Oregon Ducks Can Still Sign Prized Mater Dei Trio
Oregon is in a sweet spot when it comes to their 2024 recruiting class.
With 22 verbal commitments, they have at least one commit at every position and have done a lot of their heavy lifting.
Now, as Dan Lanning and company eye the start of the season, they can hone their focus in on priority targets that will likely commit and potentially sign between now and December.
Three of those recruits all attend the same school: Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. The Monarchs are ranked No. 1 in the country by MaxPreps and will open their season on Friday against the No. 15-ranked Corona Centennial Huskies.
DL Aydin Breland
At 6'6", 290 pounds, Breland is one of it not the most physically imposing defensive linemen on the West Coast. He whittled his 25 scholarship offers to 10 in May, and the Ducks made the cut.
Breland stayed busy on the recruiting trail this summer, ticking off official visits to Oregon, Georgia, Texas A&M and Miami. He also took an unofficial visit to Oregon in May.
Midway through August, two teams seem to be gaining traction in his recruitment. We could be looking at another Oregon vs. Georgia battle as Dan Lanning faces off against his former head coach Kirby Smart.
Breland previously spoke about committing at the start of his senior season, but has yet to announce a decision date. Oregon has two defensive line commitments on the interior (Tionne Gray and Xadavien Sims) and it's no secret Breland is their top uncommitted target at the position.
The Ducks were initially viewed by some as a team on the outside looking in for Breland, but their chances are very real. If it is indeed down to the Ducks and Bulldogs, Dan Lanning and his coaching staff are hoping they can emerge victorious with a commitment from the No. 6 overall player and the No. 2 defensive lineman in the country (according to 247Sports).
OT Brandon Baker
Baker is the nation's No. 1 offensive tackle and has long been linked to the Ducks. With his older brother Gary playing defensive line at Oregon, some people thought he was a lock to spend his college years in Eugene.
But that's not the case. After a verbal commitment looked imminent under Adrian Klemm in the fall, his departure opened the door for other schools to shake up this recruitment.
The Ducks have done a great job staying at the forefront, but schools like Texas, Ohio State and Nebraska are all threatening to come out West and snag the premier offensive lineman. Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers are expected to get an official visit next month, so they certainly shouldn't be counted out.
As for my pulse, I still feel like Oregon is in a great spot with Baker. The familiarity with the program, family connections, relationships and NFL development all weigh in Dan Lanning's favor, but this one could end up going the distance to December. It may be worth noting that Baker has yet to take his official visit with the Ducks, so maybe they cook up something special for that trip.
Both Breland and Baker are crucial in wining the line of scrimmage when Dan Lanning and his program make their move to the Big Ten.
WR Jack Ressler
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound wideout committed to Oregon back in June and kicked off Oregon's inroad to the Trinity League power in the 2024 recruiting class.
Also an Under Armour All-American selection, Ressler picked the Ducks over Boise State, Arizona State and a host of other programs from his 24 offers. He, along with fellow California products Jordan Anderson and Dillon Gresham, make up the wide receiver haul for Junior Adams and company thus far.
I believe Ressler's pledge is a solid one to the Ducks heading into the season, and having a committed player at Mater Dei should only aid Oregon's efforts to land Baker and Breland, especially if they can host the trio on campus again in the near future for a game.
Bonus- RB Nate Frazier
Frazier is committed to Georgia, but Oregon won't shy away just because of a verbal commitment.
He chose Georgia from a final four that also included Texas A&M, Oregon and Alabama and the ballcarrier has a very strong relationship with Carlos Locklyn. Frazier would be an amazing addition in Oregon's 2024 backfield alongside running back commit Da'Jaun Riggs, but only time will tell if the Ducks can flip one of the nation's best all-purpose backs from the back-to-back defending national champions.
If they can do that, maybe they're looking at a dream scenario of the Mater Dei quartet.