Class Impact: What Aaron Flowers Commitment Means for Oregon Football
On Friday afternoon, Forney (Tex.) safety Aaron Flowers announced his commitment to Oregon, picking the Ducks from a loaded group of top schools that included the likes of USC, Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
He's the first commit for Dan Lanning and company since edge rusher Jaxson Jones pledged to Oregon on January 29.
We're breaking this commitment down from a couple different angles, starting with what this means for the Ducks on the recruiting trail and the roster.
Recruiting Impact
This recruitment came down to Oregon and USC. It was trending toward USC seemingly since he wrapped up his trip to Los Angeles at the end of last month.
But the Ducks never let up and I was told they made a very strong push even in the last 24 hours. Beating USC for a safety with nearly 30 offers is no small task, but it's also not that much of a surprise seeing that Dan Lanning seems to have Lincoln Riley's number when the two head coaches are going toe-to-toe for elite defensive talent.
Flowers is the first defensive back for Oregon in the 2024 class and the first commit from the prep ranks for new safeties coach Chris Hampton, who joined Lanning's staff after serving as the DC at Tulane last season. Furthermore, Flowers continues Oregon's push into Texas for top talent after signing six players from the Lone Star State in 2023.
This staff has serious ties throughout that state which make them at the very least a competitor for nearly any recruit in that area. Texas has become and will continue to be a pipeline state for Oregon and under Lanning it's receiving the same amount of attention as California.
Looking ahead the Ducks are still pursuing multiple safeties in 2024, but the real names to watch at Xavier Filsaime, also out of Texas, and New Jersey standout Jaylen McClain.
Roster Impact
As for the roster impact, you need safeties this cycle. Even after signing a talented pair in Kodi DeCambra and Texas native Tyler Turner in 2023. Bryan Addison, Jamal Hill, Steve Stephens IV and Evan Williams all enter their final seasons so you need to keep that room full of solid talent. Tysheem Johnson, JJ Greenfield and Trejon Williams could all return in 2023 if they choose.
Evaluation
Flowers is an intriguing safety in a class that's loaded with top-end talent. One of the first things that stands out on tape is the physical nature of his game.
That's aided by a 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame that helps him thrive in run support. When he comes down from the secondary he also plays with active hands. As a junior in 2022 he recorded 55 total tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Flowers brings some positional versatility to Dan Lanning's secondary, as he also logged plenty of snaps at cornerback. In fact, he was named Texas District 7-5A D-II first-team at that position, which means the Ducks are adding a defensive back with plenty of coverage ability.
He has good speed that helps him go stride-for-stride with most wideouts he faces and turn on the jets when he needs to recover. I like his feel for the game. He plays with good instincts and anticipation, and traits like that keep him around the ball and involved on a majority of plays.
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