Oregon Isn't Slowing Down in Pursuit of USC Commit Dakoda Fields
Southern California has always been a fertile recruiting ground for college football's elite.
Year after year top recruits ink their commitments with schools like Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon--just to name a few.
Oregon has been prioritizing Southern California, and dominating on the recruiting trail in recent cycles. But "lost" a key recruiting battle early on in the 2024 cycle when Gardena (Calif.) Serra cornerback Dakoda Fields committed to USC back in June.
But that recruitment is far from over, and that was obvious when Fields, an elite 6-foot-2, 185-pound defensive back, popped up in Eugene last week for Oregon's Saturday Night Live Camp.
That sent one clear message: Oregon isn't going anywhere in this recruitment despite a verbal commitment to Lincoln Riley and the Trojans.
I've done some digging following that visit and spoke with a source close to his recruitment to get the scoop on where things stand with the Ducks.
For starters I can say this. Fields and his family love Oregon. The connection and relationships both he and his family have built with the Ducks are incredibly strong and also unique in their own ways.
Everything about the trip went great and he felt like a priority from the moment he landed in Eugene to the end of the weekend. The Oregon coaching staff has not only put in consistent effort communicating with him, but they're also pouring that effort into a very detailed approach. They're explaining to Fields how and why he can be successful in Dan Lanning's defense with Tosh Lupoi and Demetrice Martin bringing elite pedigrees to the table.
And all of that is resonating.
Fields has loved Oregon for a long time, and it's not much of a secret that his commitment came down to the Trojans and the Ducks. He's also close to a number of Southern California natives on the roster, specifically 2023 signees Daylen Austin and Rodrick Pleasant.
Pleasant was one of the biggest wins for Oregon last cycle, and his experience so far in Eugene has been a great one. The coaches would love to go two-for-two at Serra and Pleasant will only strengthen their case.
So what about USC?
Leading up to Fields' pledge, I never felt confident enough to log a prediction for Oregon. Why? Because I knew that USC was staying in the picture and were going to make him a priority after Pleasant picked Eugene over Los Angeles.
The Trojans can obviously sell him on being close to family in his hometown, bringing USC back to prominence and making a name for himself in the City of Angels.
Donte Williams was and continues to be Fields' main recruiter and was the main reason USC had a shot to land Pleasant. He's always been one of the best recruiters in the Pac-12 and on the West Coast--just like he was when he was at Oregon.
What I'm being told now is that the ball is in USC's court. What does that mean?
Just because they landed him doesn't mean that he's going to stay committed. There's still a long way to go between now and signing day.
What makes Oregon special is the all-in approach they've had from the beginning, deploying multiple coaches on staff to make sure Fields knows he's wanted, he's needed and he's a top priority.
I'm not ready to predict a flip for Fields, which I was told might've even been possible before the SNL visit, but don't think for a second that Oregon is out of this race.