Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on … the Ducks?
Calling Chris Steele’s recruitment a roller coaster ride would be the understatement of the year. The talented defensive back has given new meaning to the term “media circus,” as his indecision has everyone following the saga completely dumbfounded.
By now, you know the story. A one-time UCLA commit, then a USC commit, then a Florida commit and enrollee, then a “free agent,” then an Oregon commit and now an apparent USC commit (again), Steele can’t seem to make up his mind.
While it looked like this soap opera had finally reached its end when Steele committed to Oregon in May, following his decision to leave Florida, little did we know that the drama was just heating up. It has now been reported by numerous publications that Steele, following a visit to Oregon, visited USC. He and fellow blue-chip transfer Bru McCoy both toured the school, and by all indications, Steele was sold. He’s now expected to enroll with the Trojans just a few weeks after pledging to the Ducks.
Steele’s commitment to Oregon lasted for less than a month.
These developments might not sting so badly if this were the first time that Steele snubbed the Ducks in favor of another school. But many believe that Oregon was also the runner-up in his initial recruitment. That’s twice in less than a year that it looked like the Ducks were in position to land a fringe five-star prospect and twice they’ve come in second place by just the slightest of measures.
Many will contend that talent does not justify this level of hysteria and that the Ducks are better off without a player who sticks to a decision for about a minute. But there’s no denying that Steele could have thrived in the Ducks’ defense, and he would have been a terrific running mate for four-star early enrollee Mykael Wright, who already showed signs of potential this spring. With Thomas Graham and Deommodore Lenoir both candidates to make an early exit to the NFL draft after the 2019 season, Steele and Wright would have been the perfect duo to succeed the current star cornerback tandem.
Instead, he’ll be facing off against them just a few hours south.
What do you make of all this? Are the Ducks really talented enough to shake off the “loss” of Steele, a player who probably would have seen the field in 2019? Or is this “miss” one that will come back to bite them in the end?
Joshua Whitted
Morgantown, West Virginia Top Photo From Twitter
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Joshua is an adopted Duck fanatic, originally hailing from southwestern Pennsylvania. His love for the University of Oregon began as a young child when he became mesmerized by the flashy uniforms and explosive offenses of the Chip Kelly era, and now, he follows the team religiously. His fondest memory of the team is seeing De’Anthony Thomas race past Wisconsin defenders back in the 2012 Rose Bowl. A true football enthusiast, Joshua loves studying the intricacies of the game, and he aspires to become a professional sports journalist. Joshua now resides in Morgantown, West Virginia where he works in customer service. When he’s not watching Oregon replays, Joshua loves reading, writing, and spending time with his family. Contact: whittedjd@gmail.com