Torres' Take: The Latest in Oregon Football Recruiting Ahead of Dead Period
It's been a busy stretch for the Oregon coaching staff of late. After putting the pedal to the medal for all of June, it's time to see if all that hard work is going to pay off.
Top targets like JacQawn McRoy and Elijah Rushing are heading into their decisions and the staff is ready to see the commitments start rolling in for the Ducks.
Without further ado, let's hop into it.
Elijah Rushing
At long last, this recruitment is finally poised to come to an end.
I spoke with Rushing on Tuesday after he returned from his Tennesse official visit and set a commitment date. Although he's narrowed his schools to Oregon, Arizona, Tennesse and Notre Dame, I get the feeling there are only two teams that truly have a shot here.
It's shaping up to be Oregon vs. Arizona in a recruiting battle we haven't really seen since the Wildcats flipped wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in the 2022 class. Granted, that was during a coaching transition and he had two teammates already headed to Tucson.
What Oregon is going to have to overcome here is Rushing's brother being at Arizona. I think everything else is going in the Ducks' favor--coaching, development, etc. The Ducks have put in so much work in this recruitment and I'm told they feel good about their chances.
I logged my prediction for Oregon last week and while I'm not in a position to change it right now, this one really does feel incredibly close. I still think the Ducks can get it done.
Full Update: Decision on Deck for Elijah Rushing
JacQawn McRoy
The Alabama offensive lineman was back in Eugene for his official visit over the weekend and will make his college commitment on July 1 from a top four of Oregon, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Arkansas.
I'm told A'lique Terry spent a lot of one-on-one time with McRoy and his family, as one would expect with his decision looming and playing across the country in the Southeast.
I put my pick in for Oregon last month and I still feel good about the pick, especially after seeing others hop in. If all goes according to plan Terry should be picking up his biggest recruiting win since rejoining the coaching staff under Dan Lanning.
Prediction: Oregon to land massive offensive lineman
Kamar Mothudi
One of Oregon's top linebacker targets in the 2024 class, the Valley Village (Calif.) Campbell Hall standout plans to announce his college commitment on July 10.
I don't really have much to add after his official visit. I still feel like Oregon is the team to beat and have been for months.
Story: A new recruiting prediction for Oregon Ducks Football
Jeremiah McClellan
This was one of Oregon's biggest official visitors over the weekend. With Tyseer Denmark headed to Penn State he's the main priority for Junior Adams.
He spent a lot of time around Oregon commits Michael Van Buren and Jordan Anderson. I was told the three hit it off and were "tied at the hip" throughout the weekend. A lot of coaches were around him throughout the trip and I can say with confidence he was definitely feeling the love from the Ducks.
It was great to get his family back on campus as the trip gave his parents a better chance to get a feel for the atmosphere in Eugene and around campus.
Another source told me the Ducks are one of his three finalists and I'm feeling like Ohio State and LSU are the others in contention. He may take another unofficial visit to Mizzou, but all signs are pointing towards him narrowing things down and shift into decision mode.
Sione Laulea
Laulea seems to be climbing up the board for Oregon at cornerback. The No. 1 junior college product in the country has all the makings of an NFL cornerback and his frame fits Oregon's defense to a tee.
With Chris Johnson opting to delay his commitment--which was scheduled for July 4--it looks like he could be trending away from Oregon. He was recently in Eugene but it feels like the momentum has died off a bit.
As for Laulea, the Ducks feel like they're in a really good spot and hit the visit out of the park. The coaching staff is very well connected in California, which should only help their chances. I've said it a couple times, but there's a growing pipeline from the College of San Mateo after the Ducks signed Bennett Williams and George Moore.
Laulea could be the next recruit to build that pipeline. Right now he feels more likely to hop on board than Aaron Scott Jr.--another top cornerback target for Oregon--as the JUCO standout has finished his official visits and is a more realistic option compared to Scott. The Ducks will keep chipping away for Scott, but they'll need to beat Ohio State for his services.
Brayden Platt
The Ducks did another great job with Platt during his official visit.
He's been taking things a little slow on the recruiting trail and has also taken officials to UCLA and Oklahoma. Justin Williams has been at the center of Oregon's vision at linebacker in the 2024 class but the Ducks never let up on the Yelm (Wash.) product.
Platt's name has been came up a lot over the weekend and the Ducks have a great chance to land him. He doesn't appear close to a decision as he told me he's planning to make his commitment on September 4 earlier this month.
However I feel pretty good saying Oregon leads.
Da'Jaun Riggs
The Ducks had another very good trip with Riggs. I get the feel they won over both him and his family and he should be ready to hop on board next week when he makes his decision July 3.
The staff's attention remains on Nate Frazier as well, but they'll need to beat out Georgia to add him to their 2024 class. Jason Brown Jr. seems to be in play as well but he's taking the process slow.
Latest Update: Da'Jaun Riggs shifts into decision mode following Oregon visit
Prediction: Oregon to land 2024 running back
Bonus Nugget
I don't want to give too much away here, but there's a growing feeling that Oregon could be closing in on adding another priority target in the 2024 class sooner rather than later.
There's been a lot of smoke around his recruitment lately, but he's a big name the Ducks have prioritized this cycle. He's kind of flown under the radar lately.
I know other Pac-12 schools have been popping off lately with commits, but just stay patient because Oregon will be having their fun soon.