Oregon's Attention Turns to Two Big-Time 2024 Recruits This Week

The Ducks landed two talented players from the transfer portal on Monday and continue to heat up on the recruiting trail.

Oregon's 2023 roster added two important pieces on Monday, landing commitments from former East Carolina offensive lineman Nishad Strother and former Colorado cornerback Nikko Reed. 

With the talented pair of transfers in the fold, the Oregon staff now turns their attention to a couple other recruits that are ready to make their commitments.

QB Michael Van Buren (Baltimore, MD)

Van Buren is set to announce his college commitment on Saturday May 20 and will choose from a final three of Oregon, Penn State and Maryland. 

The Ducks look to be in the driver's seat after closing the gap and overtaking Penn State, hosting the Under Armour All-American quarterback on a pair of unofficial visits in Eugene this spring.

Van Buren is teammates with recent 2024 Oregon cornerback commit Ify Obidegwu, which is just another reason the Ducks have put themselves in a strong position. The talented passer was being recruited to Oregon before Dan Lanning and his staff arrived, and long-standing relationships and interest have helped strengthen their case.

Quarterback Luke Moga, who's already committed to Oregon in the 2024 class, has also been a vocal recruiter for Van Buren over social media, and the two would give Will Stein a versatile and impressive haul this cycle.

I've had my prediction on Oregon and don't see any reason to change that pick now. 

DL Xadavien Sims (Durant, OK)

The big-time defensive lineman is ready to come off the board and is set to announce his decision on Saturday as well. He's working from a top five of Oregon, TCU, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and Michigan State.

Oregon entered the picture with an offer in January and has become a serious contender for the Oklahoma's top-ranked player. Sims took two trips out to Eugene this spring in close proximity and trimmed his list to five shortly after his last trip to see Dan Lanning and the Ducks.

Tony Tuioti hit the road during the spring evaluation period to check in on Sims personally out in his home state, a clear sign that he's a priority along the defensive line in the 2024 class.

Sims has taken numerous trips to Michigan State, the current crystal ball leader on 247Sports, however the Sooners shouldn't be discounted. Brent Venables signed the No. 1, No. 2, No. 10 and No. 15 recruits in the state last cycle, which shows he and his staff are determined to keep the state's top talent at home.

The Ducks signed an impressive haul along the defensive line in 2023 and will surely be able to sell playing time in 2024 as they're set to lose Brandon Dorlus, Popo Aumavae and Casey Rogers among others.

Tony Tuioti has been flying under the radar a bit as a recruiter and Sims fits the billing for what he wants in his defensive linemen. I think Oregon is in the top two, but this one's going to be a battle until the very end.

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