Torres' Take: The Latest in Oregon Football Recruiting
The Ducks just landed a commitment from Gary Bryant Jr. as the Will Stein offense adds another weapon for the 2023 season.
With Bryant now in the fold we're taking a look at what's next for Oregon Football recruiting in this edition of Torres' Take.
Jac'Qawn McRoy
There's been plenty of buzz linking the Pinson (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville offensive tackle to the Ducks since he took an unofficial to Oregon earlier this spring.
He's seen his stock rise on the recruiting trail of late, primarily because of how well he moves his 6-foot-8, 365-pound frame. It's never easy to pull a player from Alabama to Eugene, but we've seen the Ducks do it before (Tanner Bailey, TJ Dudley in 2022, Trikweze Bridges in 2019).
After talking to a couple folks I can confirm that the buzz is real and Oregon has a serious shot here, going up against the likes of Florida, LSU, Ole Miss and Auburn. I'm not sure how close he is to a commitment, but keep an eye on one of the bigger names in Alabama.
Xadavien Sims
The big-time 2024 defensive lineman out of Oklahoma placed Oregon in his top five earlier this week along with Vanderbilt, TCU, Oklahoma and Michigan State.
Michigan State has had some juice in this recruitment for a while but you can't deny that Oregon is coming on strong. Sims visited Eugene twice in the month of April and Tony Tuioti was in town to visit him this week.
I'm fairly confident saying the Ducks lead given his visits and the timeline of events, however Michigan State has had a lot of buzz in this recruitment and surely won't go away easily. I was told just recently he was going to take his official visits before announcing his commitment, but now he looks like he's racing toward the finish line with a commitment date set for May 20.
Michael Van Buren
The Ducks continue to be the team to beat for MVB, but there's no sense on if and when he'll move up his commitment.
Luke Moga and other Oregon commits continue to be vocal in their recruiting efforts for the Baltimore quarterback, but the more I learn about this recruitment it seems to be a question of timing, rather than if the Ducks are in the driver's seat.
Momentum plays a huge role in recruiting, and I'll be this staff would love to use his commitment to start another run on the trail and send a statement to the rest of college football.
Prediction: Oregon to land All-American quarterback
Jordan Ross
Ross is another player the Ducks made up a lot of ground on since he visited for the spring game. His most recent trip to Eugene really solidified Oregon as a contender and as a result, other schools in his top eight have ramped up their efforts.
I don't see this recruitment winding down any time soon, but other schools saw the Ducks make a move and now they're acting accordingly. The next move for Oregon is to maintain solid communication and try to get him on campus for an official with his mom, who wasn't able to visit for the spring game.
Nishad Strother
What I'm hearing is that Oregon has hosted the East Carolina transfer offensive lineman on a visit, but it's one that kind of flew under the radar.
I don't think the Ducks really need another piece along the O-line, but Strother would give them another experienced option who's played a lot of ball. He seems to be the only offensive lineman they're looking at in the portal and with scholarship numbers so tight I'm not sure if he makes a lot of sense to take.
Peyton Woodyard
The five-star Georgia commit has set some official visits lately to Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia. I was able to catch up with him at the St. John Bosco Showcase and it looks like the he's taking the trips to enjoy the process more than give the schools a serious look, as he maintains he's 100% committed to Georgia.
However, we know no recruitment is over until pen meets paper and a player enrolls. I left with the impression that Oregon could likely get an official visit before all is said and due to the staff's deep ties to Southern California.
By no means is he on flip watch and it'll be tough for any school to pull him away, but the Ducks are still trying and I expect them to stay involved until the very end.
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