Ducks Digest

Oregon EDGE Commit Blake Purchase Named MaxPreps Colorado Player of the Year

The 2023 edge rusher also took home his fourth straight state title with a win over Valor Christian.

Max Torres

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Oregon's 2023 class is filled with intriguing talent, and a lot of that resides in the trenches.

One of the top players in the fold for Dan Lanning and co. is Englewood (Col.) Cherry Creek High School edge rusher Blake Purchase, who committed to the Ducks over Iowa State and others back in September. 

On Tuesday he was named MaxPreps' Colorado Player of the year after leading the Cherry Creek Bruins to their fourth straight 5A Colorado State title with a 24-17 win over Valor Christian. 

Purchase racked up 57 total tackles, 18 sacks and 12 tackles for loss as a senior en route to a 12-2 overall record. 

REPORTS: Oregon expected to hire UTSA's Will Stein as offensive coordinator

The Oregon defense struggled to get after the quarterback all year and the four-star recruit is a prime candidate to help in that area once he gets to Eugene. Purchase is ranked the No. 286 player nationally, the No. 32 edge rusher and the top player in the state of Colorado by the 247Sports Composite.

Oregon's top two pass rushers in DJ Johnson and Brandon Dorlus are expected to declare for the NFL Draft, but neither have made a decision just yet. Purchase is one of three edge rushers committed to the Ducks in the 2023 recruiting class, along with Teitum Tuioti (Eugene, OR) and Jaeden Moore (Visalia, CA). 

Defensive lineman Johnny Bowens, a recent commitment for Ducks out of Texas, also has the versatility to play multiple positions along the defensive front and could aid in Oregon's pash rush.

Torres' Take

Purchase is a special talent. He has the ability to line up standing up or with a hand in the dirt coming off the edge.

His athleticism, motor and quickness are all the traits that grab my attention when watching his tape. Violent and active hands only add to his value.

I've talked to a couple people around the Oregon program and this is a recruit they feel has the chance to make an impact as a true freshman. Based on the lack of depth at his position and expected departures he should have the chance to do just that once he gets to college.

You can never have too many edge rushers and Colorado's top prospect is a key piece of the defensive haul for Dan Lanning and Tosh Lupoi this cycle. 

READ MORE: Oregon Ducks transfer portal tracker

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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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