More Twists and Turns for Oregon Quarterback Recruiting
Oregon is looking to make a major impact on the recruiting trail in the coming weeks and that starts this weekend.
On Saturday, the Ducks will host a star-studded group of recruits on campus for their spring game, but two names have drawn the most attention in recent days.
Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy quarterback Michael Van Buren and Phoenix (Ariz.) Sunnyslope quarterback Luke Moga have both taken unofficial visits to Eugene in recent weeks. As of Monday morning, they'll both be back on campus for the spring game.
So what does this mean for Oregon?
For starters, it looks like the Ducks are at the very least seriously considering taking two quarterbacks in the 2024 class. That much we know for sure.
And it makes sense. Bo Nix will be gone after this season and there's no proven depth in that room behind him. I want to see Ty Thompson succeed. But he's seen plenty of game snaps since arriving in 2021 and the results are the same each time.
Adding senior quarterback Matt Rush from Washington University, who threw for about 5,000 yards across two productive seasons, could indicate where the staff is at with Thompson. I'm not saying it does definitively, but it's a point worth mentioning.
If in fact Thompson isn't ready to be the guy, that would leave the Ducks with Austin Novosad, an early enrollee true freshman they signed in the 2023 recruiting class.
Signing two quarterbacks, possibly Van Buren and Moga, would help them build out depth in the room and maintain some healthy competition. However, it could also put them in a position where they could be relying on one of their two 2024 signees to be the starter as a true freshman.
Which brings up another scenario worth considering. Oregon could sign two prep quarterbacks AND bring in a quarterback from the transfer portal.
This would make the room very crowded, but it would also bring in a more proven player that ideally already has production and some college experience at his previous stop.
With both Van Buren and Moga on campus this weekend, the two will have a chance to meet face-to-face if they haven't already, and the Ducks can pick their brains about being part of two-quarterback class.
Just because it's a possibility doesn't guarantee that either quarterback is open to the idea.
There's a ton of moving pieces here. So let's take a closer look at each quarterback.
Luke Moga
We know that Moga has serious interest in the Ducks. Why else would he visit on back-to-back weekends?
In my last piece about Moga I wrote that I didn't think Oregon was the team to beat any longer. Now I want to walk that back, since a lot has happened since then with him delaying his commitment and scheduling a return trip.
Oregon could very well still lead, but BYU and Miami are two other schools that are heavily involved. The staff has really prioritized Arizona, and if they sign a quarterback from the state in 2024 I think most would agree that it's more likely to be Moga than Dylan Raiola.
Moga is a fantastic athlete that has blazing speed for a quarterback. What I'm curious to learn is which quarterback Will Stein prefers given not only their difference in skill set, but also physical stature. Moga is listed at 6'2", 200 pounds, while Van Buren is listed at 5'11.5", 185 pounds.
Michael Van Buren
Van Buren's top three of Oregon, Penn State and Maryland didn't surprise me in the least. However, with the Nittany Lions being viewed as the long-time favorite, the Ducks appear to be surging ahead, as is reflected in multiple Oregon predictions on both 247Sports and On3.
Oregon has been playing the long-game with the Baltimore passer and was recruiting him long before Moga popped up on their radar. That carries weight in recruiting.
To me he seems like the more gifted passer of the two and we know a commitment from the Under Armour All-American would help the Ducks recruit other top 2024 targets.
I love where Oregon stands with both quarterbacks and it's important to note that college football is shifting more to a year-to-year sport with the transfer portal, meaning it's getting more difficult to project teams, especially at quarterback.
Lastly, I think a commitment from Van Buren would send a statement for Will Stein as a strong recruiter and that the Ducks as serious contenders in the DMV area. After missing out on Nycoles Harbor in 2023, they're heavily invested in Van Buren as well as five-star edge rusher Dylan Stewart, who will also be in Eugene for the spring game.
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