What Nikko Reed's Commitment Means for Oregon

Niko Reed will be the second former Colorado cornerback to play for Demetrice Martin in Eugene.

Oregon continued to reload for the 2023 season on Monday by adding former Colorado cornerback Nikko Reed.

As always, we're breaking down what this commitment means for the Ducks from every angle.

Recruiting Impact

Much like I said with both the Gary Bryant and Nishad Strother commitments, Reed's addition for the 2023 season shows the urgency Dan Lanning and the coaching staff are attacking recruiting with.

They want to win and they want to win now. Capitalizing on previous relationships has been a constant theme this offseason. Whether it was Jordan Burch and Dan Lanning or Nikko Reed and Demetrice Martin, those have played a crucial role in Oregon's transfer portal haul.

Another commitment means more momentum continues to build for the Ducks as they now look ahead to Saturday, when All-American quarterback Michael Van Buren and Xadavien Sims, the No. 1 player in Oklahoma are both set to announce. 

Evaluation

Reed took a little while to crack the starting role at Colorado, but even so he played right away once he got to college, playing in all 12 games as a true freshman before starting in all 12 as a sophomore.

He's a bit of a smaller cornerback at 5'10", 185 pounds but his skillset gives the Ducks versatility and the ability to defend different types of receivers. That said, he's got good twitch to his game and short area burst, which are valuable traits to have as a defensive back--especially when you need to change direction quick.

One source I spoke with told me they see him being a better version of Mekhi Blackmon, who played under Demetrice Martin at Colorado before transferring to USC and becoming a third-round NFL Draft pick. 

Reed has a good feel for the game and was very productive as a sophomore in 2022, as evidence by his two interceptions and nine pass breakups. He also brings additional value as a playmaker on special teams that will no doubt carry over to his play in the secondary.

Roster Outlook at Oregon

Reed joins a cornerback room that is crowded in terms of bodies, but relatively thin when it comes to production at the college level.

He gives the Ducks a different body type compared to the longer Trikweze Bridges and Khyree Jackson, which should help them better defend teams like USC with players like Mario Williams or other shifty playmakers they'll come across.

It's hard to say if he'll start right from the jump while at Oregon, but you can bet he'll be on a fast track when it comes to development because this is a player Demetrice Martin recruited out of high school and knows inside and out.

He'll probably have a better chance at seeing the field than some of the high school signees Oregon added from the 2023 class, but I really like this addition and fans should feel much better about the cornerback room now.

Do the Ducks have another lockdown corner to replace Christian Gonzalez? Maybe not just yet, but they have plenty of talent to develop one and a lot of pieces that should shore up the secondary.

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