PREDICTION: Top 2024 Defensive Target to Oregon
Oregon is heading into its biggest recruiting weekend of June with its strongest collection of talent expected on campus for official visits.
Commits and top targets will all flock to Eugene as Dan Lanning and his coaching staff work on generating momentum and landing more verbal commitments. Schools like USC and Stanford have been popping off, and I think it's Oregon's turn to get in on the fun.
Today, I'm logging a prediction for 2024 Long Beach (Calif.) Poly linebacker Dylan Williams to commit to Oregon.
Confidence meter: 6/10
Explaining the Pick
I'll be honest, I've been wanting to log this pick for a while. I've had the feeling that Oregon has led for Williams dating all the way back to the fall when he backed off his commitment to USC. I'll admit I'm not early on this pick, but I think it's time to hop in the boat of supporters for this pick.
But when it came time to schedule official visits, Oregon wasn't one of the first schools to get a trip and a ton of other schools got in the mix, which kind of muddied the waters. That gave me a reason to pause and wait to see what other schools emerged.
Given my pulse on this recruitment I still feel like Oregon leads, but UCLA and Michigan State are also heavily involved, which is why my confidence is at a six. The Bruins have a renewed priority and focus on the recruiting trail, particularly with Southern California talent. I don't think it's to the same extent as USC, but it's notable.
The Ducks have done a great job recruiting talent in Southern California--particularly on the defensive side of the ball under Dan Lanning. Yes, they missed out on Dakoda Fields, but I think they tabbed Williams as one of their top targets this class very early and they've been able to continue getting him back on campus for visits at a steady rate.
They've shown high interest, and it feels like he's reciprocated that interest throughout the whole process. It also doesn't hurt that signed his former teammate, cornerback Daylen Austin in the 2023 class.
They're still looking for their first linebacker commit in the 2024 cycle and I consider Williams a prime candidate to join the fold. He hasn't set a commitment date yet, but I think longevity and strong relationships make it too hard for me to see another school beating the Ducks.
If they didn't already do it during his June 9 official visit, it's time for the Ducks to turn up the heat and close.
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