Elite California Linebacker Madden Faraimo Places Oregon in Top Schools

The Ducks are once again a player for one of the best defensive prospects on the West Coast.

There are a handful of common recruiting trends we've seen at Oregon under head coach Dan Lanning. Recruiting big, athletic defensive linemen as well long and fast cornerbacks are two that come to mind.

Another is putting a strong emphasis on recruiting the best defensive players out West, which typically include linebackers and defensive backs (see Dylan Williams and Dakoda Fields in the 2024 class).

Now the Ducks are trying to continue that trend with San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) J Serra Catholic linebacker Madden Faraiamo, who placed Oregon in his top four schools on Friday.

NEWS: Four-Star LB Madden Faraimo is down to 4️⃣ Schools!

The 6’3 235 LB from San Diego, CA is ranked as a Top 65 Recruit in the ‘25 Class

Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/Nz3AQhFODx pic.twitter.com/iNPFcfGspW

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 23, 2024

Faraimo is also keeping a close eye on USC, Notre Dame and Ohio State---the other three schools that made his latest cut.

Listed at 6'3", 230 pounds, Faraimo is rated a four-star recruit (0.9789) by the 247Sports Composite. The same system ranks him the No. 38 player nationally, the No. 4 linebacker and the No. 3 recruit in California. 

The only two players listed ahead of him in the Golden State include Mater Dei EDGE Nasir Wyatt, and Mission Viejo cornerback Dijon Lee, who are both being recruited by the Ducks as well. 

Faraimo is originally from San Diego, California and played his first two seasons of high school football at Cathedral High School before transferring to J Serra Catholic for his junior year. 

Oregon has yet to land a true linebacker in their 2025 recruiting class, but they did land a recent commitment from one of California's best edge rushers in Matthew Johnson from De La Salle. The Ducks have strong ties throughout Southern California, specifically in San Diego and Orange county, signing players like DL Aydin Breland (Mater Dei), LB Kamar Mothudi (Los Alamitos) in the 2024 class and holding a verbal commitment from QB Akili Smith Jr. (Lincoln) in the 2025 class.

Torres' Take

I personally haven't heard a ton of buzz linking Faraimo and Oregon, but clearly that's not the case given this development. The Ducks are going to be in it for top defensive talent on the West Coast every year and they have about as much momentum as you could ask for both recruiting his position and his area. 

This coaching staff signed three super talented linebackers last cycle and they're doing all they can to continue raising the bar in Eugene. It's worth noting that Notre Dame signed Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, the top-ranked linebacker in California last cycle, so on the surface I view them as perhaps the biggest threat here.

USC is right in his backyard, but they haven't been a real threat on the recruiting trail for the Ducks. Lincoln Riley gutted his entire defensive staff and looks to be doing the right things in placing a heavier emphasis on recruiting the high school ranks than he has in the past.

As for the Buckeyes, names don't get much bigger than Ohio State when it comes to recruiting powers, and they've sent tons of guys to the League, so I'm sure they'll make some noise here as well.

All in all, this is a great development for Oregon ahead of the dead period coming to a close in March and getting Faraimo back on campus in Eugene becomes a major priority.

Oregon's 2025 recruiting class

• 4* WR Dallas Wilson (Tampa, FL)
• 4* WR Adrian Wilson (Pflugerville, TX)
• 4* QB Akili Smith Jr. (San Diego, CA)
• 3* EDGE Matthew Johnson (Concord, Calif.)
• 3* OL Chavez "Sandman" Thompson (Melbourne, FL)

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