2023 Safety Dakaari Nelson is Well Aware of Oregon's Winning Tradition
Following the departure of consensus All-American safety Verone McKinley III, Oregon finds themselves in need of more safeties to bolster their secondary. One prospect they have their eye on is Dakaari Nelson, a 2023 safety from Selma (Selma, Ala.) High School that recently landed an offer from the Ducks.
He took some time to speak with Ducks Digest about his thoughts on the offer and the latest in his recruitment.
New Oregon Safeties Coach Matt Powledge extended the offer, and has been one the key forces in the Ducks' recruiting efforts in the South.
"I was really surprised," Nelson said. "You don't see that many kids this way getting offers way on the other side of the country."
Nelson, like many other recruits, knows about the flash that comes with Oregon's Nike connection, but he's also equally aware of how much the program has elevated the product its put out on the field in recent years.
"Of course everyone knows about the jerseys. I know a lot about in recent years they’ve been winning or having winning seasons."
While Eugene might not be viewed as a popular destination for his peers in the Yellowhammer State, Nelson is hearing good things about the Ducks. He shared what stands out the most about the team.
"Definitely the fanbase and the players that have visited there," the 6-foot-3 safety told Ducks Digest. "Their words on how the visit went and how they like it. They like how interactive the coaches and stuff was."
Could he see himself making the cross-country trip for a visit?
"Yes sir. I told Coach (Powledge) the quickest way to get me out there is to keep in contact with my parents."
The Alabama safety has been able to visit a number of high-profile programs including Clemson, Penn State, Michigan and Auburn since last fall. He just wrapped up his second trip to Tennessee this weekend and offered some thoughts on the trip, as well as some highlights and what stood out.
As he eyes his senior season, the longstanding connection he has with the Vols has certainly made an impression.
"Meeting Coach (Josh) Heupel and this is my second time up there. Really how consistent they are with their recruitment. That was my first SEC offer and fourth overall offer. They’ve been keeping in contact ever since."
Heupel, who's entering his second season at the helm of the program, has built a strong bond with the Alabama product.
"He was very calm, collected, cool guy. We’re pretty close, we talk every couple days."
Related: Oregon a top suitor for 2024 WR Jordan Anderson
With a solid taste of how the recruiting process works, Nelson is placing a premium on how schools connect not only with him, but also those close in his inner circle.
"Not just how well they recruit me, how well they recruit my family. How much time they take to hit my parents up and check on them. The family atmosphere and how much they keep in contact."
Up next is a trip to Athens to visit Georgia next weekend and the defensive back sounds like he'll be trimming his list soon.
"I’ll drop my top schools on the 25th. Those schools keep in contact with me the most and I'm cutting it down to 12."
That first cut will be a step closer to making his commitment, which he has a timeline for.
"I don't want to wait too late. I plan on narrowing it down again before my season and committing during my senior season."
*WATCH DAKAARI NELSON HIGHLIGHTS HERE*
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