Oregon Ducks hosting 5-star prospect next weekend, aiming for major flip

Andrew Nemec | 2 Hours Ago

Five-star tight end Linkon Cure on a visit to Oregon / Courtesy of Linkon Cure

The Oregon Ducks expect a drama-filled final two weeks of the recruiting cycle, as they remain in the hunt for several elite prospects while trying to keep together a coveted top-10 class.

Dan Lanning and his coaching staff have clearly targeted next weekend - November 30 - as a key date on the schedule to make a lasting impression just days before December 4, the start of the early signing period.

Coupled with that effort, Oregon has been hard at work trying to close out the tight end position, a key area of need.

The Ducks have already flipped former Washington Huskies four-star tight end Vander Ploog, but they may not be done yet.

On Friday, Kansas State five-star tight end commit Linkon Cure confirmed he will be making a return visit to Eugene for next week's game against Washington.

"I'll be there," Cure said.

While the 6-foot-6, 220-pound jumbo pass-catcher has been committed to Kansas State since July, multiple programs have worked to flip him.

For his part, Cure has remained committed, but also taken several visits, including Oregon.

"Everything stands out about Oregon for me," he said. "What is there not to love, honestly? It’s a great route for me personally for a multitude of reasons."

The scheduled trip is big news for Oregon, as Cure had to cancel a scheduled visit to Eugene earleir this month due to the weather.

This time around, he hopes to complete the journey.

As for whether he could see himself flipping...

"We’ll just have to see how the weekend goes," he said. "It’ll be a lot of fun to be around the coaching staff. They are like a family to me."

Turns out, he won't be the only major tight end in town that weekend, as Michigan commit and four-star prospect Andrew Olesh is also expected to visit.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound playmaker is rated the nation's No. 3 tight end and is yet another priority recruit for Oregon.

It seems implausible that Lanning and staff could actually flip three bluechip tight ends to close out the class.

But clearly there's a path toward accomplishing that very thing.

Here's what 247Sports had to say about Cure as a prospect, comparing him to Sam LaPorta:

"Big, athletic, playmaking tight end prospect who can line up as a true receiver and provide mismatches in the passing game. Valuable two-way snaps at the high school level, combined with strong multi-sport athletic profile. Double-digit scorer and high-flying act on the basketball court. Kansas 3A state championship-caliber hurdler. Uses speed-changing nuance as a route runner and gravitates toward space when available. Combines strength with speed as a run-after-catch threat. Athletic enough to hurt defenses in the vertical game, while also providing a big-play threat in the screen/quick game. Advanced ball skills and corresponding tracking ability in the deep portion of the field. Excellent ball-winning consistency in contested situations, likely influenced by multi-sport background and excellent functional athleticism relative to size. Strong production as a junior with nearly 1,000 receiving yards and 14 TDs on 22.5 per reception. Adding some mass/strength and calibrating to P4-caliber opponents, especially when blocking in the run game, are keys. Enters senior season as an elite tight end prospect with high-round NFL Draft upside. Gifted flex tight end with physical tools and strength capacity to fit all TE modes at the high-major level, and potentially beyond."