Four-star football recruit Dillon Mitchell, who committed to Oregon earlier this year, announced yesterday via Twitter that he plans to play basketball for the University as well. Mitchell, the speedy Junior WR is highly touted for his football skills, but many argue that his true value is actually on a basketball court.
The junior stud has 25 touchdowns and 2,238 all purpose yards for White State High School in Tennessee, so it’s safe to say that he’ll produce just fine for the Ducks come football time, but the self-described “pass-first point guard” would be on par with some of the best basketball recruits Dana Altman and the Ducks have had in recent years. ESPN.com currently gives Mitchell a grade of 80, and ranks him as the fifth best point guard in the entire state of Tennessee.
Dana Altman works well with point guards, and with Mitchell’s talent the two could make a formidable duo.
Mitchell attributes his basketball success to his mentor, former NBA great and Tennessee product Penny Hardaway. Mitchell said, ”We talk about a lot of stuff. We talk about life.” Getting a recruit whose mentor is Penny Hardaway is no small feat, and the Ducks should be very excited about what Mitchell will bring to both the football and the basketball teams.
Although Mitchell still has a ways to go before he actually arrives on campus to officially play for the Ducks, his commitment bodes well for Ducks’ basketball recruiting classes in the near future. The highest graded player for the Ducks’ 2014 class was current starting small forward, Dillon Brooks, who was also an 80. Getting a four-star recruit to commit so early will help the Ducks build a more successful recruiting class and continue their recent success in college basketball.
Below are highlight videos of Mitchell both on the football field and on the basketball court. Hard to choose where you’re more excited to see him in 2016, huh?
Top photo from Video
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Caleb is a sophomore at the University of Oregon intending to double major in Journalism and Sports Management. He is the Managing Editor for FishDuck.com, along with being a lifetime Saints and San Francisco Giants fan, as Caleb fell in love with sports at a young age and developed that love into a passion for sports analysis. He is looking forward to cheering on the Ducks throughout his career at Oregon, and is always willing to talk sports with any fellow fan.