Oregon Football: Where the Ducks Stand in Recruiting

This is the interesting time in college football recruiting. Coaches have made all the calls they can until September. But throughout the summer, things can change, often dramatically.

As Oregon's national presence has increased over the past few years, the Ducks have been in the running for higher-caliber players from all over the country. This list, for example, features only players rated as 3-star, 4-star or 5-star prospects.

Remember when the Ducks signing a 3-star player was a huge deal?

Prime recruiting territories such as California and Texas still are on Oregon's radar, but Chip Kelly and his assistants are branching out to talk to prospects from elsewhere as well.

To whom have the Ducks made offers?  Who does Oregon have a realistic chance of signing? Which schools are in competition with the Ducks?

Here's a list for your reading/dreaming pleasure.

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Juwaan Williams, WR, Tucker, Ga.

According to Scout.com, Juwaan Williams, a 3-star wide receiver from Tucker, Ga., referred to his recent offer from Oregon as "surprising" and a "once-in-a-lifetime" offer.

Before Oregon's offer, Williams was thought to be leaning toward Florida State, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech. He now says he will make an official visit to Oregon before deciding. Williams has offers from all over the South, as well as Michigan State and Notre Dame.

Will he leave the South?

Tyree and Tyrell Robinson, WR and S, San Diego, Calif.

Tyree Robinson, the 4-star WR prospect from San Diego, plans to play both football and basketball in college.

And, as if seeing that double weren't enough, Robinson has a twin brother, Tyrell, who plans to do the same.

The twins were honorable-mention freshman All-Americans in basketball, and are no slouches on the football field. In basketball, Tyree is a 4-star prospect and Tyrell a 3-star. Both twins are 4-star in football.

They are thought to be a package deal, and the twins have both received offers from the same 11 schools, Oregon included.

Competitors include UCLA, Cal, Notre Dame, Missouri, Colorado, Texas A&M, San Diego State and both Washington state schools.

What's not known is who wants these prospects more: Chip Kelly or Dana Altman.

Victor Egu, OLB, Concord, Calif.

With 14 offers in hand, the 3-star OLB prospect from Concord's powerhouse De La Salle High School has plenty of options from which to choose.

Egu has an offer from the always-lurking Notre Dame, and has planned a visit there this summer. Other competitors are mostly in the Pac-12, with Washington and Arizona State among the favorites.  

Egu is good friends with De La Salle teammate Michael Hutchings, the 4-star OLB who is high on Oregon's list. Will the high school pals choose to go to the same college?

In case you're wondering why Oregon has had a steady stream of players from this particular high school that always fields one of the best teams in the nation, it's noteworthy that Oregon has a good connection there; Nick Aliotti's brother, Joe Aliotti, is the offensive coach and dean of students.

Reeve Koehler, OG/DT, Honolulu, Hawaii

Reeve Koehler is a 3-star prospect from Honolulu who has nine offers, mostly from Pac-12 schools.

The 6'3", 298-pound recruit can play either OG or DT. According to Rivals.com, Koehler is the No. 4-ranked OG in the country.

Koehler has no official visits scheduled, and it's not known which way he's leaning. He also had Alabama on his list of schools of interest, but, so far, has not received an offer from the Tide.

Terrell Newby, RB, West Hills, Calif.

Annabel Stepfan at recruiting.scout.com has reported that 3-star RB Terrell Newby has narrowed his choices to Oregon, California and Nebraska.

Newby has visited in-state Cal. He hasn't visited Oregon and Nebraska, but plans to visit both, and will "definitely wait until after those visits to commit."

Wonder if he's heard of Dontre Wilson?

J.D. Hinnant, OT, Fountain Valley, Calif.

J.D. Hinnant is a versatile 3-star OT who has 11 offers in hand. He is one of the top OL prospects in the West.

Hinnant has already visited Oregon and several other schools, including Washington State and Oregon State. He plans to visit Arizona, Nebraska, Cal and Duke this summer, and hopes to have a top 5 by the end of the summer.

In an interview with Chris Courtney of oregon.sports.com, Hinnant said his interest in Oregon is "very high." He loved his visit to Eugene and cited the players, coaches, facilities and academics as "awesome." 

Ebenezer Ogundeko, DE/OLB, Brooklyn, N.Y.

I hope the Ducks sign 3-star DE/OLB Ebenezer Ogundeko just so we can have the pleasure of hearing Don Essig pronounce his name.

But it doesn't look promising: Ogundeko has indicated that he has "low interest" in the Ducks on his Scout.com page. He has narrowed his choice to a top-10 list, and Oregon isn't on it. Connecticut, the school he originally committed to, is still in his top 10.

Wyatt Teller, DT, Bealeton, Va.

Wyatt Teller, a 3-star DT, apparently likes the state of Virginia. Although he has offers from nine schools, including Oregon, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Florida and West Virginia, he has Virginia and Virginia Tech at the top of his list, according to an article by Brian Dohn on Scout.com.

According to his high school coach, Michigan and Notre Dame are still in the running. There was no mention of the Ducks.

Austin Hooper, DE, Concord, Calif.

