Ducks Digest

Oregon Ducks Targeting 2024 USC Linebacker Commit Dylan Williams

The Ducks continue to prioritize the fertile recruiting grounds of Southern California.

Max Torres

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Oregon recruiting is on a hot streak following the recent commitments of Kenyon Sadiq and Jaeden Moore in 2023. A majority of their class is comprised of defensive commits, and they already they have their sights set on top talent in the 2024 class.

One recruit that has emerged on their radar recently is Long Beach (Calif.) Polytechnic linebacker Dylan Williams. Williams is committed to the USC Trojans and took some time to update Ducks Digest on his recruitment. 

Oregon's hire of Dan Lanning as their new head coach drew a lot of attention after he captured a national championship at Georgia. You can count Williams as one of numerous national recruits that are intrigued by what's being built in Eugene.

"The type of defense they run. Coach Lanning coming from Georgia, national champs with that lockdown defense," Williams said of what stands out about Oregon. "They were showing me a lot of stuff that they're about to be running this year. Their defense, it's amazing. So for sure I could see myself fitting in that defense too."

READ MORE: Five Oregon players make Polynesian Player of the Year watchlist

The new staff under Lanning consists of a unique blend of experience and youth, but just about every coach in that locker room has proven they can recruit. One coach is leading Oregon's charge for Williams.

"Coach Tosh Lupoi, their backer coach and defensive coordinator. He's real cool," the 6-foot-2, 200-pound backer said. "I always just sit down, chop it up, he always calls me every now and then."

The Long Beach Poly Jackrabbit was able to make it out to Oregon for a visit this summer in addition to visiting Georgia, Georgia Tech and UCLA. He spoke about what he's seeing and hearing from a few of those programs.

Georgia

"Georgia is on me very hard. Their backer coach and DC, and I talk to Coach Kirby a little bit. They were just telling me that they know who I am and I'm a target for them. But they didn't offer me or anything."

UCLA

"I know I'm for sure his number one recruit. He tells me this every time. He calls me every week. Coach Ken Norton Jr. Me and him are very close. He calls me all the time. I'm always chopping it up with Coach Ken Norton. It's deeper than football. He just talks to me on just other stuff not even about football. Ken Norton, that's my guy."

Williams committed to USC in April after seeing the passion Riley has to rebuild the Trojans into a powerhouse. A big part of that will be restoring the pipeline to Long Beach Poly.

"As soon as Coach Lincoln got hired at USC, I think that very next day he came up to Poly and he told me the next day come down to USC, he wanted to talk to me," Williams recalled. "He told me I'm their top guy, I'm their No. 1 backer and he wants to start rebuilding USC by rebuilding the Poly Pipeline."

READ MORE: Have the Ducks turned the corner in fall camp?

With other schools giving chase for the talented So Cal linebacker, he remains solid with his USC pledge.

"I'm locked in. Even Coach Donte (Williams) and Coach Riley are always telling me have fun with my recruitment," he said. "Just go look at other schools but I'm locked in on SC. I just wanna look around and see, just explore. He always tells me take all my officials and everything, they know I'm locked in."

Locked in with the Trojans, Williams has a lot of confidence that Riley can turn around a struggling program.

"He's done a lot of great things at Oklahoma," he said. "I know what he's rebuilding. He's doing the same thing he did at Oklahoma ten times better at SC with bigger and better recruits. It's going to be crazy."

With visits set to resume next month, Williams has some schools in mind he might want to see.

"Maybe Texas, Miami. I just got the Miami offer recently. LSU too up with Daylen Austin."

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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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