Mississippi RB Dante Dowdell Making Cross-Country Visit to Oregon This Weekend

Checking in with one of the top prospects in Mississippi ahead of a trip to Eugene.

Oregon won't have a problem attracting top running backs. In the months since the coaching change, the Ducks have already added two in 2022 signee Jordan James and Western Kentucky transfer Noah Whittington, who is already on campus. 

Now, it's on to 2023, and the Ducks are giving Dante Dowdell a hard look. The 3-star (0.8700 per 247 Sports) Picayune (Miss.) product will make the trip across the country to visit Oregon this weekend.

Dowdell has exploded on the recruiting trail recently, landing offers from programs like South Carolina, Arkansas, and Ole Miss to name a few. He's also taken recent visits to Florida State, Georgia Tech and Ole Miss.

"I'm enjoying it, just looking at all my options right now," he told Ducks Digest. "Building a relationship with coaches, figuring out what would be the best spot for me, because you're gonna play football there for the next three to four years so you gotta be around the right people. Just figuring out how everybody works."

Dante Dowdell Picayune High School

Dante Dowdell on Instagram (@dante_dowdell)

As he's made his way to visit numerous schools, Dowdell has taken away a key lesson from the recruiting process.

"Don't just look at a brand," he said. "Just a running back might be the biggest change of a school. That school might need just a running back to take it to the next level. That championship-caliber level. So you never know."

He's making the trip out west in part due to the relationship he's built with new Oregon Running Backs Coach Carlos Locklyn.

"He a good dude. He's got some experience. He's an honest person. I like his story," Dowdell said. "I definitely think he'll put me in the best situation possible to do what I want to do."

The Mississippi prep doesn't know where he'll end up just yet, but he's already setting his sights on some lofty goals at the next level. 

"I want to win the Heisman trophy. To win a Heisman trophy everything gotta go right. Gotta be a good player, gotta have a good coach, everything gotta be right."

He'll be joined by his mother and stepfather on the Oregon trip, and he'll have his eye on a few specific aspects of the program.

"I know they got the number one facility in the nation, I'm prepared to see that. It'll probably be a little bit breathtaking when you first see it. I'm just looking at how they run their offense. Getting to see how the coaches is in person and stuff. How would I fit in the offense."

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound back runs the 200 meters and does the long jump in track, adding versatility to his already impressive film. When looking at his recruitment big picture, it doesn't look like a decision is coming in the near future, but the Ducks are clearly in a good spot.

"I don't quite know yet," Dowdell said of a decision timeline. "But Oregon is top five."

He gave some more thoughts on what the program has to offer.

"I like a lot of the things they have to offer," he said. "From the football program, top 25 school. I like Coach Lock the running back coach, I like the coaching staff. They got NIL deals now, Oregon got Nike deals. I think they'll stay in my top five."

Looking ahead, the talented back will be in Eugene this weekend, and he's also eying trips to Arkansas and Florida. He added that he might get out to Tennessee and Louisville as well. 

The schools recruiting him the hardest are Oregon, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Tennessee and Florida State.

*WATCH DANTE DOWDELL HIGHLIGHTS HERE*

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