Prediction: Oregon to Land 2024 Tight End
Oregon is surging on the recruiting trail after picking up a commitment from 2024 Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei defensive linemen Aydin Breland on Saturday.
Spots in the 2024 recruiting class are getting tight, but that also means that the coaches have a great feel for who they still have on the board this cycle, and more importantly, who they’re prioritizing.
Today I'm ready to make a new prediction.
I'm predicting 2024 Orem (Ut.) tight end Roger Saleapaga II to commit to the Oregon Ducks.
Confidence meter: 7/10
Explaining the pick
Saleapaga has been a name that's been linked to Oregon for a while, and part of the reason why dates back to when the Ducks signed Noah Sewell from Orem in the 2020 recruiting class.
Not only does the standout tight end have the Ducks in his top 10 schools, but he made it out to Eugene for the Colorado game, one of the biggest recruiting weekends Oregon has had this season.
Dan Lanning has made it a continued priority to focus on top talent in the state of Utah, and that usually comes in the trenches (Ben Roberts ‘22, Tevita Pome’e ‘23). However with Saleapaga, I think there's more of a priority that's being placed on him as a playmaker.
With Terrance Ferguson having a great career, I wouldn't be surprised to see him try and head to the NFL after this season. If that does happen, the Ducks need to continue adding playmakers to their offense for years to come and I think Saleapaga is just that.
He has a ton of upside as a pass catcher and playmaker after the catch. Part of that comes with him being a bit undersized for the position, so he moves really well for a tight end, but you can add weight to his frame later.
The last time I brought you some intel on this recruitment I told you it was an Oregon vs. Auburn battle. I have enough confidence now based on the people I've talked to and what I've heard to say that Oregon should win out.
Furthermore, the recent movement we saw at tight end in the 2024 class only makes me more confident that Saleapaga could be on his way to Eugene.
There's no public commitment date set, but I think he should be a Duck when all is said and done.