CLASS IMPACT: Dakoda Fields Commits to Oregon
Oregon scored a big win on the trail Monday, flipping 2024 Gardena (Calif.) Serra cornerback Dakoda Fields from USC, as he announced his commitment to Dan Lanning and the Ducks.
As usual, we're breaking this commitment down from every angle.
Recruiting Impact
You can't really overstate how big of a recruiting win this is for Oregon. The Ducks steal one of the top commits in USC's class and Fields being a Southern California product only makes it that much sweeter.
He's also the first commit for Dan Lanning after the Ducks announced their move to the Big Ten--a move that should only bring positive recruiting momentum moving forward.
Demetrice Martin deserves his flowers for this one, as he stayed consistent and let his track record of development do a lot of the talking. But you have to mention the entire staff here.
Dan Lanning, Tosh Lupoi and Rashad Wadood all played significant roles in this recruitment as a team approach proved to be a key difference between USC and Oregon.
I want to take some extra time to highlight Wadood, as the Southern California native has been instrumental to Oregon's recruiting success since being hired, particularly in the Los Angeles area. He's incredibly well-connected to the region and gives the Ducks a direct connection to the best of the best and perhaps more importantly the up-and-comers.
Lastly, the Ducks now have two top-150 talents in the fold at cornerback, as Fields joins Ify Obidegwu in the secondary. It's likely going to be a smaller haul at the position this cycle, and so far Demetrice Martin has his guys.
Evaluation
Fields has an ideal frame for Dan Lanning's defense at 6'2", 185 pounds. Not only is he a tall, long corner, but he can definitely run. He doesn't have crazy state record speed like Rodrick Pleasant, but he can certainly move and keeps up with a majority of the receivers he faces.
He also has fluid hips and great lateral agility, which will be crucial with the elite route runners he'll match up with at the next level. Fields plays with great technique and typically doesn't surrender inside leverage.
The newest Duck is a good tackler and is physical off the line of scrimmage, but I'd like to see him play with more aggression and add a downhill aspect to his game. He has good ball skills as well, which only adds to his value as he makes good plays when the ball is in the air.
Fields was only able to play six games as a junior in 2022 before his season was cut short by an injury, but he appears to be on track to be a full go for Serra's season opener against Orange Lutheran on August 18.
Roster Outlook at Oregon
As I wrote above, Fields is a perfect fit in the Oregon defense. That said, it doesn't necessarily mean that he'll play right away.
He definitely has a chance to earn some early snaps in Eugene, but it's shaping up to be a crowded room. Nikko Reed and Dontae Manning, two of the team's projected top options--have the ability to come back in 2024 and there's plenty of promising true freshmen that are capable of carving out roles at the position.
That said, Fields has the frame, technique and skill set to be a multi-year starter for the Ducks and should only continue to improve his game between now and his arrival in Eugene.