National Signing Day is next Wednesday! I repeat, National Signing Day is next Wednesday!
For anyone involved with, or into, college football recruiting, National Signing Day has become a must watch event. There will be all-day coverage on ESPNU, Twitter, and all recruiting service websites. Stay tuned for Oregon Sports News coverage of National Signing Day. I will be running the OSN twitter (@OregonSportNews) and my personal twitter account (@PortlandGarrett) with updates throughout the whole day.
There is really only 4 or 5 days for these coaches to put the finishing touches on their recruiting class. Oregon is in a prime position to have a big weekend leading into National Signing Day.
Sometime when you get a chance, check out this Sports Illustrated piece on Oregon and how Coach Willie Taggart has changed the recruiting culture in Eugene.
On to the recruiting update!
Most Recent Oregon Recruits:
4-Star Quarterback Braxton Burmeister – La Jolla (CA) – 6’, 196 lbs.
Burmeister was a crucial addition to this recruiting class. Taggart and company needed to land a quarterback and scrambled to flip Burmeister from University of Arizona. Not only is Oregon Burmeister’s dream school, he is flying to campus this weekend to help put the finishing touches on the recruiting class. Even with Sophomore Justin Herbert back after starting as a true freshman, Burmeister should challenge for playing time early.
4-Star Linebacker Isaac Slade-Matautia – Kaiser (HI) – 6’1”, 206 lbs.
Slade-Matautia is next in a long line of great Hawaiian football players to head to Eugene. The 4-star lineback committed last weekend while playing in the Polynesian Bowl. That was a huge coup for the Ducks that need more athleticism and depth in their linebacker corp. Slade-Matautia should come in as a true freshman and have a chance to make a Troy Dye-type impact on this team.
3-Star Defensive Tackle Austin Faoliu – Mater Dei (CA) – 6’3”, 285 lbs.
Another commit from last weekend’s Polynesian Bowl that showed the direction that Taggart wants to take this team. Taggart wants to load up on big guys on both sides of the ball. Faoliu adds sizes and skill to the interior of the defensive line. Faoliu joins Jordon Scott as the big defensive tackles being added to this roster since Taggart came on board.
Oregon Targets and Where They’ll End Up:
4-Star Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir – Salesian (CA) – 5’10.5”, 191 lbs.
Lenoir will be the crown jewel of the Oregon recruiting class if he commits. Once an Oregon recruit, Lenoir decommitted after the firing of Coach Mark Helfrich. My gut says that Lenoir will end up as a Duck, but we just have to wait and see a little bit longer. 247 Sports Crystal Ball says Oregon has a 76% chance of landing Lenoir.
4-Star Tight End Josh Falo – Inderkum (CA) – 6’5”, 235 lbs.
I wrote last week that Falo should be the number one priority for this staff (http://oregonsportsnews.com/why-josh-falo-should-be-priority-number-one-for-the-oregon-ducks/). Falo would be a day-one starter for the Ducks. This roster is so bare of any tight end talent that it’s not even funny. Falo seems to be deciding between Oregon and USC. In the end, I think he chooses Oregon. 247 Sports Crystal Ball says Oregon has a 66% chance of landing Falo.
3-Star Wide Receiver Bryan Thompson – Rancho Verde (CA) – 6’3”, 190 lbs.
Thompson is between Oregon and Utah as we approach National Signing Day. Oregon would be well suited to add a true wide receiver to this class that is full of athletes that aren’t traditional receivers. 247 Sports Crystal Ball says Oregon has an 85% chance of landing Thompson.
3-Star Athlete Bruce Judson – Cocoa (FL) – 5’9”, 203 lbs.
If you follow recruiting at all through twitter, you have probably heard of Judson. He has a very active social media presence that has made some experts unsure of what he will do. He was once committed to Coach Taggart when he was at South Florida but recently decommitted and named his final two schools as Oregon and Oregon State. Another Florida kid heading west and my hunch is he will choose Oregon. 247 Crystal Ball says Oregon has a 68% chance of landing Judson.
Please remember that when we are dealing with college recruiting these kids are 17 and 18 years old. There is no telling exactly how the next week will go. Kids can change their minds and go elsewhere, that is the nature of the business. Keep your eyes open as a fan and enjoy the craziness that comes with next Wednesday.
Plus, National Signing Day gives us a good excuse to talk about college football a month after the season ended!