Anthony Lucas Breaks Down Oregon Official Visit

Lucas lauded the effort of the Oregon coaching staff to stay connected with him and his family.

Author:
Dylan Reubenking
Publish date:
Jun 18, 2021 11:53 AM EDT

2022 4-star defensive end Anthony Lucas is one of the most talented and sought-after players in his class. He attends Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Ariz. and is the top ranked player in the state.

Oregon was one of the first schools to offer Lucas in his sophomore year, and following visits to Texas A&M and Notre Dame earlier this month, he made the trip to Eugene for an official visit.

Lucas told me that he’s looking for a couple important things when visiting schools and meeting with coaches, including where the coaches want to play him, the location, and how he gets along with teammates and the coaches. Following his trip to Eugene, it's safe to say that Oregon checks all those boxes.

“I love the scenery of Eugene,” said Lucas, who arrived on Sunday with his parents and two little sisters. “It was very dope to see a lot of green and a lot of nature. The campus was nice, and everything was close by.”

The 6’5”, 280-pound junior toured the campus Monday and visited the academic facilities. On Tuesday, he checked out the football facilities and got to interact with the coaches and players, including Travis Dye and Brandon Dorlus.

Lucas said visiting Autzen Stadium was amazing.

"The field was great. I got to see the locker room, which was amazing, and the scoreboard. I loved it.”

On Wednesday, Lucas met with Mario Cristobal, who he has built a strong relationship with.

“We’re pretty close,” Lucas said. “He texts me and my family every day. We’ve gotten to know him over the course of my recruitment.”

He also spent time with Defensive Coordinator Tim DeRuyter, Defensive Line coach Joe Salave’a, Special Teams Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach Bobby Williams, and Assistant Defensive Line Coach Winston DeLattiboudere.

“The way that they treat the players is amazing,” Lucas said of the coaching staff. One thing that sets Oregon apart from other programs, Lucas said, is the coaches' approach to recruiting.

“I’m close with all of the coaches because they recruit as a whole staff, and all of them were there on my visit for the most part,” he said. “The coaches are really into recruiting as a whole. I’ve built a really good connection with them.”

DeRuyter has left quite the impression on Lucas as well. Lucas said he liked the focus that the new defensive play caller has on his defense. He also added that DeRuyter has high expectations for him.

“He wants me to be a top defensive end in the Pac-12,” Lucas said. “He wants to see me come in as a freshman and play. I really like the way that he wants to use me. I can’t wait to see more.”

Lucas is a defensive end who has played on the edge and in the middle along the defensive line. He ranks as the No. 14 defensive lineman in the 2022 class (according to the 247Sports Composite), but he also has the athleticism and the hands to play tight end. He said he spoke to Coach Williams and that Oregon wants to recruit him for defense and offense.

The Adidas All-American isn’t just a standout football player; he also plays baseball and basketball at Chaparral. He said Oregon “would give me the opportunity” to play baseball if he committed, but what about playing all three sports?

“If it’s a possibility, why not?” Lucas said, while maintaining that football is his main focus.

Lucas will visit Miami this weekend on an official visit and Alabama in a couple of weeks on another official visit. He plans to take unofficial visits to Florida State and LSU as well.

Oregon has already made a splash in the 2022 recruiting cycle on the defensive line, adding Gracen Halton as well as Emar’rion Winston and Sir Mells.

If the Ducks land Lucas, they would get the top-ranked player in Arizona for the second consecutive year, as Ty Thompson committed out of Mesquite High School last year. The Ducks signed 4 of the top 15 players in the state in 2021 in Thompson, Bram Walden (No. 2), Jonah Miller (No. 5), and Brandon Buckner (No. 14).

The Arizona pipeline would grow considerably if Lucas were to join the flock, but he told me he likely won’t commit until after the Adidas All-American Bowl on Jan. 8. The talent and youth in the Oregon defensive front seven is already elite, but adding Lucas’ athleticism and speed at his size would certainly be the biggest pickup to date for the 2022 class.

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