Basha Athlete Miles Lockhart Earns Coveted Oregon Ducks Offer
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Oregon is making it a priority to lock down the top talent out west. One player that continues to draw a lot of buzz is 2024 Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) athlete Miles Lockhart.
He was on campus in Eugene back in January and was recently offered by coach Demetrice Martin.
"It meant so much really," Lockhart said of the offer. "That was just a big one that I've been waiting for ever since I visited and Cole (Martin) committed. It was a great feeling."
Having a preexisting relationship with the Martin's is a bonus in this recruitment, and Lockhart is one of many Arizona prospects Oregon has offered of late. He spoke about why the staff chose to offer him now.
Basha ATH Miles Lockhart
Miles Lockhart
"He (Demetrice Martin) told me just keep doing what I'm doing," he recalled of their conversation in Eugene. "They have their eyes on me, they knew who I am and in due time they'll give me that offer. I saw a lot of guys in Arizona were getting that offer."
Martin appears to be the lead recruiter for Oregon at this stage, but the 5-foot-10, 185-pound athlete started to develop a relationship with head coach Dan Lanning during his time on campus. Based off what he saw in Georgia's national championship season, he's confident in Lanning's vision for the Ducks.
Miles Lockhart Visits Oregon
Miles Lockhart
"I already know he has that defensive mindset and he can bring that to Oregon and really just change everything they're doing and bring them to a top program not just in the Pac-12 but in the nation," said Lockhart.
A host of other Pac-12 schools like Arizona have also shown interest in Lockhart, who's an Arizona legacy and took a recent visit to Tucson.
"It's already close to my heart. I know a lot of the coaches there, as my dad played there, so I was always there when I was younger. My mom went there. I've always been there as a younger kid.
"Coach Fisch, he knows what he's doing with the program and at their practices I can tell that he's he's leading them in the right way. I think that they should be able to pick it up in a few games this year. And over a couple more years they'll be rebuilding and getting the recruits that they want."
Basha ATH Miles Lockhart
Miles Lockhart
Utah and BYU have also shown interest of late, with the Cougars extending an offer just this week.
"The staff is great really," he said of Kyle Whittingham's Utes. "Those guys that I've had a chance to talk with, they're just really down to earth. I just like how they play really."
Kalani Sitake has BYU headed in the right direction, and Lockhart has a strong connection with a current player and former teammate.
"A guy that I used to train with a lot Micah Harper, he went to Basha, and his dad is my coach actually he's the db's coach here," he said. "So I've known a lot about BYU, I've been to a few of their games. I just like what they're doing with him because Micah is a guy that I honestly pattern my game after. If he fits into that, that system, I feel like I could do the same."
Utah and Northwestern are the two schools Lockhart singled out as the ones he has the most contact with, and Wildcats defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil stopped by Basha to see him in person.
Next month is set to be a busy month for Lockhart, with a strong slate of visits on deck.
"June is really when it's gonna start ramping up. I'm going to Utah June 7. I just got an offer to BYU so I'm gonna probably be taking a visit there before or after that. I'm gonna be visiting Stanford. I'm going to Ohio State and Northwestern. That's all in the month of June."
He's hoping for some SEC offers to start rolling in to help elevate his recruiting profile, and it's a plus that Oregon already has a strong relationship in their favor.
*WATCH MILES LOCKHART HIGHLIGHTS HERE*
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