Quarterback Jaden Rashada Discusses Oregon Visit, Latest in Recruitment
Recruiting is full steam ahead in Eugene, as Dan Lanning and his staff hosted visitors over the weekend, and then promptly hit the road to visit schools and prospects during the week.
A top priority for Oregon recruiting is finding a quarterback in the 2023 class, which will no doubt be a major factor in gaining momentum on the trail, as they're often viewed as the centerpiece of a given recruiting class. Once you find your QB, a lot of dominos can fall and it becomes easier to sell your offensive vision to recruits.
One of the big name visitors that was in town this past weekend was 6-foot-4, 185-pound Pittsburg (Pittsburg, Calif.) High quarterback Jaden Rashada. A top name in his class regardless of position, he placed Oregon in his top ten and returned to Eugene after being offered during his previous visit in the fall.
However this time, he was greeted by some new faces and tons of energy from the new coaching staff. The facilities were top notch and no doubt still impressed, but he's focused on more than the glamour the program has to offer.
"Just the atmosphere with the coaching," He said. "It's more about the people in the facilities."
In fact, his favorite part of the visit was getting on the chalk board and connecting with new Offensive Coordinator Kenny Dillingham.
Despite just arriving in Eugene, the man behind Oregon's new offense has already built a strong relationship with Rashada, and the two see eye-to-eye.
"Me and Coach Dillingham are pretty close," the quarterback said. "We understand each other pretty well, so it makes coaching and learning easier."
But Dillingham wasn't the only coach Rashada was around this weekend. He also got plenty of time with Oregon's head man.
"I was with Coach [Dan] Lanning all weekend," he said. "And he came by my school (on Monday)."
Lanning has made it a point to tap in with top West Coast talent, and he's clearly off to a great start. He's already put the Ducks in a great spot with the Northern California product and his family.
"He’s big on family and I think it's huge playing for a guy who's big on family," he said of the Oregon head coach. "It shows they care more about you as a person than anything else. He was treating my family great and I can't ask him for more than that. It was a great visit. We got to know each other pretty well."
He made his way around the facilities during his time in Eugene, and also got to reconnect with former teammate and current Ducks quarterback Jay Butterfield.
As he got to learn more about the staff's vision for the program, Oregon continued to make a solid impression.
"They’re building something special up here," Rashada said. "That was good that they got this thing rolling."
The junior is hearing from a host of programs frequently including Oregon, Washington and Clemson among others. He even received an offer from LSU on Monday, as more schools continue see buy in to his elite skill and high potential.
"Coach Joe Sloan talked it over with the head man and they pulled the trigger," he said of the offer from the Tigers. "They’ve been recruiting me pretty hard these past couple weeks since they got in. I love getting that opportunity to build the relationship with those coaches."
With another dead period on the horizon, Rashada plans to take his official visits right when they open in the spring, saying the he wants to get to work recruiting and building a class at his next stop. He also added that it's fair to say Oregon will receive an official at this point in his recruitment.
As Rashada navigates the recruiting process, he has his priorities straight and knows what he wants in his college of choice.
"Development and really being in the best situation possible. What I look for, you obviously wanna be a coach’s guy," he told Ducks Digest. "Having a chance to compete for a natty, can’t ask for much more than that at as quarterback."
*WATCH JADEN RASHADA JUNIOR SEASON HIGHLIGHTS HERE*
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