Football Recruiting
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Friday night, Oregon put the whole nation on alert with a 51-13 demolition of southwest foe Arizona. Across the Pacific, longtime Duck target Rex Manu (3-Star/Mililani, HI) tuned in for the air-show put on by Heisman finalist Marcus Mariota. A day later, he made his first step to joining Ron Aiken’s two-deep on Oregon’s defensive line.
“Oregon is No. 2 in the nation and they are always competing for a national championship and I want to be a part of that,” said Manu. “The visit (in September) definitely put Oregon over the top for me. I loved the players, coaches and the academic support they offer. It’s also comfortable with the pipeline from Hawaii and to have those guys there with me.”
At 6-foot-3, 290 lbs., Manu joins fellow islander Canton Kaumatule (4-Star/Punahou, HI/Rivals250) as Oregon’s second defensive line commit. Already close to three bills on the scale, Manu mixes it up in the run game but also has the speed to chase down the offense.
“Oh it’s great having those guys around there with me. I know Canton is committed there and we are good friends. I know DeForest Buckner from when I was a freshman. It just helps put me at ease with it all. It’s great that they understand me and some of the things we can all relate with coming from Hawaii.”
Regarding the prospect of suiting up with what could be one of the deepest lines in the country next season, Manu was all smiles.
“That was just insane. They were all over the quarterback and getting sacks and pressure all night long. They played the game of the season last night and I’m looking forward to being a part of that.”
Top 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.