Forget the buzz-kill of COVID and player demands. We are using this site as an escape from reality — a GREEN REFUGE, if you will. It is Thursday, and we don’t have a regular article scheduled, but I wanted your thoughts/predictions/WAGs about Oregon’s recruiting class that will be signed in December of 2020. Will it be a new record, a tie for the best or a clear-cut second best recruiting class at Oregon?
As you know, I follow the Rivals.com standings, and the all-time number of 4-Star and 5-Star players taken in a year was 14 for the 2018 class. Last year’s recruiting class tied with two other years for second best ever at 12. The Ducks currently have 12 for this recruiting cycle as well, and it is not even September yet! How will Our Beloved Ducks finish up?
The Ducks are favored to receive the verbal commitments of two 4-Star players in offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia of Utah and receiver Dont’e Thornton of Maryland; these two would tie the all-time record. Yet, while we are favored and things look promising at the moment, there are no assurances.
The insane part of it all is that Oregon is a legit threat for the No. 1 and No. 2 high school players in the nation, in JT Tuimoloau of Washington and Korey Foreman of California. These exceptional 5-Star defensive linemen could shatter the top-five recruiting ranking ceiling for the Ducks if they commit, and Oregon truly is in the running!
The only way to stop a 5-Star like Kayvon Thibodeaux is to tackle him?
While it is an even lower probability, 5-Star offensive lineman Bryce Foster has the Ducks as one of his finalists. If Mario Cristobal can reel in the aforementioned 4-Star players to tie the record, then one of these 5-Star studs could break the all-time record! Oh-my-gosh!
Calm down, Charles.
Now I can bluster “of course Mario will get it done,” but it is easier said than achieved. These players are all leaning toward teams that have been in the playoffs in recent years such as Oklahoma, Clemson and Ohio State. Not an easy deal at all…
I want to believe we can set the record (my heart), but my head says we tie the all-time record, as the probability of gaffing the “Big-Fish” is low. So fourteen (14) is my prediction as I suspect Oregon will lose a verbal along the way and pick up another one to replace it. I am hoping/relying on Suamataia and Thornton to then tie the all-time record, which would lay an amazing base for a ton of winning Oregon football for years!
What is your prediction?
“Oh how we love to ponder about the recruiting of Our Beloved Ducks!”
Charles Fischer (Mr. FishDuck)
Eugene, Oregon
Top Photo by Tom Corno
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Charles Fischer has been an intense fan of the Ducks, a season ticket holder at Autzen Stadium for 38 years and has written reports on football boards for over 26 years. Known as “FishDuck” on those boards, he is acknowledged for providing intense detail in his scrimmage reports, and in his Xs and Os play analyses. He is single, has a daughter Christine, and resides in Eugene Oregon where he was a Financial Advisor for 36 years.
He now focuses full-time on Charitable Planned Giving Workshops for churches and non-profit organizations in addition to managing his two Oregon Football Websites, of FishDuck.com and the Our Beloved Ducks forum. He is a busy man!
He does not profess to be a coach or analyst, but simply a “hack” that enjoys sharing what he has learned and invites others to correct or add to this body of Oregon Football! See More…