Oregon Ducks Positioned Well With RB Johnny Thompson Jr. Following January Visit
For the longest time, Oregon has been a premier destination for running backs. With a new staff in place, Offensive Coordinator Kenny Dillingham wants his offense to be fast, fun and explosive--music to any ballcarrier's ears. After signing another promising back in Jordan James, the Ducks are once again searching for another stud to tote the rock.
Johnny Thompson Jr., a 2023 running back from Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) High School, could be one of their top options. He spoke with Ducks Digest back in January, but a lot has happened in his recruitment in the time since, mainly that he's back on the market after backing off his pledge to the USC Trojans.
"I felt like it was better not to block off all my options," Thompson said of his decision. "I can say I committed early and as things panned out USC just wasn’t the place I should be calling home, so I felt like I should look for a new home."
Ready for a fresh start in the recruiting process, the 5-foot-10, 186 pounder has reeled in new offers from a slew of West Coast schools and took a visit to Berkeley this past weekend.
"Cal was great. The highlight I would say was with Coach Aristotle Thompson," he said. "We had position meetings and he went into detail about Cal running backs, how they practice and what they focus on."
The Golden Bears made a solid impression, in part due to their holistic approach.
"A great put together staff," Thompson said of the coaches on Justin Wilcox's staff. "They focus on building the young men rather than building athletes, and with college I feel like that's a big thing."
March won't be a busy travel month for him, but while he continues to build relationships with other programs, he's scheduled to be in Salt Lake City to see the Utes on Apr. 9.
A strong connection with a player from the defending Pac-12 champions that figures to assist in their recruiting efforts.
"I’ve had a family friend who just graduated from Utah, TJ pledger. It's an amazing program for running backs," Thompson said of Kyle Whittingham's team. "They ran a nice two-back system this year. They use their backs a lot."
Aside from his trip to Cal, the Southern California prep made his way out to Eugene in January, and the Ducks didn't disappoint.
"Oregon definitely sells itself. I prefer cold weather over hot so that stuck out to me."
The Ducks have long made a name for themselves through innovation and next-level gear, which is something that caught his eye.
"Getting on the campus, seeing all the high-tech gear-- all the self-cleat motors, to the hot and cold tubs, treadmills. It’s stuff you’ve never seen before at Oregon.
"I think it’ll be magical to play with that type of technology. To be able to recover in hours and be able to work right back at full potential."
When I spoke with Thompson in January, he couldn't find enough good things to say about new Running Backs Coach Carlos Locklyn. While he was in Eugene, he finally got to meet who would be his position coach at the next level.
Related: Johnny Thompson Jr. set to visit Oregon
Locklyn, like many coaches on Dan Lanning's staff, is going above and beyond to foster a connection that's more than just sports.
"I spent most of the trip with him," Thompson said. "He’s not only helping me with my Oregon recruiting process, he says he’s there for anything, I can come to him. That’s great to have."
The Ducks are in a great spot not just because of their world-class facilities, but also because of the atmosphere they've created around the program.
"I consider Oregon’s coaching staff a family," Thompson said. "They work together. They do everything together as a family. As a team you need that unity."
The Oaks Christian standout has received a couple new offers recently, including Washington and Washington State. Both the Huskies and the Cougars are prioritizing him and are the two schools he's hearing from the most, taking a personal approach to his recruitment.
"The Running Back Coach (Mark) Atuaia, he's amazing," he said of the Cougars. "He’s always checking in on me. But (Washington's ) Coach Lee Marks does the same. I feel like that goes a long way in building a relationship with the child and his family. You’re making the parents feel like the parents are secure with the coach, someone who’s leading their child on the right path."
With spring visits and camps dotting most prospects schedules, Thompson Jr. sounds like he's taking things slow this time around in his recruitment.
"It's a rough journey, but it's definitely going great. Playing it patient and continue to work. When they come they come. Not really rushing the process."
Thompson said he will "most definitely" be making a return trip to Oregon and has a timeline for his decision.
"From the looks of it I will be committing in either October or November."
*WATCH JOHNNY THOMPSON JR. HIGHLIGHTS HERE*
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