Oregon Continuing Pursuit of CB Santana Wilson
The state of Arizona has been very kind to Oregon in recent years, bringing the Ducks players like Ty Thompson (2021), Kyler Kasper (2022) and Cole Martin (2023).
Dan Lanning and company are making the state a priority again in the 2024 class, going after No. 1 recruit Dylan Raiola, star edge rusher Elijah Rushing and cornerback Santana Wilson among others.
The 6-foot, 185-pound cornerback attends Desert Mountain High in Scottsdale and says Oregon is one of the schools recruiting him the hardest.
"Definitely Washington, I've been on the phone with Washington a lot," Wilson said. "Coach Juice (Julius Brown) up there the corners coach. I've kind of been talking to Coach Martin up there at Oregon a little bit. Really Washington and Oregon are recruiting me the hardest and Kansas State. They've been in really long too."
In addition to Colorado, Wilson was able to visit Eugene in January and reflected on the trip when talking about the relationships he's built with the coaching staff.
"Me and Coach Meat we kind of sat in the little corners coach room. It was really nice cause it was all the corners, we got to ask questions," he said. "He always tells me you can never ask a wrong question when it comes to that type of stuff. I met with Coach Lanning too. He's super cool, super funny. He's just always energetic, chill."
The Arizona standout feels comfortable in Eugene.
"It's definitely a spot that will make you feel like you're at home. It's definitely a nice feeling when I'm always up there."
Oregon's ability to get players to the next level is part of what makes the Ducks a main contender in his recruitment.
"Just the way they develop players, especially corners. Gonzo, he's going to get drafted first round. It definitely shows that they put a lot of effort and dedication into their players and it definitely doesn't go to waste because they have first-round picks going to the NFL"
The Ducks are right in the thick of it with Wilson when it comes to his top schools.
"Definitely top five for sure," he said about where Oregon stands in his recruitment. "That's a no brainer for me because they've always been recruiting me. It's just I've gone out there once or twice and it's really felt like home for me for a really long time especially since my older sister goes there so I've been up there a couple of times."
Looking ahead there are a couple places Wilson wants to visit, including a return trip to Eugene.
"Washington was one of my schools I wanted to get to see and then Kansas, Kansas State. Those three schools and then I wanted to come out to Oregon again."
The four-star recruit doesn't appear to be close to a decision, opting for a slower, detailed approach.
"I'm probably going to be committing in season or close to season. It'll probably be somewhere around there just so I'm not rushing and missing any of the bigger schools that potentially will offer me later."
He's looking for a family feel among other things in his decision."
"Really just a family atmosphere. That's really big for me," Wilson said. "Just having a family outside and inside of football is really big to me. That's really what I'm looking for and how they develop me for sure."
Read More Oregon Stories
Former 5-Star C Kel'el Ware enters transfer portal