Football Recruiting
News
In a West Team romp, this past Saturday’s U.S. Army All-American Game featured a trifecta of touchdowns coming by way of committed Oregon runner Royce Freeman (4-Star/Imperial, CA/Rivals100). On five carries, Freeman opened the country’s eyes to a blend of nimble power where the 6-foot, 227 lb. running back made short work of the East’s feeble attempts to defend him near the goal-line. Freeman’s touchdown runs of one, three and nine yards set the tone for a West squad who, beyond his legs, relied on fellow Duck commit Jalen Brown (4-Star/Phoenix, AZ/Rivals100), who tallied 45 yards on three catches.
Commitments
Perhaps the biggest revelation of the day was not on the field but off, as another participant in Saturday’s All-American festivities, linebacker Jimmie Swain (3-Star/Olathe, KS), announced his intention to be a Duck, after weeks of speculation that he had already committed to the Oregon staff earlier in the recruiting cycle.
LB Jimmie Swain (3-Star/Olathe, KS) Tweeted following his announcement.
“The visit sealed it up for me and my mom,” said Swain. ”The coaches were all so personable and my mom loved it. They spoke to her the right way and I could tell she wanted me to go to Oregon. It was my choice, but it was nice when she was on board with it too.”
In a humbling revelation, Swain’s value to the Oregon staff was deeply felt.
“I had the entire defensive staff at my house when I committed.”
With Swain’s pledge in hand, Oregon’s 2014 class has its first linebacker and sits at 17 commitments overall with a little under a month until signing day.
Basketball Recruiting
While leading the Oregon’s men’s basketball squad to one of its best starts in program history, head man Dana Altman already has his sights set on one of the class of 2015’s brightest stars. Power forward Chase Jeter (5-Star/Las Vegas, NV/Rivals150) headlined prep squad Bishop Gorman to a second-place finish at Portland’s-own Les Schwab Invitational and had some special guests take notice along the way. An Oregon contingent made up of Bishop Gorman alumni, senior guard Johnathan Loyd and sophomore Ben Carter accompanied Altman and assistant coach Tony Stubblefield courtside early in the tournament to take a first recruiting step.
“…It’s a blessing and a great opportunity to show my game,” said Jeter. “It’s special, especially having my guys from Gorman supporting me.”
A lanky 6-foot-9, 215 lbs., Jeter has room to put on weight but is nonetheless a star in the making, utilizing solid footwork to move effectively in and out of the paint. Expect Oregon to make a serious run at Jeter who figures to already appreciate the Duck’s style, stay tuned!
Main photo by Craig Strobeck
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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.