One of the most highly touted defensive ends on the West Coast, Austin Hooper will be a senior at the ubiquitous De La Salle High School (go, Aliottis!)

Hooper has accumulated 17 offers, including, of course, Notre Dame (what's with them? Are they just following Oregon around hoping we have a hole in our Easter basket?).

According to a report on Scout.com, Hooper believes he will end up playing somewhere in the Pac-12, but is planning to take his time with his decision. He says that "Oregon, Washington and Cal are the main schools I've talked to."

Scott Quessenberry, OG, Encinitas, Calif.

Doesn't this kid just look like he should play OG for the Ducks? I think so.

Quessenberry is a 3-star offensive lineman with 14 offers so far. Competitors include Wisconsin (note to Scott: see Rose Bowl 2012 results), UCLA, Nebraska, Boise State, Arkansas and Cal.

Quessenberry wants to study sports management and hopes to be invited to "The Opening" on the Nike campus in July—both good signs for the Ducks, I believe.

Danny Friend, TE, Morris, Ill.

Danny Friend is a 6'5" tight end from Illinois, who, along with his offer from Oregon, has several other offers.

While Friend has said he will visit Oregon this summer, he is said to be leaning toward Northwestern, even though he doesn't have an offer from them yet. He will attend Northwestern's camp later this month and hopes to get an offer.

Apparently, it has something to do with the academic fit. Whatever. 

Deon Mix, OT, Batesville, Miss.

They appear to grow them big in Mississippi. Deon Mix is 6'5", 315 pounds and, as you would expect, has offers from Mississippi and Mississippi State, where he attended both camps, Nebraska, Purdue, Tennessee, Texas and Notre Dame (grrrr).

I would love to see this young man step outside his comfort zone and come west. But I think he's leaning toward Ole Miss and Alabama (who hasn't offered him yet.)

Mamma's cooking probably is the main criteria.

Mr. Mix, we will feed you out here, too!

Sean Harlow, OL, San Clemente, Calif.

Sean Harlow, a 3-star OL from San Clemente, Calif, is picking up offers right and left. He has 16, including from 10 out of the 12 Pac-12 schools, along with Boise State, Nebraska and Wisconsin, among others.

While his father played football for USC, Harlow does not yet have an offer from the Trojans.

He has visited Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Boise State, Colorado and Utah. Harlow will visit Nebraska later this month and seems to talk a lot about Wisconsin. He hasn't visited there yet, but plans to.

I worry when a prospect has visited the Ducks and then proceeds to talk a lot about another school he hasn't seen yet. Harlow also has spoken positively about his visits to Boise State and Oregon State.

I think Oregon had better get serious about other OLs.

Greg Taboada, DE/TE, Atlanta, Ga.

This 3-star recruit from Georgia has many offers, but still wants two more: Stanford and Georgia. He says he will attend camps at Oregon and Stanford, but he likes Georgia, too, because it's close to home and his brother plays tennis there.

Taboada is open-minded and hopes to makes his decision before school starts in September.

Daniel Mattingly, OLB, Spokane, Wash.

Danny Mattingly is a 4-star OLB (also plays TE) who is one of the most sought-after recruits in the Pacific Northwest. He would be a great get for the Ducks.

The Greater Spokane-area defensive player of the year had 65 tackles and 10 sacks in 2011. His brother, Andy Mattingly, played LB and DE for Washington State.

Mattingly has 18 offers to date, including one from national champ Alabama, who he has indicated he will visit.

Other top competition for him is most likely Washington, which is trying to make an in-state statement, and, one would guess, Washington State.

Craig Lee, RB, Redlands, Calif.

The competition for 4-star Craig Lee's services at RB is mostly within the Pac-12, with San Diego State and Nebraska in the mix.

Lee says he is looking for a school with a good business school. He says "that is first and foremost."

He will travel to Nebraska (which is starting to annoy me almost as much as Notre Dame) later this month for their "Big Red Weekend," whatever that is.

Although he says it's still early in his process, Lee has identified Oregon as one of his top 5, along with USC, Washington, UCLA and San Diego State. 

Kenneth Clark, DT, Rialto, Calif.

Clark, a 4-star DT, has 15 offers to date, mostly from the Pac-12 schools, plus Nebraska (I think the Huskers have figured out where California is, don't you?), Boise State and Miami.

Clark is visiting Nebraska and Washington later this month. He will also attend Oregon's camp. He was a guest at UCLA's spring game.

He doesn't appear to have a favorite school yet.

Cole Luke, CB, Chandler, Ariz.

According to Inna Lazarev on Scout.com, Luke has narrowed his choices to seven schools, and Oregon is not one of them.

The 4-star cornerback prospect has revealed that he will choose between Michigan, Nebraska (uh-huh), Notre Dame (ditto), Cal, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma.

The usual suspects, in other words. Not very imaginative, would you say?

Derrick Green, RB, Richmond, Va.

Green is one of the most prized running backs in the country and has offers from every school that matters.

He is 5'11" and 220 pounds—we're talking high school here, remember?

