Craig Strobeck
Football Recruiting
Visits
Saturday’s 44-21 stomping of Utah took the edge off a week filled with uncertainty. Now, back in the driver’s seat for the Pac-12 Championship and a Rose Bowl berth, the Ducks look to make a late recruiting cycle push to add to an already impressive class.
ATH/S Budda Baker (4-Star/Bellevue, WA/Rivals100)
Saturday’s matchup saw a few visitors with the firepower to immidately see the field next fall. Headlining the group, athlete Budda Baker (4-Star/Bellevue, WA/Rivals100), has long been tied to the Ducks, and the weekend spent in and around Autzen Stadium has put Oregon out in front for the talented jack-of-all-trades.
“Right now I feel Oregon is a little higher than the others,” said Baker. ”I liked how Oregon didn’t promise me anything; they kept it real with me. I respect that.”
Going into his official, Baker’s mother’s health and connection to her son had been a topic of concern. All qualms were alleviated however once they stepped on campus.
“The trip started off really good, because when we showed up they had a wheelchair and stuff for my mom and helped her out a ton,” said Baker. “They welcomed us both with open arms and they were very accommodating with everything we need[ed]. I felt like she was real comfortable with Eugene and the coaches. She said she really liked it a lot.”
Baker even went as far to receive his mother’s blessing regarding his future.
“I asked her if she could see me playing at Oregon and she said she definitely could. She was real impressed with the academics and all of the coaches.”
“The coaches were telling me about the depth chart and that it was up to me if I want to play offense or defense. They talked about me playing both ways a little but not too much. I like that they left it up to me.”
Oregon Faithful, IMHO, it’s just a matter of time until an official “Quack” is made, stay tuned!
Along with Baker on the Oregon sidelines, diamond-in-the-rough safety Glen Ihenacho (3-Star/Gardena, CA) felt the impact of what Oregon has to offer.
“I really liked my visit to Oregon,” said Ihenacho. “The campus, the fans and atmosphere were all great. What really stood out to me was the team and their character.”
At 6-foot, 185 lbs., Ihenacho has flown under the radar with the likes of Baker and other safeties flooding the headlines on the West Coast. However, Oregon is not sleeping on the California-based defensive back, with a late push to gain a potential commitment.
“(Oregon is) in that top group for me,” said Ihenacho. “I had a good talk with coach (John) Neal and he told me a lot about (playing at Oregon). He’s a great coach.”
Expect the Ducks to make an offer in the near future as Neal continues to assemble another top defensive back corps.
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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.