Ducks Digest

Commitment Preview: 2023 Rainier Beach Cornerback Caleb Presley

The number one recruit in Washington is ready to make his decision.

Graham Metzker

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Although colleges are currently in the middle of a recruiting dead period for the month of July, recruiting never stops.

Six of the nation's top schools will be full of anticipation on Tuesday, as cornerback Caleb Presley makes his college decision. He's the No. 1 recruit in the state of Washington for 2023 and will announce his commitment at 5 pm PST on CBS Sports HQ.

2023 Cornerback Caleb Presley

Caleb Presley Oregon Autzen
Caleb Presley on Instagram (@ca13b_verified)

Caleb Presley has had a national recruitment featuring schools from coast to coast.

RELATED: Caleb Presley Announces New Top Schools, Sets Commitment Date

Presley, a 6-foot, 180-pound cornerback from Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, Washington, recently became the state's No. 1 recruit following five-star edge rusher Jayden Wayne's transfer to IMG Academy in Florida.

Presley will make his college commitment from six finalists including Alabama, Michigan State, Oregon, Texas A&M, UCLA and Washington.

It's been quite the battle for the nation's No. 9-ranked cornerback, with schools from all across the country vying for Presley's talents. However, heading into the decision Oregon has put themselves in a great spot.

The Ducks have been working hard to lock down Presley since Lanning and his staff took over, quickly re-offering him in early January after the coaching transition.

He's been to Eugene multiple times since then, with one of those trips being for Oregon's spring game, traditionally one of the biggest recruiting weekends of the year. 

RELATED: Caleb Presley Breaks Down Oregon Football Visit

Presley's interest in Oregon extends beyond the field.

"I remember on the first day, I actually didn't even talk to the team about football,” Presley told Ducks Digest after a visit. "They just wanted to connect with us and have individual meetings with each player just to get a feel for who they are as people, so I thought that was pretty cool.”

If Oregon secures Presley's commitment, it would be the second straight year Oregon stole Washington's number one recruit from hated rival UW's backyard. In 2022, Oregon swiped Washington's top recruit in offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., and Washington's No. 3 recruit in interior offensive lineman Dave Iuli.

The Huskies, who are also in Presley's top six, have been doing everything in their power to make sure Presley stays closer to home and boast the No. 20 recruiting class in 2023. Presley has been out to the Seattle campus multiple times. After all, it's just 20 minutes away from Rainier Beach High School.

Another school that's has been making a strong push of late is Michigan State. The Spartans are the farthest away from Presley's home, put they've put in the work to make up the miles, hosting him for an official visit in East Lansing on June 10. 

The distance and the quality of the football team, although important, haven't been the top priority for Presley in choosing his college.

“Taking my mom and my dad to meet the coaches has been a priority for me at these events, so we can really sit in a room and just get to know each other,” said Presley. “Actually having coaches deal with my family a lot more, because nobody wants to send their child out to strangers.”

Will it be good news for Dan Lanning and the Ducks on Tuesday?

*WATCH CALEB PRESLEY HIGHLIGHTS HERE*

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Graham Metzker
GRAHAM METZKER

Graham Metzker is a junior at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication. Hailing from Long Beach, California, Graham is also a reporter for DuckTV covering news and sports.

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