Twists and Turns in Oregon WR Recruiting Ahead of Early Signing Period
There are less than 10 days until the early signing period begins and top recruits from across the country begin putting pen to paper and inking their college commitments.
One of the positions that's been in the headlines for the Ducks lately has been wide receiver.
It feels like a foregone conclusion that Troy Franklin will declare for the 2024 NFL Draft after a historic year with the Ducks. However, he's yet to announce his decision to go pro or return to Eugene and we're also keeping an eye on Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden, two experienced wide receivers who can return to Oregon in 2024.
The coaching staff is placing a priority on the position both in the transfer portal and in the high school ranks to close out the 2024 cycle.
Let's dive into the latest.
On Friday, 2024 wide receiver Jordan Anderson backed off nearly a year-long commitment to the Ducks. That leaves Oregon with just two wide receiver commitments in Jack Ressler from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei and Dillon Gresham from San Jacinto (Calif.).
Ressler hasn't wavered in his commitment and neither has Gresham, but Gresham took a pair of official visits over the weekend to Arizona and USC. Arizona was one of his three finalists along with Oregon and Washington.
USC seemed content on letting one of the top players in Southern California head to Oregon after missing out on his verbal commitment, but getting him on campus for an official visit this weekend shows that they want to give it one last shot.
The Trojans already have commitments from top local wide receivers Xavier Jordan (Sierra Canyon) and Ryan Pellum (Millikan). Gresham has been committed to the Ducks since May, but his recruitment now looks like it's one worth watching.
So what's next for the Ducks?
The Ducks have made a pair of offers to wide receivers in the transfer portal, extending offers to Mississippi State's Zavion Thomas last week and Louisiana Tech's Cyrus Allen on Monday.
But they surely aren't done examining their options at the high school level.
Dan Lanning and a couple of Oregon coaches made it out to Idaho last week to check in on speedster Gatlin Bair, who recently decommitted from Boise State. That recruitment looks like it's down to Oregon and Michigan, with no firm timeline in place for a decision.
If I had to say right now I'd say the Wolverines lead there. Colston Loveland played for Burley head coach Cameron Andersen before heading to Ann Arbor, which might give them a leg up from a relationship standpoint.
I've also heard some chatter on a pair of receivers committed elsewhere over the weekend. It seems like there's still confidence that the Ducks can land Ohio State wide receiver commit Jeremiah McClellan. It felt like things had gone quiet there since his visit to Eugene in September, but Oregon may not be finished in that recruitment just yet.
Another name to keep an eye on is Ryan Pellum from Long Beach (Calif.) Millikan. He's been committed to USC since late June but I've been told the Ducks are circling back on that one. It would make sense considering he narrowed his recruitment down to Oregon and USC.
There's family ties to the program and Junior Adams has been a strong recruiter with the Ducks. Nothing is confirmed, but don't be surprised if Pellum pops up on campus for a visit before the early signing period begins.
I'd also say Micah Hudson could be a name that comes back into play for the Ducks. He's committed to Texas Tech, so maybe it's not likely, but the Ducks have some connections that could help them get back into the picture.
Maybe Calabasas (Calif.) wide receiver Aaron Butler is another player the Ducks go after. He's a top talent on the West Coast and just recently de-committed from Colorado. I've heard that Washington is a team with a shot there and Mizzou could be worth watching as well. He's visited Oregon before and was previously a top target in the 2024 class.
