Q&A: Romeo Pellum Sheds Light on Recruitment of Oregon WR Signee Ryan Pellum

"Oregon got another Pellum. Better look out."

Oregon added to its historic recruiting class on Wednesday by flipping Long Beach (Calif.) Millikan wide receiver Ryan Pellum from USC. 

I hit the road and was on scene in Long Beach for the commitment. After Pellum inked his commitment to the Ducks, I had the chance to speak with his old brother Romeo Pellum, who was also his head coach, about going through the recruiting process with Ryan and getting to this special day.

Question: What was it like getting to through this process with Ryan?

RP: "Very interesting. It got crazy here the last couple days obviously when it really got real close to signing day. But it was good. I kind of handled all his recruitment and I kind of kept him away from a lot of people talking to him early on just because---I mean I was getting calls at midnight and stuff like that when it opens up, September 1 I think it was. When you're a kid like that with his talent and he has 44 offers, whatever the case may be, you have all these people calling you. Not just coaches but you have recruiting guys from every school. So it becomes a lot. 

"I have a son coming up and I kind of learned what it's like to deal with a top recruit. Because I've had guys in college before, but this is probably the highest rated guy that I've ever had. I think we could've done a couple of things different or better and went and seen more places and made some decisions earlier, but I mean it is what it is. He's going to Oregon, he's gonna be away from his kid, but that's a legacy place for us, for our last name, so he'll be in good shape." 

Q: I asked him [Ryan] what went into his decision. He talked about development being a thing that was important to him at Oregon. Is there anything you can add there as far as what went into the decision to go to Oregon?

RP: "No I don't know. I do know that he wanted to get away from home. He wanted to get away. That's what I just got from him here like, I know that he doesn't want to be too close. It's best for him to go away and find himself. He's been here his whole life and he wanted to get away."

Q: It sounds like Ryan was able to visit Oregon recently. I wanted to clarify if that trip happened?

RP: "Yeah he went before the dead period. It was real quiet. No one knew."

Q: I know you're family, but what's your take on him, the kind of player Oregon is getting?

RP: "He's explosive. [In] High school he was lightning in a bottle, if he carries that on to college, Oregon's getting them a really really special football player. I know he's gonna work his tail off for Dan Lanning and Junior Adams and Will [Stein] and he's gonna do anything they ask him to do and he's gonna represent himself, but our last name and our football program the right way."

Q: What's next for Ryan, whether it's the All-American Bowl or enrolling?

RP: "So as of right now he's supposed to play in the All-American Bowl, but he's going to enroll early, so he may go practice for a bowl game, they do that. And then he has the Polynesian game in mid-January. But he will be in school January 8."

Q: I know the coaches came by Millikan last week. Do you mind if I ask which coaches?

RP: "Junior [Adams]."

Q: Anything else to add on this whirlwind of an experience?

RP: "Oregon got another Pellum, better look out."

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