Steve Francis
Football Recruiting
Commitments
Almost equally impressive as the Oregon offense, a torrential downpour — the likes of which have not seen in Eugene for some time – brought with it the Ducks’ newest commitment: vaunted tailback Tony James (4-Star/Gainesville, FL/Rivals250). “I kind of knew I would be verballing while I was on my visit,” said the 5’9, 175-lb. James. ”All I was really waiting for was the blessing from my mom and dad. My mom came with me and she loved it. She is completely on board with Oregon.”
Amongst the flood from the heavens, James couldn’t help but marvel at what will become of his future teammates’ commitment to excellence.
“Seeing them in person makes you realize watching them on TV does them no justice. They are so fast and so disciplined, it’s amazing to see it in person,” said James. “I loved the interaction between the coaches and the players and the chemistry.”
James is similar in mold to TAZR De’Anthony Thomas. Oregon will no doubt utilize his 4.37/40 speed in multiple roles on offense and special teams. James’s pledge all but ends the Ducks’ search at tailback in the class of 2014, as James is the lightning to fellow commit Royce Freeman’s (5-Star/Imperial, CA/Rivals100) thunder.
To view James’s highlights, please click here.
News
Not many preps in the class of 2015 are receiving the hype given to defensive lineman Jacob Daniel (4-Star/Fresno, CA). A behemoth at 6’5, 300 lbs., Daniel is equally impressive in the classroom, where a strong work ethic has caught the attention of the Oregon coaching staff.
“I know the defensive line coach (Ron Aiken) was down here and said a lot of good things to my coach about me,” said Daniel. ”That (Oregon offer) is definitely an offer I’m going to look hard at. That’s a big one to me and they are great program.”
The Ducks’ early offer is a telling sign that Daniel is already one of, if not the top defensive line target, in 2015. Stay tuned!
Basketball Recruiting
Commitments
Not all Oregon commitments were of a gridiron nature this past weekend. Head coach Dana Altman successfully plucked another JUCO diamond from the rough; forward/guard combo Dwayne Benjamin (2-Star/Lafayette, LA).
A 6’7, 195-lb. slasher, Benjamin is second to none in transition and finishing plays around the rim. A household name in the southeast during his prep days, Benjamin garnered 1st team all-state (Louisiana) in football and track, before deciding to pursue basketball at the collegiate level.
Out of high school, Benjamin headed to the JUCO ranks, where he averaged 15.8 points on a 46.7 percent shooting stroke for Mt. San Jacinto Community College (California). As well, Benjamin brings an uncanny rebounding ability (7.2) to the defensive side of the ball and promises to compliment an already dominant backcourt, headlined by Damyean Dotson and Dominic Artis.
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Mark Flores, a Salem, OR resident, is a Firefighter/Paramedic and an avid Oregon Ducks fan. Prior to the fire service, Flores, a graduate of nearby Corban University, spent over seven years in professional journalism including a stint at the Statesman Journal in Salem and held the position of Sports Editor for the Hilltop News (Corban). A career transition however never dampened his love of writing and FishDuck is now his source to share his love of Mighty Oregon. Flores brings detailed knowledge of Oregon recruiting to the FishDuck team and welcomes your feedback.