Green appears to be taking his time and has visited several schools and attended spring games. He does seem to talk quite a bit about Michigan, but it feels as if no one is out of it yet, including Oregon.

Marquess North, WR, Charlotte, N.C.

While he loves close-to-home North Carolina, North says he isn't afraid to go farther afield.

But it looks like Oregon might be too far afield. He hasn't mentioned the Ducks in recent interviews. His choice appears to be between North Carolina, N.C. State, Georgia, Clemson and Ohio State.

All good schools, except the last one.

Max Redfield, S/WR, Mission Viejo, Calif.

Redfield, a hot 4-star property, is a top prospect for the Ducks, especially at the safety position.

Seen as John Boyett's (John Boyett for Heisman) replacement, this is a kid Oregon really wants. And it appears the love is reciprocated; Redfield has indicated that he is "extremely interested" in Oregon.

Redfield said that he will visit unofficially and also take an official visit to Oregont. He's coy, but it appears that his top 3 are Oregon, USC and LSU.

Gulp.

Stacy Coley, WR, Oakland Park, Fla.

First, the good news regarding 4-star WR Stacy Coley, who some sites have as high as the No. 6 WR in the nation: Oregon is on his top-10 list. Yippee!

Now, the not-so-good news: so is Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Florida, Miami, Tennessee and USC, as reported by Max Bakas on May 9. Coley has also indicated that he won't make a decision until Signing Day, 2013.

Take a number. Get in line.

Peter Kalambayi, OLB, Matthews, N.C.

Another highly rated 4-star recruit, and another one still in the Oregon fold...sort of.

Kalambayi has narrowed his choices to Stanford, Cal, Duke, Virginia and Oregon.

All together now, hold hands and let's sing "Kumbaya''...make that Kalambayi, and maybe it will go the Ducks' way.

Mike Mitchell, OLB, Plano, Texas

Rated the No. 4 in the country at his position, OLB Mike Mitchell is high on the Ducks' radar.

The Ducks extended their offer to Mitchell last month, and Oregon is now in his top 3, he says.

Mitchell is still considering Ohio State, Ole Miss and TCU, among others: he has received almost 40 offers.

My guess after reading all his comments is that it's between Oregon and TCU.

Josh McNeil, TE, Durham, N.C.

McNeil is a 4-star recruit who is Scout's No. 4 TE nationally. The Ducks are one of, oh, about a million schools who have offered him a scholarship.

Don't get too excited: Oregon is not on his top-5 list of schools. McNeil has narrowed it to LSU, Alabama, Florida, Miami and Georgia.

Moving on.

Michael Hutchings, OLB, Concord, Calif.

Yes, Hutchings is another De La Salle High School star. He's also a 4-star recruit, ranked the No. 3 at OLB in the country by Scout.com.

Does Oregon have a chance at Hutchings?

Yes, sir.

He's narrowed it to Notre Dame (they're like a bad penny that keeps coming back), Miami, Washington, Oregon and USC. To be brutally honest, it sounds like USC is the leading contender.

Nico Falah, OT, Bellflower, Calif.

I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who will say: "I really want this kid to choose Oregon." And it looks as if he is thinking Pac-12.

The No. 2-ranked OT in the nation has dozens of offers, but according to Lindsey Thiry, Falah is narrowing his choices. At this point, it appears to be between USC, UCLA and Oregon, although Cal might also be in the mix.

I have a good feeling about this one. That, and $6 will get you a micro-brew in Portland.

Eddie Vanderdoes, DT, Auburn, Calif.

Now it's on to the big boys—the remaining undecided 5-star recruits.

As the No. 3-rated DT in the nation, Vanderdoes has offers from everyone from Alabama to Washington State. USC and UCLA are hard after him.

But this is another kid I give the Ducks a better-than-average chance to sign. He has rated his interest in Oregon as "huge."

Put up your dukes, Trojans, this one's going to the mat.

James Quick, WR, Louisville, Ky.

Quick, a 5-star WR who is ranked as Scout's No. 3 WR in the nation, is said to have Oregon in his top 3. Ohio State and Louisville are the other two.

I'm not sure why Quick has the Ducks on his list, and there's not a lot of information out there about him. If anyone can add anything to the James Quick story, please do so.

Antonio Connor, S/RB, Batesville, Miss.

Antonio Connor is the real deal. The 5-star prospect would be a great catch for any of the several teams from whom he has offers.

However, don't hold your breath. Connor is a Southern guy through and through. He has apparently narrowed his choice to Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State, with probably Ole Miss in the lead.

But it's not over until it's over.

Robert Nkemdiche, DE/DT, Loganville, Ga.

I will not insult your intelligence by telling you that Oregon has offered a full scholarship to Robert Nkemdiche. Unless you've been living on Paul Allen's boat and focused only on who the next Blazers GM will be, you already know that.

Nkemdiche is the No. 1-rated overall prospect in the country. He reportedly likes LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss (where his brother is on the roster), Georgia and Georgia Tech. On the positive side, officially he has narrowed it to 15 teams and Oregon is on that list.

I don't see him leaving the South, but you never know.

C'mon, Robert, surprise everyone. Just go quack.