Football Recruiting
Visits
With a second half fit for the history books, Oregon ran roughshod over visiting Michigan State, 46-27. In attendance were several key names on Oregon’s big board and following the thunderous win, those same preps had plenty to say about their time in Eugene.
Defensive end will be a high-profile need heading into next season as several current starters depart. Committed elsewhere prior to his trip, Rex Manu (3-Star/Mililani, HI) entered Saturday with an open mind in his recruitment. That mindset now appears to have become one-sided.
“With this visit, Oregon is No. 1 for me, no doubt,” said Manu. “The one thing that really stood out to me was the unity between the players and coaches. When you say team, I think Oregon. And with that I’d say they are the team to beat (in my recruitment).”
The 6-foot-3, 270 lb. trench warrior confirmed this past Monday that he is no longer committed to Stanford and firmly considers Oregon to be the program he will suit up for following his final prep campaign. A “quack” is only a matter of time for Manu as the connection to Oregon grows to new heights in the latter half of this recruiting cycle. Stay tuned!
Basketball Recruiting
Visits
While they won’t step foot on the gridiron as players, Oregon brought high-profile hoopers into the Autzen Zoo for Saturday’s matchup. Big man Trevor Manual (3-Star/Lansing, MI/Rivals150) and guard Tyler Dorsey (5-Star/Pasadena, CA/Rivals150) both came away awestruck by the support of The Oregon Faithful and could end up becoming teammates in the near future.
“The visit went really well,” said the 6-foot-9 Manuel. “I really enjoyed myself. I’m a big football fan and an Oregon football fan so seeing that game against Michigan State was a lot of fun. The distance wasn’t really that bad at all. It was just getting on a flight and getting out there.”
A center with a smooth shot, Manual may become one of Oregon’s biggest steals of the last few years.
“(My family) and I just talked about if this was a place I wanted to go, if I felt comfortable, if my parents were cool with the school,” said Manuel. “We all felt good about Oregon.”
Echoing his sentiments was Dorsey through AAU coach Dinos Trigonis.
“I think Tyler and the family left comfortable with the school, with the staff, the team and campus. They had a good time. (Oregon) is definitely in it,” said Trigonis.
Both preps were keen to spend time with the current Oregon squad and gained a new appreciation for what the Ducks have to offer.
“We hung out and we got to see how close the team is and that really stood out. I liked that,” said Manual. “Joe Young, Elgin Cook, Dwayne Benjamin, Casey Benson – all those guys were cool. Plus I got along great with the other two official visitors that were on campus (Dorsey & Matisse Thybulle).”
For up-to-the-minute recruiting news, please visit our friends at DUCK TERRITORY, who graciously provide FISHDUCK with in-depth analysis and player-generated material. Look for my latest recruiting update every Wednesday. WTD!!!
Top photo by Kevin Cline
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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.