Torres' Take: The Latest in Oregon Recruiting Coming out of the Spring Game
Oregon hosted over 100 recruits for their annual spring football game. There may not have been a ton of commitments aside from 2024 QB Luke Moga and Ole Miss transfer tight end Casey Kelly, but it was still a big success.
Here are my latest notes and intel on some of the biggest visitors.
Brandon Baker
This was a visit the Ducks needed to nail and they did. Baker has been all over the country taking trips to Georgia, Nebraska, Ohio State and Florida State this spring just to name a few.
Getting him on campus and more importantly in front of A'lique Terry was huge and it came at a great time. He told me the visit left him wanting more, which is right where the Ducks want this one to be. He's at the very top of their recruiting big board along with Eddy Pierre-Louis and Bennett Warren to name a few.
Next on the schedule are official visits to Ohio State and Georgia and it's safe to say the Ducks will get an official visit as well. Baker loved the visit but there's still a long way to go here since he won't commit until December. Did the Ducks pull back into the lead here? Maybe.
Jordan Ross
The five-star EDGE rusher made the trip across the country from Alabama and this visit probably couldn't have gone any better. Dan Lanning and Tosh Lupoi met him at the airport to pick him up and went above and beyond to ensure he had a good visit.
Again, the Lupoi and Lanning duo are driving this recruitment in the right direction. He also got to spend plenty of time with Jurrion Dickey and the two really hit it off.
Next up is an official visit to Texas and I'll bet the Ducks get one as well seeing that his Mom wasn't on the trip and winning her over will also go a long way. He's actually pretty open to going out of state for his college ball, which makes Oregon a more realistic option.
Ross released a top eight recently and now my feeling is the Ducks probably lead.
Joseph Jonah-Ajonye
I've said it a couple of times now, but the caliber of defensive line talent that was in Eugene this weekend was RIDICULOUS. And five-star EDGE Colin Simmons didn't even make it out.
Jonah-Ajonye really enjoyed his first trip to Eugene, which he made alongside top Oregon linebacker target Justin Williams, his teammate at Oakridge. He's talking to Tony Washington and Tony Tuioti a lot and they've done a great job building those relationships.
He loved the facilities and the people in Eugene, which I think helped them make up ground on Oklahoma, who is the perceived leader. Next up are officials to Oklahoma and Texas Tech, while Oregon and Georgia officials are in the works.
Kamar Mothudi
Mothudi returned to Eugene so his mother could get a look at the Oregon program and she might have loved it more than he did. The staff continues to check off all the boxes for the talented Southern California linebacker.
I think the Ducks have led for a long time now and this visit only further solidified that. He told me this trip moved up his decision timeline to early July and he's got officials to Oregon, Washington, Utah, Oregon State and Cal locked in.
Nasir Wyatt
Switching it up to the 2025 class, Oregon hit a home run with the five-star edge rusher. There's a long way to go here since he's so young, but the Ducks solidified their standing among his top schools for the foreseeable future.
The development factor with Lanning is huge and the Georgia draft picks that he coached only made the Ducks even more appealing.
You can never have enough players that can get after the QB and Wyatt is as good as it gets in his class.
The Ducks will be involved until the very end here.
Akili Smith Jr.
Akili Smith Jr. has made a name for himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He's starting to gain more buzz on the recruiting trail after recent offers from Florida and Boston College.
The Ducks got in early and that could very well pay off, as they have a solid spot in his top three. He loved what he's hearing and seeing from Will Stein. But just because he's a legacy doesn't mean he's an Oregon lock.
For now, they've definitely got an early lead in this one. He'll visit Michigan, Ohio State and some other Pac-12 schools this summer.
Best of the rest
I got to see 2024 running back Nate Frazier when I stopped at Mater Dei on Thursday and it sounds like he could be starting to wind down his process. We didn't do a formal interview but it sounds like seeing top players commit to schools that are recruiting him has been catching his eye. Meanwhile Oregon is still completely vacant at the position.
I still think the Ducks lead here and it's becoming clear who the top targets are for Carlos Locklyn. It's Frazier, Christian Clark, Jason Brown Jr. and Da'Jaun Riggs.
Lastly, keep an eye out for Oregon in the portal. Wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. announces his commitment next week and I think the Ducks still lead. However, Zakhari Franklin entered the portal after two monster seasons under Will Stein at UTSA. Would Oregon take commitments from both? Maybe just one?
Franklin had far more production than Bryant and while he hasn't officially posted an offer, I wouldn't be surprised if he pops up on campus for a visit. I also think Oregon is going to be a contender for Louisiana Lafayette transfer cornerback Trey Amos.
Giving yourself more options at corner is ideal, especially one with experience and that's coming off a big season.