Oregon Ducks Have "Serious Interest" in 2023 Idaho TE CJ Jacobsen
Spring has sprung, and with it, the seeds planted by coaches and recruiters around the country begin to bloom. For Oregon, those seeds are often laid down in states like California, Washington, and Arizona.
But the Ducks dove into the talent pool in Idaho to check out 2023 tight end CJ Jacobsen. The 3-star (0.8600 per 247 Sports) prospect from Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian, Idaho locked in a visit to Oregon next month.
Ducks Digest caught up with Jacobsen to discuss the mutual interest between him and Oregon, as well as his future visit plans.
The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder has been on the Ducks' radar for a while, primarily being in contacting with Tight Ends Coach Drew Mehringer. Mehringer invited Jacobsen to come to town on April 8 and told him that the Ducks have "serious interest" in him.
"He seems like a really cool dude," Jacobsen said of Mehringer, who talks with the young tight end often. He's super easy to talk to and make conversation with. It's been progressing. I'm super excited to meet him in person."
CJ Jacobsen
CJ Jacobsen
Jacobsen does not currently have an offer from Oregon, but he hopes to learn more about the new coaching staff on his trip and build a good enough relationship to land an offer.
So what would an offer from the Ducks mean to him?
"That would be huge. Oregon is known nationwide, and here in Idaho, the Pac-12 is the closest Power Five conference. If I got an offer from Oregon, I'd definitely be super excited."
The Ducks have made it known that they can recruit with the best of the best. Dan Lanning has preached the ability of the program to go into any recruit's home in America and bring them to Eugene.
Of course, the Ducks will utilize their elite staff of recruiters and national brand to pry the big-name players from the states you would expect, but there is plenty of talent in every state. Jacobsen told Ducks Digest that it means a lot to him that a program of that caliber would have interest in a player from Meridian, Idaho.
"Oregon can get recruits from all over the country, so it means a lot more than it would from other schools," he said.
Jacobsen is impressed with the coaching staff that Lanning has built in Eugene and believes they won't miss a beat next year.
"Coming off of a national championship at Georgia, Lanning is definitely a coach you want to have in the building," he said. "He's done a great job of building his staff. Usually teams have a rebuild year when they have an entirely new staff, but I think Oregon will pick up right where it left off."
While the trip next month technically won't be Jacobsen's first time in Eugene (he went for basketball tournaments in the past), it will be his first time checking out the Oregon football program.
CJ Jacobsen
CJ Jacobsen
One aspect that he's excited to learn about on his visit is what the Oregon offense will look like under Kenny Dillingham and Junior Adams, especially how they will utilize tight ends. Jacobsen got a taste of what's to come during his conversations with Mehringer, and it should put a smile on the faces of Oregon's tight ends and any tight end recruit interested in the Ducks.
"With Coach Cristobal, they didn't really use the tight ends much in the passing game. Mehringer told me that they're planning on having multiple tight ends on the field as passing threats, which is exactly the offense that I want to fit into."
Jacobsen is an athletic pass catcher, having transitioned from wide receiver to tight end. Schools have been recruiting him as a "flex" tight end that can line up out wide, which would be a match made in heaven for the pro-style, up-tempo offense that Dillingham has teased.
"I've heard from multiple schools that I can move a lot better and quicker than most tight ends," Jacobsen said. "They think that I can be a mismatch all over the field."
CJ Jacobsen on Visit to Louisville
CJ Jacobsen (@_cj_jacobsen_ on Instagram)/Louisville Athletics
Before Jacobsen gets to meet the Ducks on April 8, he'll head to Raleigh for a visit to NC State next week. He also has plans to visit Utah in the second week of April and will consider taking trips to BYU and Arizona State, who most recently extended an offer to him.
He said that NC State, Louisville, and BYU are recruiting him the hardest while communication with Arizona State is "picking up" following the recent offer. But he's in no hurry to make his decision any time soon, as he wants to make sure that the school he ends up choosing checks all of his boxes.
"For me, it's definitely a coaching staff that has my best interest [in mind] and will help me accomplish my goals," Jacobsen said of what he's looking for in a future home. "They should be like your second family. I'm not set on anything distance-wise; I really want to go where it is the best fit for me and where I can get a good feel for the coaching staff and hopefully play early."
*WATCH CJ JACOBSEN HIGHLIGHTS HERE*
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