Revisiting Oregon's Top Flip Candidates in the 2024 Recruiting Class

It's spatula season and the Ducks want in on the fun.

The Oregon Ducks currently have one of the best 2024 recruiting classes in the country and they're working to add even more talent to that group. 

With the early signing period quickly approaching on December 20, this feels like a great time to reevaluate the top five flip candidates for Oregon. 

You can read my first edition of this list, which I wrote back in August. Five-star Tucson (Ariz.) Salpointe Catholic edge rusher Elijah Rushing was on that list, and he flipped from Arizona to Oregon last month.

WR Gatlin Bair (Boise State commit)

The four-star Boise State wide receiver commit is the biggest addition to this list.

He took an official visit to Oregon before he committed to the Broncos in August and returned to campus for an unofficial visit the weekend the Ducks faced USC. A couple of Oregon coaches, specifically Junior Adams, flew out to Idaho earlier this fall to take in one of his games at Burley.

Bair is a playmaker with world class speed, and that alone would make him a tremendous addition to this class. The Ducks have been in the mix for some burners in past recruiting cycles like Xavier Worth (Texas) and Jaylen Waddle (Alabama), but they ended up missing out. 

The Idaho native has an interesting recruitment, as he's slated to take a two-year mission after he graduates from high school, which means he won't be playing college football until 2026. Even so, Oregon is clearly interested and has remained involved.

His initial top five was Boise State, Oregon, Nebraska, Michigan and TCU. With a coaching change at Boise State and a scandal looming over Michigan, Oregon is looking like a team with a lot of appeal and arguably momentum in this recruitment following his most recent visit.

RB Nate Frazier (Georgia commit)

Frazier is a player that Oregon has coveted for a long time. I've said from the jump that he's the No. 1 running back target in this class. His commitment to Georgia in August didn't come as a major surprise, but even so the Ducks haven't let up.

Frazier is a very special talent that can do it all out of the backfield. I've seen him multiple times this year and he's always a blast to watch. His ability to change direction, quickness, short area burst and top end speed make him special.

The Ducks have a great back committed this cycle in Da'Jaun Riggs, but they'd love to make their running back haul even sweeter with Frazier. Some fans were surprised he didn't make the trip to Eugene with his Mater Dei teammates for the USC game, but I don't think that means this one is over.

With a month to go until the early signing period, I bet Oregon is doing everything they can to get him back on campus for a visit before he signs his national letter of intent. He really liked the Ducks before he committed to Kirby Smart and I'd wager his relationship with Carlos Locklyn might be the strongest he has with any college coach. Flipping recruits from Georgia is no easy task, but this staff has done it before and I think the Ducks are still very much alive here.

WR Jeremiah McClellan (Ohio State Commit)

McClellan has been linked to Oregon for a long time and had the Ducks as one of his finalists before committing to Ohio State in mid August. We know the staff is trying to add more talent at wide receiver and with the St. Louis wide receiver making the trip out to Eugene in September, I think there's still a case to be made for Oregon.

Flipping wide receivers from Ohio State may seem impossible on the surface, but Troy Franklin's emergence as one of the best in the country should only aid Junior Adams' efforts here. The move to the Big Ten will also make it easier for his family to see games, and I've been told distance has been a bit of a hurdle at times with Oregon in this recruitment.

I think another visit likely needs to happen to make this happen. Until he shuts his recruitment down publicly, I wouldn't bet against the staff getting him back out to Eugene.

S Xavier Filsaime (Florida commit)

This one might be a bit of a stretch, but there was some smoke around a possible Oregon visit for one of the top prospects in Texas earlier this fall. After all, he visited USC, so if he's still open why not check out Oregon based on the season they're having?

Filsaime did a recent interview with Rivals and spoke to the recent wave of de-commitments hitting Gainesville.

"If anybody else decides to decommit, that's on them. We're going to see y'all later on in the future."

@RivalsCole checks in with #Rivals100 Florida commit safety Xavier Filsaime:https://t.co/NiAtUXRo8Q pic.twitter.com/uR7pAhMHMW

— Rivals (@Rivals) November 17, 2023

I'm not sure if I'd consider this shutting his recruitment down, but it at least makes his pledge look strong on the surface. If there's any coaching movement on the Gators staff I think Oregon would be in a great spot after being a top school. 

The staff has strong ties to Texas, which will obviously help, including Forney (Tex.) All-American safety Aaron Flowers, who's already committed to Oregon. It's tough to say if Oregon has any momentum here, but I'd absolutely tab Filsaime as a name to watch between now and the early signing period.

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I think Conroe (Tex.) Oak Ridge linebacker and Georgia commit Justin Williams could be worth a mention here, but I haven't heard or seen his name linked with the Ducks for a while. I'l have to do some digging on that one, but I'd assume the Oregon staff would like to remain involved there. 

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