Oregon Football Recruiting: Grading the Ducks' 2011 Class
Seems like just yesterday that the college football world was waiting to finish up the bowl season, and now National Signing Day is almost over.
Today is the day on which college programs start to get a glimpse of both their future as well as young stars that can immediately impact their roster. For Oregon, this year has continued their upward trend in the recruiting rankings.
Oregon will likely finish up right on the edge of the top 10 or in it, depending on where you look. Here is a look at some of the players who signed their letters of intent to Oregon today.
To track all the top recruits, see the links below:
Colt Lyeria
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Colt Lyeria
Position: OLB
Ht/Wt: 6-5, 225
Where he fits in best: Colt will end up finding his legs on defense. The Ducks defense does a great job flying to the ball, which will play into all of his strengths.
Does it fill a void?: Yes, while Colt may not see time his first year, he will be making an impact at Oregon sooner then later.
Grade: A-. Colt had a great offer list and also visited UCLA and USC. Beating out southern California teams is always a positive.
Anthony Wallace
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Anthony Wallace
Position: MLB
Ht/Wt: 6-0, 220
Where he fits in best: Wallace will be another welcome addition to the defense. With the lose of senior Casey Matthews, the Ducks will have a huge void to fill in the coming years.
Does it fill a void: Wallace will fill in quite well. He will need to put on a little weight but his speed from sideline to sideline will allow him to excel in the Ducks defense.
Grade: B+. Another recruit with a great offer list and also visited USC. Could be some continuing momentum of the Pac-10 power shift.
Andre Yruretagoyena
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Andre Yruretagoyena
Position: Offensive Tackle
Ht/Wt: 6-4, 265
Where he fits in best: Andre should transition to the Ducks spread offense well. He is an aggressive run blocker who steps into a run first offense.
Does it fill a void: The Ducks did lose some depth on both lines so Andre will help restock the depth of the Ducks. Oregon likes to use more then just five starters on the line, so he will have a chance at early playing time.
Grade: A. Andre has a laundry list of great offers and was on everyone's wish list in the Pac-10. His run blocking strength is a great match for Oregon's offense.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Christian French
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Christian French
Position: TE
Ht/Wt: 6-6, 230
Where he fits in best: As much as Duck fans would love to see his offensive skills on display, Oregon is deep enough on the offensive side of the ball to look at alternatives. Look for French to end up at defensive end and give the Ducks some much needed help on the defensive line.
Does it fill a void: If French ends up on the defensive line then it will fill a need. French is a amazing athlete who could end up being a great edge rusher.
Grade: B+. French has all of the skills and athletic ability to be a great college player. If he ends up on offense, he may become overlooked and underrated.
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
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Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
Position: Corner
Ht/Wt: 5-10, 180
Where he fits in best: Ifo will find himself staying at corner. He will be able to learn from Cliff Harris and could find himself in special teams roles as well.
Does it fill a void: While Oregon is strong in the secondary, bringing Ifo in still is a good pickup. Look for him to find early playing time on special teams.
Grade: B. Out of high school, he reminds me of a slightly less explosive Cliff Harris. Not a bad thing to try to live up too so far.
Devon Blackmon
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Devon Blackmon
Position: Wide Receiver
Ht/Wt: 6-1, 180
Where he fits in best: Blackmon will have no problem jumping into the Ducks offense and using his speed at wide receiver.
Does it fill a void: Yes. The Ducks lost Jeff Maehl and Drew Davis so they will need to find a way to replace those two seniors. Blackmon processes great speed and runs terrific routes.
Grade: A-. Anytime you have offers from Alabama, Florida and USC, you know you are dealing with solid talent. Blackmon was also an ESPN 150 player.
Jake Fisher
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Jake Fisher
Position: Tight End
Ht/Wt: 6-7, 273
Where he fits in best: Fisher will end up fitting in on the Ducks offensive line. He has great size and athleticism and could end up being a force on the Ducks line.
Does it fill a void: Fisher will end up filling a need whether he ends up on the offensive line or defensive line. If he ends up on the defensive line, he could end up like Brandon Bair.
Grade: B+. For just the recruiting value, getting a kid out of Michigan, with Michigan being in his top 2, will be huge for east coast recruiting.
Lake Koa-Kaai
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Position: Defensive End
Ht/Wt: 6-4, 250
Where he fits in best: Lake will be staying right where he is at. Oregon is in need of size and strength on the defensive line and he will provide them with both.
Does it fill a void: Without a doubt. The national championship showed Coach Kelly that he will need to improve the size and strength in the trenches and Lake is a solid pickup to help with that.
Grade: A-. Defensive line was a major need for the Ducks and this will help address that need.
Rahsaan Vaughn
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Rahsaan Vaughn
Position: Wide Receiver
Ht/Wt: 6-0, 190
Where he fits in best: Vaughn will stay at receiver and if he can pick up the offense quickly, he will be on the field.
Does it fill a void: Yes, in a big way. Oregon lost both Jeff Maehl and Drew Davis and bringing in a juco player like Vaughn will help allow the younger talent develop.
Grade: B+. Should be a guy that can step on campus and quickly find his way into the starting lineup.
DeAnthony Thomas
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DeAnthony Thomas
Position: Corner
Ht/Wt: 5-10, 175
Where he fits in best: Thomas is a top ten overall recruit and Chip Kelly will find all sorts of ways to use him on offense, defense and special teams.
Does it fill a void: It is hard to ever say that talent like Thomas does not fill a void. Wherever he finds himself getting minutes, will be a huge boost to the starting lineup.
Grade: A+. A solid verbal to USC and to come to Eugene this past week and switch to Oregon is huge for Oregon.
Summary
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Position of Strength: Coach Kelly did a great job bringing in some good talent at the receiver, offensive line and linebacker positions.
Positions of Need: The Ducks addressed their needs on the offensive side of the ball as well as the back end of their defense.
Positions Missed: While Oregon did pick up Lake and have some other athletes that may shift around, the lack of big names and big players brought in on the defensive line is becoming a concern for Duck fans.
Overall Class Grade: A. Chip Kelly has continued to take this program to new levels. With the late edition of Thomas, this is one of the most highly touted classes in program history.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
