Oregon Football 2024 Recruiting Hot Board: Safety
Safety has been up-and-down at Oregon since the days of Jevon Holland and Verone McKinley III roaming the secondary.
It's a priority for new Oregon safeties coach Chris Hampton and the rest of the staff in 2024 and we're looking at the top safeties to know for Oregon Football recruiting.
*Note: Oregon holds a verbal commitment from 4-star Forney (Tex.) safety Aaron Flowers*
Last updated: April 7, 2023
Xavier Filsaime
Filsaime is one of the truly elite safeties in the 2024 class. Playing in Texas means he's tested on a weekly basis against some of the best talent in the country.
He has a top five of Oregon, USC, Florida, LSU and Georgia. Filsaime took visits to Oregon and LSU in March, which has the Ducks in contention for the standout defensive back. Florida appears to be the main competition for Oregon here.
There's been some buzz that Filsaime could make it out to Eugene for Oregon's spring game, which reinforces that the Ducks are a serious contender here.
Nation's No. 3 safety Xavier Filsaime places Oregon in top five
KJ Bolden
We're starting this hot board with some pretty big names if you couldn't already tell.
Bolden is going to be a tough pull for the Ducks with all of college football's elite, especially Georgia, staying in the mix with one of the state's top players.
Fortunately for the Ducks he's slated to visit for the Oregon spring game and sometimes all it takes is one trip to Eugene to become a serious contender. Bolden is working from a loaded top 15 that features the likes of USC, Alabama and Ohio State so it looks like there's still a long way to go.
Peyton Woodyard
Like Filsaime, Woodyard is one of the best players you'll find in the country regardless of position. I've had a chance to see him play in person a number of times and he's a physical player that has a great feel for the game, which allows him to be in the right place at the right time.
Oregon was recruiting him heavily before he committed to Georgia and I don't expect that to stop any time soon, especially given the extensive Southern California ties on the team from both a coach and player perspective including his former teammate Matayo Uiagalelei, who the Ducks signed in 2023. Getting Woodyard back on campus would be a good start and he's told me multiple times that the Braves and Ducks run a similar defensive scheme, which could help him find his way onto the field early.
Peyton Woodyard places Oregon in top schools
Jaylen McClain
McClain is another intriguing safety recruit for the Ducks in 2024.
The New Jersey product has Oregon in his top ten schools and made it out to Eugene in the spring. Penn State is viewed as the biggest threat in this recruitment which isn't much of a surprise given location and the Nittany Lions' history of recruiting the Northeast.
He said his first trip to Eugene answered all the questions he had about the program and the Ducks see him as a piece to the puzzle in their quest for a national championship.
Jaylen McClain breaks down Oregon visit
Jason Mitchell
Mitchell is one of the top defensive backs in the Southern California region and part of the reason is because he's so versatile.
Before transferring to St. John Bosco he was asked to do a lot of different things at Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra including playing quarterback and wide receiver. Mitchell doesn't have any top schools at the moment but he does have a commitment date of September 16 and has said Oregon will receive an official visit.
As you'd expect with a Southern California recruit USC is heavily involved here and will get an official visit along with LSU. His father played at USC which could make the Trojans even more appealing.
Even so, there's still plenty of time for Oregon to make up ground here.
Jason Mitchell sets commitment date
Marquis Gallegos
Gallegos is a top safety in So Cal playing at Chaminade, where he grabbed seven interceptions as a junior.
He may not be under the national spotlight to the same degree as some of the other recruits on this list, but that could be a good thing for Oregon if they end up as one of the bigger offers he has when all is said and done.
Gallegos visited Eugene in March along with Oregon State, Washington, LSU and Texas A&M. USC got a visit in January and figures to stay involved, but it's important to keep in mind the Ducks have dominated defensive recruiting in Southern California for a while, including more recently in Dan Lanning's first full recruiting cycle.
Other names to watch: Jordan Johnson-Rubbell (Bradenton, FL), Ka'Davion Dotson (Duncanville, TX), Kyan McDonald (Seattle, WA)
Read More
Oregon Football 2024 Recruiting Hot Board: Cornerback