Oregon Ducks enter crucial 2-day recruiting stretch; Can they land nation's top quarterback?

Andrew Nemec | May 3, 2025

Nashville Christian quarterback Jared Curtis is one of 10 choices for Top Returning Tennessee high school quarterback in 2024. / Nashville Christian Instagram

The Oregon Ducks begin a crucial two-day stretch Sunday, as a pair of top targets are set to announce therir college commitments.

First up is Mater Dei (California) four-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, the nation's No. 6 pass-catcher and No. 59 overall prospect.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound athlete is down to a final five of Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and USC and will announce his commitment on 247Sports' YouTube channel at 12:30 p.m. PT.

Here's what 247Sports had to say about Dixon-Wyatt as a prospect:

"Prototype WR in terms of his size and athleticism. Has a strong 6-2, 180 pound frame and plays a physical game. Can bully opposing corners who try and press him and as is a willing blocker. Has strong hands and dominates 50-50 balls and catches the ball well through contact. For his size, has some wiggle to him and is surprisingly shifty after the catch. Runs well and can make plays down the field in the vertical passing game. Tough to stop in red zone situations and should be a tough matchup in the red zone. Has a nice edge in his game and always competes at a high level. Might not put up super big numbers playing for such a balanced team but has the tools to be a dominant No. 1 WR on a high major Power 4 team with Sunday potential."

On the eve of Dixon-Wyatt's decision, Oregon is viewed as the favorite - with On3 giving the Ducks an 87.5 percent chance of securing his commitment.

On Monday, Nashville Christian School (Tennessee) five-star quarterback Jared Curtis will come off the board, announcing his commitment at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

The nation's top quarterback has been down to Oregon and Georgia for some time, but it has been difficult to gauge if either program has truly separated itself.

According to 247Sports' Tom Loy, it's going to be a tight battle to the end, and a decision may even get pushed back.

"Over the last couple weeks I was leaning heavily towards Oregon," he said. "Now everybody around him says it's a coin-flip, it's 50-50, the decision is not made. One day he is feeling Oregon, one day he is feeling Georgia. I think people inside the family are kind of preferring the Bulldogs. ...I think that Jared's gut feeling, his heart... I think it's kind of leaning toward Oregon, so i'm going to lean toward Oregon, because I think, in the end, that's what Jared wants."

Whoever gets Oregon will be getting a potential future NFL first-round draft pick, according to 247Sports.

"Refined and polished passer that matches a higher floor with a higher ceiling. Possess not only the desired build for the position, but also elite pocket-passing qualities to go along with some slick athleticism. Has both the arm and the eyes to constantly tax defenses. Smooth mechanics result in pin-point accuracy on the basic throws while a powerful base helps serve up lasers to both the second and third levels. Adept at altering the velocity and trajectory when needed. Side steps pressure with subtle movements to stay pass-ready and will drop the elbow to sling it around incoming bodies. Has been featured here and there as a runner throughout prep career and unexpected dual-threat capabilities should only keep aiding explosive-play totals as he can move the chains on bootlegs and scrambles. Owns valuable experience under center having coordinated a modern pro-style attack that’s heavy on play-action concepts. Must keep progressing as a decision-maker and as a full-field reader, but did a much better job at protecting the football as a junior and showed significant improvements in key statistical categories as he captured a Tennessee Division II-A state championship. Not one that has had many opportunities to throw alongside other blue-chip quarterbacks due to a series of injuries, but should be viewed as one of the top signal callers in the 2026 cycle and a potential multi-year starter for a College Football Playoff contender that can connect on the deep shots and thrive in a structured environment."

Those two commitments, should they go Oregon's way, could provide the program a late push in the recruitment of the nation's No. 1 overall prospect, offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, who is set to commit May 13.

If Oregon can secure both Dixon-Wyatt and Curtis, it's possible Cantwell could be persuaded to join what could be a stellar class in Eugene.

As it currently stands, may feel Cantwell is leaning toward the Bulldogs.

But that's a problem for another week.

Oregon is about to find out if it will land an elite receiver and the nation's top quarterback.

Buckle up!

feed