Ducks Predicted to flip tight end Vander Ploog from washington huskies / Vander Ploog Twitter/x

The Oregon Ducks are heavily pursuing current Washington Huskies commit, tight end Vander Ploog. Ploog committed to Washington in June of 2024, but On3 experts Chad Simmons and Steve Wiltfong predict Ploog will flip his commitment to Oregon. 

The Ducks' 2025 recruiting class currently ranks No. 7 but they do not have a commitment from a tight end, yet.

Vander Ploog Player Profile

Vander Ploog is a 6-foot 6-inch, 223 pound tight end out of Fullerton, California. Ploog is a four-star prospect and is ranked as the No.8 best tight end in the class of 2025 per On3. 

Oct 26, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning visits with players before a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

247sport’s National Recruiting Analyst Greg Biggins projects Ploog as being a starter for a Power Four conference school. Ploog didn’t start playing football until very recently but has shown promise. 

“Only played football for two years but shows natural talent,” Biggins said. “Still raw in some areas and needs to add upper body mass and strength to help become more physical in the run game but have the frame to do so.”

Ploog is a multi-sport athlete who started playing basketball well before putting on shoulder pads and a helmet.

“Three-sport athlete whose first love was actually basketball,” Biggins said. “Legit hooper who can play above the rim and also plays baseball. Only played football for two years, but shows natural talent.”

He has a lot of upside and will only improve as he plays more.

Oregon Looking to Snag Vander Ploog from Washington

Oregon coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field veer their game against Illinois at Autzen Stadium in Eugene Saturday, Oct 26, 2024. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Vander Ploog committed to Washington over the summer leading up to his senior year at Troy High School. Even after his commitment, Ploog visited Oregon for their game vs. Ohio State. It was an unofficial visit, but Ploog got a look at how special a place Oregon can be to play. The Ducks knocked off the Buckeyes in a 32-31 thriller. A record crowd was on hand at Autzen Stadium and the fans rushed to the field after the last play. Ploog also had an official visit on Saturday in Oregon’s 38-9 win over Illinois. 

Ploog talked to On3 about his experience coming to Eugene.

“The experience has been great,” Ploog said. “The whole fam got to come with so it has been awesome for them to get to witness the environment and see what Oregon is all about.”

In addition to the great environment, Ploog discussed how he believes he can thrive in the Ducks system as a tight end. 

“The way they use tight ends continues to intrigue me,” Ploog said. “The way they envision me making a difference in their offense is something that is interesting to me.”

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