Who's Next at Edge for Oregon in 2024?

The Ducks missed out on one of their top recruiting targets but there's still some talented players they're after.

Oregon recruiting was dealt a significant blow on the recruiting trail on Thursday as 2024 Tucson (Ariz.) Salpointe Catholic edge rusher Elijah Rushing committed to the Arizona Wildcats, spurning the Ducks after they had long been considered the favorites for his commitment. 

BREAKING: Elite 2024 EDGE Elijah Rushing has Committed to Arizona!

The 6’6 225 EDGE from Tucson, AZ chose the Wildcats over Oregon, Notre Dame, & Tennessee

Rushing is the highest-ranked recruit to commit to Arizona in the modern ranking ERA 🤯https://t.co/u9R2U8L4Lu pic.twitter.com/iC1bb50UQK

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 6, 2023

Oregon would be smart to stay involved and continue recruiting Rushing until signing day and I fully expect that to be the case.

With Rushing electing to stay home and play for Jedd Fisch, Oregon is still looking for a difference maker that can get after the quarterback. 

Jordan Ross

The Birmingham (Ala.) Vestavia Hills five-star edge rusher is now the main focus for Oregon at edge. 

That may sound crazy because he's all the way out in Alabama, but the Ducks continue to have success in that region after landing JacQawn McRoy out of Pinson (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville to start he month.

Oregon made a massive impression on Ross during his spring game visit and he would've made it out for another unofficial visit last month had it not been for plane troubles on that trip. Missing out on that opportunity certainly didn't help their chances, but the Ducks are squarely in the mix still.

I'm told the plan is for him to take an official visit during the season, possibly for the USC game, which only adds to the headlines surrounding that weekend. Getting his mother on board will be crucial, as she has yet to make it out to Eugene. 

There's a long way to go here, but Oregon is in better shape than most people probably think.

Colin Simmons

The Duncanville (Tex.) star has been on Oregon's radar for a long time. I don't think the Ducks are in as good of shape here as they are with Ross, but they're still firmly involved.

He made it out to Eugene for another visit last month alongside some of his Duncanville teammates like 2025 five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore--an important trip after he missed a previously scheduled Oregon trip for the spring game.

I get the feel Texas is going to be very hard to upset in this recruitment, but the Ducks are one of three teams you'll probably continue to hear along with LSU. 

I'm told the plan is for him to take an official visit to Oregon before he makes his decision. As is the case with Ross, the Ducks are going to have to play the long game here.

Solomon Williams

The Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day standout EDGE has shown solid interest in the Ducks and took a recent trip to Eugene. Oregon and Alabama seem to be two schools that are starting to stick out here.

Although he's a three-star guy he's got 45 reported scholarship offers, so don't let that fool you. A'lique Terry and Carlos Locklyn have been leading Oregon's charge into the Sunshine State since Adrian Klemm left and should help the Ducks stay involved here.

2023s need to step up

Missing out on Rushing is a tough blow. I'm not going to sugarcoat that. It's a major loss. But fortunately for the Ducks, they hit the edge spot hard last cycle, signing Matayo Uiagalelei, Ashton Porter, Jaeden Moore and Blake Purchase. 

Uiagalelei looks to be the most promising of the bunch from what we've seen so far, but the point I'm getting at is the need isn't as pressing as it may seem. Yes the Ducks need guys who can get after the quarterback, but their next great may already be on the roster. 

I'll bet the staff is hoping at least one if not more of these guys can step up and make an early impact.

What about the transfer portal?

Lastly, there's always the portal. I don't think that should be the go-to option though. You still need to take your shot at the top-tier guys at every position, and that's what Oregon is doing.

However, as we've seen before, top targets can pop up again in the portal if they don't see early playing time or some other factor leads to a departure. Time will tell if Jordan Burch can take that next step with the Ducks, but they could end up plucking another player of his caliber out of the portal that would make this sting a lot less.