Oregon's Approach at Wide Receiver Remains Fluid in 2024 Recruiting Class

Oregon has three verbal commitments at wide receiver in the 2024 recruiting class.

Jordan Anderson of Newport Beach (Calif.) Newport Harbor is the highest rated of the of the trio, and he's followed by Dillon Gresham of San Jacinto (Calif.) High and Jack Ressler from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei.

There was a significant development for Junior Adams and the wide receiver staff on Sunday, when St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers All-American Jeremaiah McClellan announced his commitment to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

One thing to keep in mind is that a coach wants a talented group, but I think it's even better if you have a talented group that does different things well and can help you give defenses a variety of looks. I've been told by some people around the Southern California scene that Anderson and Gresham are similar players, so maybe it would behoove Junior Adams to add some new dimensions to this haul.

So it feels like a great time to get readers up to speed on my feel for the staff's approach at the position moving forward, with some notes on top targets. Make sure to stay until the end for a bonus nugget.

Jeremiah McClellan

McClellan had three hats on the table in Ohio State, Oregon and Missouri. Typically you can't say too much when the Buckeyes snag a wide receiver. They certainly hold the title of "Wide Receiver U" as it stands.

What I can tell you is that Oregon will remain involved and continue to recruit McClellan. After all you made it this far in his recruitment, so why stop now?

He was scheduled to visit for Saturday Night Live last month. We all know that trip fell through, so my sense is the priority becomes getting him back on campus. One source I spoke with told me the Ducks still have a solid chance with McClellan despite his verbal pledge. Don't expect anything to happen in the near future, but fans should continue to monitor his recruitment.

James Madison II (Missouri commit)

The 2024 wideout from Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas committed to Missouri last month. At 6'3", 190 pounds I like the physicality in his game and the size he could give this group that they don't yet have.

Dan Lanning and Madison are both from Kanas City, so that could be a card up Lanning's sleeve if he wants to push hard to get back into this recruitment.

Xavier Jordan (USC commit)

I had someone ask me on my show the other day if I viewed Jordan as a flip candidate. I'll keep it simple and say it's a long shot. Even though Oregon was one of the earlier schools to show interest before he blew up, this is a recruit that has LA, and more specifically USC written all over him.

Ryan Pellum (USC commit)

A player with strong family ties to the program, some Duck fans were surprised to see him choose the Trojans over the Ducks. Like I reported, I expected the Ducks to be in the running until the very end.

However, he recently welcomed a young son into the world, which makes me think it will be hard to pull him away from the comforts of family and home in Los Angeles.

Gatlin Bair (Boise State commit)

The speedster from Idaho just committed to Boise State. He strikes me as a player who takes a lot of pride in where he's from and I bet Andy Avalos sold him on being a player that can help the Broncos take the next step.

Also, for what it's worth I can't recall many if any instances where Oregon has taken commitments from players that plan to take missions before playing their college ball.

Bonus nugget

I can't give away too much here, but I can tell you this. Oregon is staying involved with an elite wide receiver that's currently committed to an SEC program.

I don't know specifics about the strength of said player's commitment status, but the Ducks do have a unique tie to him that could make the recruitment very interesting if he decides to reopen his recruitment and give the Ducks a chance.

With today's recruiting you see coaches continuing to recruit players even with their verbal commitments, and why wouldn't you? If I'm a coach I'm giving a recruitment everything I have until a player or their family shuts down communication.