Things are good in Eugene these days. Not only is summer in full effect and the weather great, but the hometown Oregon Ducks are compiling a fantastic recruiting class that seems to continue to heat up as well. Last season, the Ducks finished with the No. 16-ranked recruiting class. The Ducks landed five-star defensive lineman Canton Kuamatule, the first five-star …
June is in full swing. Graduation time is upon us, and so is the beginning of summer and summer sports camps. In fact, the Nike The Opening regionals just wrapped up in Eugene over the past weekend, and with the camp in the Ducks’ backyard, the event was an excellent opportunity for Oregon to make headway on the recruiting trail. …
Speed is synonymous with Oregon football. The Ducks do a fantastic job in maintaining that connection by recruiting athletes who fit their fast-paced style of offense. Last year, of the top five players signed by the Ducks, all but five-star Canton Kaumatule were on the offensive side of the ball. With the stockpile of speed and explosiveness in the Ducks …
Football recruiting is often akin to the careful planning of an investor. Coaches invest capital into players whom they feel will fill larger roles in the future. Oregon is no exception, as the Ducks are known for seeking youth and athleticism to fill gaps in their roster. With the departure of several key defensive backs, freshman Khalil Oliver looks to show …
Last year I introduced the ShrineDog Awards to the FishDuck public in an article here. This year, the ShrineDog is back with fresh faces that will make you laugh, cry, or simply scratch your head. Each year I look at the recruiting classes after all letters of intent have been faxed in to their designated universities. Most of the time, each school …
Just a few short days after landing four star WR Theo Howard, Oregon appears to be the front-runner to land five star recruit Brandon Jones. The safety from Nacogdoches, TX is the No. 14 ranked recruit on ESPN’s top 300 list, and is the top ranked safety in the class of 2016. Yesterday, after receiving the official offer from the …
Disclaimer: I do not have any inside knowledge concerning Oregon’s recruiting philosophy or tactics. This is merely one man’s educated take on how and why the Ducks’ performance on the football field consistently outperforms the rankings of its recruiting classes. Having gone through the recruiting process myself (admittedly at the Division II and III level), and having played with and …
If you are looking on the Parade All-America Team for members of the newest class of Oregon Ducks, you will not find a single name representing the Ducks on the list. However, Oregon still signed a class that ranks in the top 20 nationally. Head coach Mark Helfrich knows where the needs of the team will be in the near future …
Recruiting at the University of Oregon has not always been a snap when it comes to getting the elite high school players in the country. The Ducks’ consistency in winning has been an effective recruiting tool; however, winning a first national title would help eliminate any doubt about how good Oregon really is. Oregon is making a name for itself …
It’s still too early in the college football season to know the future of the Ducks, but all the same, it’s exciting they have a chance to be in the top four reaching the playoffs each week. But for Oregon, that isn’t the only thing to look forward to, and the increasingly positive rankings could have even better side-effects. This …
While the 2014 college football season has just begun, this time also marks the second half of the recruiting season. This is the time of year that recruiting really heats up and high school seniors take their official visits to schools of interest. Oregon historically does its best recruiting during the football season after having its best recruiting preseason ever. So, …
A widespread change might be in place for football. The National Collegiate Athletic Association recently voted in favor of giving the five “power conferences” autonomy, to allow the student-athletes to participate in governing the entity they are bound in playing for at a Division I university. If sustained by the end of October, 2014, how will this affect the recruiting …