Robby Snelling Says Oregon 'Sets the bar up there'

Snelling, a two-sport athlete from Reno, Nevada, made his first official visit to Eugene this past weekend and already has a great connection with the coaching staff.

2022 4-star linebacker Robby Snelling visited the University of Oregon for his first official visit. He grew up a Ducks fan, and when he was offered by Oregon in January 2019, he was overjoyed.

“Getting that offer from them was definitely something super special, growing up and watching all the success that they’ve had,” Snelling said.

The offer was extended to him by Linebackers Coach Ken Wilson, who coached Snelling’s father, Jim, at the University of Nevada, Reno. Jim, a former defensive lineman for the Wolfpack, is now Robby’s head coach at McQueen High School in Reno.

“We’ve always been pretty close — like family — with him,” Snelling said of his relationship with Wilson.

Like many other recruits that visit or eventually commit to Oregon, Snelling said that Head Coach Mario Cristobal does a really good job of keeping in contact and maintaining a strong relationship. He also said that he talks “frequently” over Zoom with Cristobal and Defensive Coordinator Tim DeRuyter “to catch up on everything.”

Snelling arrived in Eugene Thursday night and began the three-day visit on Friday. Saturday morning, he watched an 8 a.m. workout with the team.

“Being in that weight room with them is definitely something super special,” Snelling said. “They had so much energy. It was kind of a culture shock to walk in there and be surrounded by that atmosphere.”

Meeting the coaching staff is perhaps the most important part of any recruit’s visit, and the Ducks’ coaching staff made a solid impression on Snelling.

“I’ve never been in that environment before and all the energy that all the coaches brought,” Snelling said.

Loved my first visit to University of Oregon! @Recruits2Eugene @OregonBaseball @oregonfootball pic.twitter.com/tdC8GZTGFi

— RobbySnelling (@robbysnelling) June 6, 2021

With Oregon being his first trip, the following visits will be compared heavily to the UO and its facilities.

“This kind of sets the bar up there,” Snelling said. “It forces everyone else to live up to that.”

“I like the small town feel of Eugene and how the campus is all centrally-located. They’re making a big point of telling us that everything is within walking distance, which is super important.”

Snelling also enjoyed the football facilities, especially Autzen Stadium.

“The facilities that they have are just out of the world,” he said. “Being at Autzen was awesome. Without anybody in the stands, it’s still pretty overwhelming looking up and seeing all the seats when you’re just standing in the middle of the field. It’s pretty crazy.”

Not only is Snelling a standout linebacker at McQueen, but he has also garnered scholarship offers as a pitcher for the baseball team. In fact, he was originally committed to Stanford to play baseball in the summer of 2019, but de-committed as schools began recruiting him for his talents on the gridiron. 

Oregon offered a baseball scholarship as well, and while football has become his priority, he wants to play both sports in college.

“Football drives the train, but football will allow me to play baseball,” Snelling said. “The Oregon baseball team would be more than happy to have me.”

Given the success that head coach Mark Wasikowski and the Ducks baseball team had in just his second season, Oregon has become an even more attractive destination for Snelling.

“It’s definitely been super cool how the baseball program has grown,” he said. “It has a lot to do with Wasikowski and his recruiting class that he’s brought in. He’s brought in the guys that they’ve needed to have the success that they’re having, and it’s pretty cool to watch it all unfold.”

Snelling’s only other official visit is to the University of Arizona. He doesn’t have a solidified decision date, but would like to make his decision this fall.

*WATCH ROBBY SNELLING HIGHLIGHTS*

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