Oregon Football 2024 Recruiting Hot Board: Cornerback

The Ducks signed an impressive group of cornerbacks in 2023 and hope to do it again with some of these recruits.

Max Torres | Mar 24, 2023

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The 2023 recruiting cycle was a massive success for Demetrice Martin.

In his first full season as the Oregon Ducks cornerbacks coach he helped Dan Lanning sign a top-10 class featuring a number of elite cornerbacks, some of which should compete for early snaps next season.

After being named the Pac-12 Recruiter of the Year by 247Sports, he no doubt wants to meet or exceed the standard he's set in Eugene with the 2024 class.

We're taking a look at the top names to know at cornerback for Oregon on the recruiting trail.

Last updated: March 24, 2023

Dakoda Fields (Gardena, CA)

Fields is arguably the top cornerback in California this cycle, with St. John Bosco's Marcelles Williams another talented player in his own right.

He stands at 6'2", 175 pounds and his junior season was cut short by injury. Even so, coaches across the country know that he's one of the best in the country and he's the next great cornerback out of Southern California.

He played alongside 2023 Oregon signee Rodrick Pleasant at Serra and while he may not be as fast as the California record holder, he has strong top end speed and should only get faster during the track season as he works back to full strength. He ran a 10.92 in the 100 meters in March.

Fields saw his recruitment explode in the new year, with offers from Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State among the most impressive that came flooding in. USC is sure to stay in the picture and his first trip to Columbus made the Buckeyes a definite contender.

I like Oregon's chances early but this one is going to be a battle and doesn't appear close to over.

Zabien Brown (Santa Ana, CA)

Playing for national powerhouse Mater Dei, Brown has solidified himself as one of the top players in the country regardless of position.

He placed Oregon in his top four along with USC, Ohio State and Alabama in March as a national recruitment takes a big step closer to its conclusion.

Brown will take two trips to Ohio State this spring, which make me think the Buckeyes could be the main threat with USC whiffing on top defensive talent in Southern California early in Lincoln Riley's tenure.

Miles Lockhart (Chandler, AZ)

Lockhart is another really gifted athlete in 2024. As was the case with Fields, the Ducks have some obvious familiarity with Lockhart after recruiting 2023 early enrollee cornerback Cole Martin out of Basha High School.

He has a longstanding relationship with Cole as well as his father Demetrice Martin, which could help give the Ducks the inside track. Lockhart is a super twitchy and explosive athlete that also provides value in the return game.

The main schools sticking out in late March are Oregon, Utah, Ohio State and Wisconsin. The 5-foot-10 defensive back wasn't shy about naming the Buckeyes his leader but the Ducks still have time to make up ground and shouldn't be counted out.

Ify Obidegwu (Baltimore, MD)

Obidegwu is another big name nationally, playing his high school football for powerhouse St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. His offer list includes more than 30 schools but he's working from a top 7 that includes Oregon.

He took a visit out to Eugene this spring which should help the Ducks increase their chances. The DMV area is a newer talent hotbed the Ducks are tapping into after signing safety Daymon David and wide receiver Dont'e Thornton in the 2021 class and adding cornerback Khyree Jackson (Upper Marlboro, MD) from the transfer portal ahead of the 2023 season.

Oregon is recruiting a number of other players from St. Frances, but consider quarterback Michael Van Buren at the top of the list along with Obidegwu.

Bryce West (Cleveland, OH)

West is one of the biggest names out of the Midwest region. He has plenty of schools coming after his commitment, but Oregon could be standing out as one of the main contenders after a visit to Eugene in March.

USC and Michigan have also received visits in 2023, but Ohio State will likely prove to be the biggest competition for the Ducks here.

It's not often the Buckeyes let one of the top in-state players leave to play their college ball elsewhere.

Santana Wilson (Scottsdale, AZ)

Wilson is more under the radar than the other names on this hot board, but he's still a gifted player.

He visited Oregon in January and we know the Ducks have continued if not exceeded their recruiting efforts in Arizona since Dan Lanning was hired. Colorado looks like another school squarely in the mix so far in a recruitment that mainly consists of Pac-12 and West Coast schools.

Recruiting industries like 247Sports (No. 35 CB) and On3 (No. 10 CB) seem to be a bit split on where they see him rank against other cornerbacks, so maybe he'll emerge as a diamond in the rough type of talent.

Either way I like that the Ducks are standing out as one of the more storied programs in his recruitment.

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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.