Ducks Digest

2023 DL Jayden Wayne Recaps Oregon Visit, What's Next in Recruitment

The Ducks hosted one of the top players in the country over the weekend and the trip didn't disappoint.

Max Torres

While Oregon was dominating Washington State, a group of high school recruits was sitting in the stands of Autzen Stadium, listening to the screaming fans while taking it all in.

One big name that was in the crowd was 2023 Lincoln (Tacoma, Wash.) High School standout defensive lineman Jayden Wayne, who was in town for an unofficial visit. 

Ducks Digest caught up with him to discuss the trip and the latest in his recruitment. 

"I spent the whole time with Coach Don Johnson Jr.," Wayne said. "He's like family. He keeps it 100 all the time."

Wayne had been wanting to get out to Eugene to see the Ducks in action all season, but said his high school schedule made it difficult to arrange the trip. When he finally got out for a game, it was an experience to remember, thanks in large part to the fans that gave him a warm welcome to Autzen. 

"It was lit. The crowd was amazing," he said of the atmosphere at Saturday's game. "They were screaming my name to come to Oregon."

The Ducks took care of business on the field, overpowering Washington State on both sides of the ball to earn a 38-24 win in the thick of November, when no win is easy to come by. Some fans view Wayne as a prospect that could be next in line to become a dominant pass rusher for the Ducks, and he liked what he saw from Tim DeRuyter's defense.

"The defense is fast and aggressive. They were really locked in from start to finish."

Oregon's defense held the Cougars to just 91 yards on the ground, took down Jayden de Laura three times in the backfield, and forced three turnovers to take full control of the game.

What was his favorite part of the trip?

"Watching how the players get locked in for the game. Coach Cristobal taking his time to meet with me after the game," Wayne said of his time spent in Eugene.

For the Adidas All-American, what stands out most about the Oregon football program are the family vibes and the atmosphere in Eugene.

With more than 30 offers to his name, Wayne has been all over the country in the past six months, taking trips to Miami, Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame and USC. He's also been to Eugene multiple times.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder is hearing from a lot of schools, and highlighted the ones he's hearing from the most.

"A lot right now," he said. "Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, UW, Oklahoma, Florida, Miami, USC and LSU."

Wayne told me that next up he's heading to Athens to visit Georgia this weekend and that he plans to return to Eugene for another visit after the college football season.

More from Ducks Digest

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Max Torres
MAX TORRES

Max Torres is the publisher and lead editor of Ducks Digest. He's covered the Oregon football and recruiting beats for four years. He's based out of Long Beach, CA and travels around Southern California and the country covering top high school football prospects.

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