Prediction: Oregon Ducks to Land Elite Defensive Back
Oregon's defense looks like it's finally growing into its own under head coach Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi.
After slowing down an explosive Colorado offense to a screeching halt in week 4, multiple players look like they're on the brink of breakout seasons.
The win over the Buffs generated some solid recruiting momentum, as 2026 5-star defensive lineman Tony Cumberland announced his commitment to Oregon shortly after the game.
With 22 verbal commitments in the Ducks' 2024 recruiting class, remaining spots are likely at a premium and I think this coaching staff is on the verge of adding another big-time talent.
Today I'm predicting 2024 College of San Mateo cornerback Sione Laulea III to commit to the Oregon Ducks.
Confidence meter: 6.5/10
Explaining the pick
The Ducks already have two cornerbacks this class in Dakoda Fields and Ify Obidegwu, but I think Laulea is a special talent. It's not often that you find 6-foot-4 cornerbacks that can run and cover. What I'm saying is even if space is tight, he's the caliber of player you hold a spot for.
The No. 1-ranked player in all of junior college according to 247Sports, he gained national attention and landed 18 scholarship offers. Earlier this week he set a commitment date for October 8 and heads into his commitment with a final three of Oregon, USC and Miami.
It seems like there's been some smoke chatter that the Trojans aren't in a super strong spot here, which if true would mean this is Oregon vs. Miami. While Miami is off to a hot start in 2023, they're all the way across the country.
READ MORE: Max Torres' Oregon Football Predictions
As for Oregon, they're red-hot right now and their defense looks like it's trending up in a big way. Demetrice Martin is one of the best developers of cornerback talent anywhere in the country, and after sending Christian Gonzalez to the NFL as a first-round draft pick, he's laying the foundation to do it again.
Khyree Jackson might have been the best defensive player on the field last week against Colorado--which is saying something when you take into account all of the elite players the Ducks have. Listed at 6'3", he's almost an exact mold of Laulea's body type, which should make it more clear for him to see how he'd fit right into this Oregon defense.
Furthermore, I'm taking Laulea's location into account here in a big way. Tosh Lupoi is also a Bay Area native and is one of the best recruiters in all of college football. I have a hard time seeing him missing on a top prospect from his area.
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We also can't forget that Oregon has a steady pipeline to College of San Mateo after landing defensive back Bennett Williams ('20) offensive lineman George Moore ('17).
When you add everything up between Lupoi, Demetrice Martin's development, and Dan Lanning's vision to build an elite defense, I think Oregon checks all the right box for Laulea.