Oregon Football Recruiting: Connection with Assistant Coach Key for Ducks with 5-Star WR Dakorien Moore?

The Oregon Ducks have a shot at landing the nation's No. 1 wide receiver Dakorien Moore, thanks in large part to his relationship with running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples.
New Oregon running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples talks with running back Jordan James during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore.
New Oregon running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples talks with running back Jordan James during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

The Oregon Ducks are in the midst of a star-studded recruiting weekend in Eugene, which included a bevy of talent across the board, including four-star QB Akili Smith Jr.

However, there is one player who commands a bit more attention from the Ducks and their staff - five-star Duncanville (TX) wide receiver Dakorien Moore, who currently ranks as the nations top wide receiver and No. 3 overall player.

As comes with the territory of his high ranking, Moore is being courted by top programs from all around the nation, with Oregon, alongside Texas, LSU, and Ohio State standing out above the rest of the crowd.

Fortunately for the Ducks, they could have an advantage over the rest of those programs, thanks in large part to his relationship with running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples, whose father is Moore's high school head coach.

“I knew him before he really got all the way into college football,” Moore said at the On3 Elite Series," Obviously his dad is my coach so I know everything that his dad is teaching me is what he taught his son. So I feel like he’s been coached well, he’s been taught well... He’s grown up to be a great man and mentor that I could trust. So him being there definitely gave them (Oregon) a slight advantage but he just got there, so I can’t just them on the season that they had and stuff like that. He plays a factor but not too big.”

All that said, the Ducks could have some ground to make up.

As it stands Moore is considered a big Texas lean, with Texas sitting with an 89.4 percent confidence score to land the five-star per the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Then there is also the fact that Moore has eyes on playing with two other five-star receivers in Kaliq Lockett and Jaime Ffrench, both of whom seem to be leaning toward to the Horns.

Then again, official visits can have a tendency to change things in a big way, and with Moore getting to spend some one on one time with Samples, as well as his potential future QB in Smith, the Ducks could make up some ground by the time he leaves Eugene.


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Matt Galatzan

MATT GALATZAN