CLASS IMPACT: Ify Obidegwu Commits to Oregon
On Sunday morning, Oregon landed a big-time commitment in the secondary in the form of Ify Obidegwu.
The Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy cornerback becomes the second commit in the secondary alongside Forney (Tex.) safety Aaron Flowers.
Recruiting Impact
Obidegwu’s commitment was a bit surprising because he was previously thought to be leaning towards Tennessee. With that being said, Oregon gets a surge of momentum going into the next few weeks, which may be some of the biggest weeks for Oregon recruiting.
Getting a cornerback in the fold at his caliber allows Oregon to not only target other high-level corners, but focus their attention on some other elite defensive targets. Oregon cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin has been an outstanding recruiter since he arrived in Eugene. He's landed blue-chip prospects such as Rodrick Pleasant, Daylen Austin, his son Cole Martin, and now you can add Obidegwu to the list.
Along with the names listed from current and previous recruiting classes, Oregon is in the mix for several other top cornerback recruits. A few names worth watching are Bryce West, Zabien Brown, Aaron Scott, Dakoda Fields, Mario Buford and Miles Lockhart.
Transitioning back to Obidegwu, he attends national powerhouse St. Frances Academy in Maryland. This commitment speaks volumes to what the staff has been aiming to do over the past two cycles in the DMV area.
Going across the country to land a commit at a national powerhouse is one thing but also looking to land its quarterback is on another level. That’s right, new Oregon commit Ify Obidegwu and Oregon’s top target at quarterback, Michael Van Buren attend the same school.
Now taking a look at the DMV as a whole, you can see other top talents Oregon has made a huge impression on, one of those being 2024 5-Star edge rusher Dylan Stewart. Stewart attends Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington D.C. and just recently made the trip out to Oregon’s spring game.
Oregon now has two straight classes with a commit from the DMV area and fought tooth and nail for the No. 1 athlete in the 2023 cycle, Nycoles Harbor, who ended up at South Carolina.
Dan Lanning and the rest of the staff at Oregon have made it clear they aren’t afraid to reach across the country for a recruit and have prioritized the east coast as a whole. Oregon’s 2024 class already has a commitment from 4-Star wide receiver Tyseer Denmark of Philadelphia and is looking to add several others from the East Coast.
Dylan Stewart and Michael Van Buren are the two I’ve already mentioned from the DMV but Oregon is also interested in RB De'Jaun Williams (MD), and safety Jaylen McClain (NJ) among others.
Eval (Via Max Torres)
From a physical standpoint, Obidegwu fits the Lanning defense to a tee as a bigger defensive back at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds.
He plays with good technique, particularly with the use of his hands in pass coverage. He's a disruptive force on defense whether it's intercepting passes or forcing fumbles when he comes down in run support.
Obidegwu has a good feel for the game and has a higher floor than most recruits you'll find because of where he plays. St. Frances Academy plays a national schedule, whether it was IMG Academy (FL), DeSoto (TX) in 2022 or Mater Dei (CA) next season.
He routinely faces elite competition, which should make it easier for him to hang with receivers he'll face in the Pac-12 and in non-conference play. Demetrice Martin starts his 2024 haul with a blue-chip talent.
Roster Outlook
Obidegwu is an elite addition to the secondary but he may have to wait a year to get a big opportunity. The cornerback room will likely have at least one starter depart for the draft but there are still a few somewhat experienced guys awaiting their turn.
One of those guys is Jahlil Florence, who will have two years under his belt by the time Obidegwu arrives on campus. Khamari Terrell will be in the same boat as Florence.
The most experienced guy being Dontae Manning, who if he doesn't transfer, will be a senior. There are five current true freshmen in Oregon’s cornerback room with likely one or two that get redshirted.
Regardless, Obidegwu has the tools to contribute early in a rather young Oregon secondary.