Oregon's NFL Development Has Tyler Booker's Full Attention

Ducks targeting another top talent at offensive tackle

Author:
Reid Tingley
Publish date:
May 4, 2021 1:16 PM EDT

Oregon has started to build a reputation for its ability to produce top tier offensive linemen during the Mario Cristobal era. In the 2021 class, offensive line coach Alex Mirabal hauled in one of the most talented groups in the country, including 2 of the top 10 offensive tackles nationally, in Kingsley Suamataia and Bram Walden. The group was rounded out by the nation's No. 2 center, Jackson Powers-Johnson and 4-star OG Jonah Miller.

Now the staff is hoping to amass even more talent in the trenches for 2022. High on Oregon’s board is the nation's No. 40 prospect, OT Tyler Booker (0.9824 per 247Sports composite). Ducks Digest caught up with him for the latest in his recruitment.

At 6’5", 325 pounds, Booker projects as an impact player in college and a likely NFL draft selection down the road. The New Haven, Connect native currently attends IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, one of the premier high school programs in the country. The Ducks have built a relationship with IMG, most recently signing current Oregon receiver Josh Delgado an IMG product from the 2018 class.

Booker is focused on a select group of schools after revealing his top five earlier this year. As one of those five schools, Oregon is in the thick of his recruitment along with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Ohio State. That’s an elite list of programs both on the field and the recruiting trail, and all are making Booker a high priority.

For Booker, the recruiting approach of those five programs has stood out.

“The thing that’s special about all five of these schools is they’re not recruiting just me, they’re recruiting my family as well,” Booker told Ducks Digest.

Going forward, Booker is planning to take official visits to each of his finalists. He's already set his schedule.

He'll visit Florida on June 4, Oregon on June 14, Georgia June 18, Ohio State (June 21, and round out a busy mont with Alabama on June 25. He’s hoping to make a decision “a few weeks into July,” once he’s completed those trips.

Booker says he’s hearing from Oregon every day, and talking most to Coach Alex Mirabal and Coach Cristobal, who are his primary recruiters.

Just how interested is Booker in the Ducks?

“Oregon is one of the most premier programs in college football, but the people in the building are really just down to earth people,” he said.

One interaction with the Ducks’ staff made a particularly big impression on Booker.

“I remember one time, my dad, my former head coach, and I were all on a Zoom with Oregon. They didn’t even have a presentation. A lot of people would be like ‘what do you mean they didn’t have a presentation?’

"Their presentation to us was them as people, and that was probably one of the best Zooms I’ve been on to date because I really got to see the type of people they are, how they interact with each other, and that room is just so tight knit, it’s really special.”

Of Booker’s finalists, the Ducks stand alone as the only West Coast program in the running. Despite the distance, the Oregon brand was able to make enough of an impression on Booker for them to be included.

The allure of Nike U caught his eye at first, but more recently something else has his attention.

“Obviously as a younger kid it was the uniforms, but as I continued to grow up I started to see how they started to produce a lot more NFL talent,” Booker said.

He also noted he was impressed by the Ducks' willingness to schedule highly ranked non-conference opponents, most notably teams that have made a run in the college football playoff.

“I like seeing schools go out of their way to find great competition,” he said.

The trend will continue as the Ducks have major games scheduled against two of Booker’s other finalists in the coming seasons, traveling to Ohio State in 2021 and then meeting Georgia in Atlanta in 2022.

With Oregon’s Penei Sewell being the first offensive lineman taken in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft, buzz continues to circulate about Sewell being a generational talent, and Booker has taken notice as well.

“Seeing Penei Sewell come out of Oregon, where he’s probably going to be the first offensive lineman taken in the draft, that’s very interesting. I like that a lot about Oregon that they’re able to produce those early draft picks from the offensive tackle position.”

Still, Booker is confident that his abilities will show at whichever school he attends.

“Really I know the type of caliber of player I am, I’m going to be the first offensive tackle picked in my draft class, whenever that may be, from wherever I go to school.”

More from Ducks Digest

[Basketball]: Insider intel on Angela Dugalic in the transfer portal

[NFL Draft]: Three more Oregon defensive backs taken on day 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft

[Football]: Justin Flowe announces arrival at Oregon with versatile performance in spring game

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