Oregon Ducks in Hot Pursuit of 2023 Cornerback Caleb Presley

Presley was recently in Eugene for a visit and the new staff made a strong impression.

The Oregon Ducks are continuing to lay the foundation in their 2023 recruiting class by bringing elite talent to Eugene for visits. Last weekend they brought in Caleb Presley, a 4-star (0.9599 per 247 Sports Composite) cornerback from Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) High School.

With 28 offers to his name, Oregon has been one school that has begun to stand out in his recruitment following the end of the recent recruiting dead period.

He kicked off the month of March by staying close to home for a trip to Washington. 

"I enjoyed my time up there. I brought my whole family," Presley said. "I made it a point to make sure I checked out my hometown the very first day the dead period opened up. It was a great time getting to meet the coaching staff. Getting a chance to shake Coach DeBoer's hand."

The Pac-12 schools are clearly players in his recruitment, with trips to UCLA and USC also leaving drawing strong praise from the nation's No. 10 cornerback (per 247 Sports Composite). He spoke on those visits and what he's liking about each school.

UCLA

"It was a great time. I was up there with Coach (Brian) Norwood. He was giving me a full tour of the facility. There was some official visitors up there at the time. I told him I'd be back soon and get to see what the campus was really like. I'm going back for an unofficial visit."

USC

"It was a great experience getting to meet the new staff. I feel like a lot has changed since the new staff came in. I’m pretty sure he’s (Lincoln Riley) looking for nothing less than a national championship. He’s formulating a team to go compete with the best whether its the Pac or the SEC. I think Coach Riley has big plans for his future."

His most recent trip however, took him to Eugene to see Oregon, a school he's grown very comfortable with. That visit gave him a chance to get a feel for the new staff, which stood out the most to him from any aspect of the trip.

"The coaching staff had an immediate impact on me and my family," he said. "I had a chance to really talk with (Dan) Lanning, great conversation with Coach Meat.

"He was giving me game about life and college football. They’re building something special up there. Phil Knight putting all the resources in the school so they can succeed this season."

Presley's relationship with the new cornerbacks coach is long-standing, dating back to before his arrival in Eugene.

"Our relationship has been great," he said of Demetrice Martin. "Honestly since I got started being recruited by him at Colorado. Always given me the real, he’s always told me what it is and how he’s gonna coach when I get there. How he’s gonna develop me into a young man."

The 6-foot, 185-pound defensive back also got to connect with current players around the Ducks program, spending time with wide receiver Dont'e Thornton and cornerback Bryan Addison. He says they talked about the NIL opportunities available at Oregon, and Addison shared his excitement surrounding the defensive scheme being implemented this spring.

"They're just telling me the new staff has changed a lot in the program," Presley said. "Coach Lanning has changed up the whole defensive scheme, taught us things we never knew. NFL schemes Coach Tosh has brought from the NFL."

What has Oregon in a good spot is not only the numerous trips to Eugene, but also what the new staff is pitching to the elite defensive back. 

"They're just pitching building the team to go compete at the highest level. I think Coach Lanning is bringing the SEC to the Pac-12, all his experience, (I'm) pretty sure all the coaches he has on his staff are hand selected."

The Washington product says he's hearing the most from Oregon, USC, Washington, Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M and Michigan State. 

With the Ducks in such elite company, what makes their recruitment of Presley different from other schools?

"Because Uncle Phil’s there," Presley said. "He’s putting all the chips in this program cause he wants to see the program succeed. He has a lot of these players' best interest. With the NIL thing going on he’s making sure players get the most out of the deals so they can be successful in the future."

*WATCH CALEB PRESLEY HIGHLIGHTS HERE*

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