Oregon Football 2024 Recruiting Hot Board: Defensive Line
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Oregon prioritized signing defensive linemen in the 2023 recruiting class and there are several prospects who have listed the Ducks in their top schools this cycle.
But who do the Ducks have a legitimate shot at landing?
Here are the top names we are tracking in the 2024 class.
*Last updated: May 16, 2023*
1. Williams Nwaneri (Lee's Summit, MO)
Who are seven defensive linemen that Oregon is legitimately in on?Williams Nwaneri is a 5-Star defensive lineman and is the highest-ranked defensive lineman in the nation and currently holds two crystal balls to Oklahoma according to 247Sports. Nwaneri was last at Oregon on January 22, but previously visited back in August as well.
Oregon will be getting an official visit on September 23 when they host Colorado. Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and in-state Missouri will also be getting official visits, all coming in June.
A late visit indicates that Oregon wants to wait again to make a strong impression before Nwaneri’s commitment. Nwaneri is also from Dan Lanning's native state of Missouri, which could make him a more realistic option than some think.
2. David Stone Jr. (Bradenton, FL)
Stone is the No. 2 DL behind Nwaneri and I think Oregon is a dark horse here. Stone recently visited Eugene for the spring game and has made trips to Florida recently as well.
The main contenders here are Oklahoma, Michigan State, Miami, Oregon, and Florida. Oregon and Oklahoma are the only two that are definitely getting an official visit, but Stone is working on setting up an official to Florida.
Stone, like Williams Nwaneri, is a consensus top-10 player in the country. There hasn’t been any recent news about a commitment timeline but this is one Oregon fans should monitor.
3. Aydin Breland (Santa Ana, CA)
Breland is a guy that I personally really like, and a consensus high 4-Star according to the 247Sports Composite. 247Sports' individual rating even sees Breland ranking as high as a 5-Star.
Breland has visited Oregon a couple times and was re-offered by the new Oregon staff. The coaching staff is in constant communication with Breland and Oregon is still well in contention after landing in his top 10.
READ MORE: Oregon staying involved with 5-star DL Aydin Breland
4. Xadavien Sims (Durant, OK)
Sims is a 4-Star DL that has Oregon in his top five. He holds predictions on different sites to both Oklahoma and Oregon. Sims will be committing on May 20, and it's looking like it could be shaping up to be an Oregon vs. Oklahoma battle.
There may be a little bit of optimism for Oregon however, as they only offered Sims in January and have already made his top schools. Sims is ranked as high as the No. 16 DL in the nation and as low as the No. 24 DL in the nation according to 247Sports.
The Durant (Ok.) Hihg product is ranked by the same source as the consensus No. 2 DL in the state.
5. Joseph Jonah-Ajonye (Conroe, TX)
Ajonye is a guy that Oregon just recently come onto the scene for. The talented defensive lineman attends the same high school, Oak Ridge as Oregon’s top linebacker target Justin Williams.
Ajonye and Williams have mentioned they'd be open to playing together in college and both recently made it out to Eugene for the spring game. As for Williams I think Oregon leads, but Ajonye looks like he could be an Oklahoma lean at this time.
6. Jericho Johnson (Fairfield, CA)
Johnson is a prospect that has quietly jumped into top-110 on 247Sports. He visited Oregon unofficially around a month ago, and Oregon is sitting in a great spot for the Armijo (Calif.) High School product.
A thing to watch is if Georgia really wants Johnson. If they do I don’t see anyway that the Bulldogs don’t get him. For now however, Oregon, and Washington are sitting very well.
I'd expect both teams to get an official and likely Georgia as well.
7. TJ Lindsey (Bryant, AK)
Lindsey is a late riser in the 2024 class. His stock absolutely blew up at the National Combine in San Antonio back in January and now he's got all the big schools after his signature.
Lindsey visited Oregon for the spring game and spoke highly of the coaching staff, especially Tony Tuioti, who made the cross country trip to see him during his basketball season. Schools like Texas A&M, Arkansas, Tennesse, Oklahoma and LSU are all in the mix as well.
He'll be a hard pull from Arkansas and his position versatility along the defensive line is part of what makes him such an intriguing prospect for the Ducks.