This Wednesday, December 18, is the day the recruits can begin to officially sign with teams for the 2020 recruiting cycle. Per 247sports.com, the Oregon Ducks’ 22-man recruiting class currently ranks No. 16 nationally — good for second in the Pac-12 only behind Washington at No. 14.
Of course, at this point, all the commitments are merely verbal, so recruits can still technically change their minds. As per usual, there are rumors of potential de-commitments, which are usually accompanied by rumors of late Oregon steals. Generally speaking, those usually balance each other out, and this year looks to be no different.
The Ducks’ 2019 class finished seventh nationally, so No. 16 would seem to be a bit of a downer. But, please keep in mind that the Ducks are still in play for multiple 5-star recruits whose commitments could easily shoot the Ducks back up into the Top 10.
The Ducks have never had multiple 5-star recruits in the same class. So far this year, they have 5-star linebacker Noah Sewell, but they are also in play for 5-star linebacker Justin Flowe and cornerback Kelee Ringo.
The Ducks are bringing in the talent to compete for more championships.
Top Stories
1) Wednesday Special! Justin Flowe, 5-Star Linebacker: Considered an Oregon lean, this is the main story to watch on Wednesday, as the other big undecided recruits have announcement dates set for January. Flowe would come in as the highest-ranked linebacker (ahead of Sewell) in program history, and the second-highest-rated recruit after Kayvon Thibodeaux. Flowe is rated as the top inside LB for 2020 and the No. 6 overall recruit.
2) Kelee Ringo, 5-Star, Cornerback: Ringo is the No. 1 ranked cornerback and the No. 8 overall recruit. He would be the highest-ranked defensive back recruit in Oregon history. Ringo is set to announce his commitment on January 4, during the Adidas All-American Bowl.
3) Dontae Manning, 4-Star, Cornerback: The nation’s No. 3 cornerback is set to announce his commitment January 2 at the Under Armour All-American Game. Between Ringo and Manning, it’s expected the Ducks should land at least one of them, with a puncher’s chance at both.
4) 4-Star Quarterbacks Jay Butterfield and Robby Ashford: Butterfield, the No. 3 ranked pro-style passer, is staying firm on his commitment to Oregon despite the fact the Ducks are pursuing recent Ole Miss de-commit, and No. 10 dual-threat quarterback Ashford.
5) De-commits and Postponements: Four-star wide receiver Johnny Wilson is strongly rumored to be flipping his pledge from Oregon to Arizona State, while Avantae Williams, the nation’s No. 1 safety, recently formally de-committed from Oregon and reportedly will make his decision in February. Seth Figgins, a 3-star tight end recruit, will not sign during the early signing period due to academic work that needs to be completed.
High-ranking recruits keep the fans ‘n’ the band cheering.
The Recruits
Oregon’s current 22 verbal commitments in the 2020 class are:
5-Star
Noah Sewell, Orem (Utah), linebacker
4-Star
Johnny Wilson, Calabasas (Calif.), wide receiver
Jonathan Denis, Homestead (Fla.), offensive guard
Jay Butterfield, Brentwood (Calif.), quarterback
4-star quarterback Jay Butterfield
Myles Slusher, Broken Arrow (Okla.), defensive back
Luke Hill, Baltimore (Md.), cornerback
Kris Hutson, Bellflower (Calif.), wide receiver
Jaden Navarrette, (Calif.), athlete
3-Star
Jaylen Smith, Ahoskie (N.C.), defensive tackle
Bennett Williams, Mountain View (Calif.), safety
Bradyn Swinson, Douglasville (Ga.), strongside defensive end
T.J. Bass, Oroville (Calif.), offensive guard
Marcus Harper, Chicago (Ill.), offensive guard
Jackson LaDuke, Sparks (Nev.), outside linebacker
Maceal Afaese, Kapolei (Hawaii), defensive end
Trey Benson, Greenville (Miss.), running back
Jaylan Jeffers, Scottsdale (Ariz.), offensive tackle
Jake Shipley, Shadow Hills (Calif.), defensive end
Jared Greenfield, Harbor City (Calif.) defensive back
Faaope Laloulu, Honolulu (Hawaii), offensive tackle
Peter Latu, Spanaway (Wash.), linebacker
Seth Figgins, Westlake Village (Calif.), tight end
So, keep your fingers crossed. Perhaps the Ducks can pull off a recruiting coup and walk away from the early signing period with three 5-star recruits!
Darren Perkins
Spokane, WashingtonTop Photo by Eugene Johnson
Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in the financial technology industry in Bozeman, Montana.
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Darren Perkins is a sales professional and 1997 Oregon graduate. After finishing school, he escaped the rain and moved to sunny Southern California where he studied screenwriting for two years at UCLA. Darren grew up in Eugene and in 1980, at the tender age of five, he attended his first Oregon football game. His lasting memory from that experience was an enthusiastic Don Essig announcing to the crowd: “Reggie Ogburn, completes a pass to… Reggie Ogburn.” Captivated by such a thrilling play, Darren’s been hooked on Oregon football ever since. Currently living in Spokane, Darren enjoys flaunting his yellow and green superiority complex over friends and family in Cougar country.