The Next Recruits to Commit to Oregon Football

The Ducks have had a strong star to the month of July are could be about to heat up in a big way.

Max Torres | Jul 6, 2022

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Oregon has landed two commitments to start the month of July with Caleb Presley blowing out the candle on his aunt's birthday to signify his commitment to the Ducks on Tuesday night.

Now, Presley's commitment raises a question that always comes to mind for Duck fans after a "quack". Who's next?

I make the case for which prospects I think are most likely to commit to Oregon next i in the 2023 class and why.

OL Micah Bañuelos (Burien, WA)

Bañuelos told me is planning to announce his commitment on July 8, but has yet to publicly set a date for his decision, so we'll see if that ends up being his date or if he ends up pushing things back.

The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Washington native has flown under the radar during his recruitment, with most of his offers coming from the Pac-12. Bañuelos is working form a final three of Oregon, USC and Texas A&M and has raved about his relationships with the Ducks' staff in Adrian Klemm and Viane Talamaivo.

He's ready to be finished with the recruiting process and Oregon's recent success producing offensive line talent will likely aid in this decision. Add that in with the fact that he's an FSP (Ford Sports Performance) alum and the Ducks have been cleaning up in Washington and I think he'll be playing in the green and yellow.

Confidence: medium

LB Blake Nichelson (Manteca, CA)

Nichelson is one of the more athletic linebackers in the 2023 class. Standing at 6'2" and 215 pounds, he moves really well and always seems to be around the action on the football field.

He recently announced a top three of Oregon, UCLA and Florida State and has yet to set a commitment date. However, given that he cut down his list of finalists fresh off an official visit to Eugene, I think it's fair to say that the Ducks are in the driver's seat.

Confidence: high

OL Miles McVay (East Saint Louis, Ill.)

McVay is one of the biggest offensive linemen you will find anywhere in the country at 6'7", 350 pounds. The Under Armour All-American has been incredibly busy on the recruiting trail this summer, taking official visits to Texas A&M, Michigan State and Oregon.

Adrian Klemm has done a great job making him feel like a priority in this recruitment and McVay could well be the biggest target along the offensive line after the Ducks gave chase for Kadyn Proctor before he ultimately ended up at Iowa.

I spoke with McVay after his most recent official visit to Oregon on that big June 24 weekend and he told me he felt like he was in the "end game" of his recruitment. So I think McVay will continue the trend of elite offensive linemen to Eugene.

He has a commitment date set for August 11.

Confidence: medium

QB Dante Moore (Detroit, MI)

And then there's Dante Moore. Undoubtedly the most important target for Oregon in 2023, he's the top uncommitted quarterback in the country.

Everyone's known just how talented of a player he's been from the moment he took his first snap as a freshman, but after being closely linked to Notre Dame and Michigan throughout his recruitment, it looks like the Ducks have emerged as the frontrunners to land his commitment.

This new staff has really turned up the heat in their pursuit in the last month after Jaden Rashada and Avery Johnson headed to Miami and Kansas State respectively, and the coaches are all-in on Moore. He's been to Eugene three times since Lanning took the helm and has spoken very highly of his relationship with Kenny Dillingham.

Oregon's 2023 class has been searching for a top-tier quarterback, and it looks like they may have found their man. Moore will announce his college commitment on Sportscenter Friday July 8 at 9 a.m. PT.

I wouldn't say this is a "done deal", but the writing looks like it's on the wall. Even if the Ducks do end up landing him, which I think they will, don't expect the aforementioned LSU, Texas A&M and Michigan, all schools without quarterbacks, to ease up in their pursuit.

Confidence: medium

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Published Jul 6, 2022

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.