Oregon Ducks Recruiting: Latest Updates on 2014 Commits, Visits and Targets

While the Oregon Ducks are off a great start on the field this season, they may actually be having a better season so far on the recruiting trail. 

The Ducks, who usually do most of their recruiting during the season when high school seniors can visit Eugene and soak up the game-day experience, may have had their best preseason recruiting season ever, picking up 13 recruits before the season kicked off in late August.

Oregon has signed four consecutive top-25 recruiting classes and is on pace to add to that total this season. Currently the Ducks recruiting class is ranked No. 18 in the country, according to 247sports.com. Oregon’s average recruiting class has ranked No. 22 nationally over the past 10 seasons.

With 13 recruits already committed to the program, the coaching staff will likely have to be very selective in who they target down the stretch.

Where do the Ducks stand with their top remaining recruiting targets?

Here’s a look at Oregon’s recent activity on the recruiting trail.

Commits

The Ducks have scored commitments from 13 recruits so far this season; however, there are three that truly stand out.

The first is Taj Griffin—a 5-star running back from Powder Springs, Georgia—who is the top-ranked all-purpose back in the nation, according to 247sports.com. Griffin is the No. 31 prospect in the entire country.

There’s no doubt that the Ducks have an affinity for running back, especially those who can play wide receiver, return punts and kickoffs, as well as catch the ball out of the backfield.

While Griffin will have to compete with the likes of Royce Freeman, Tyner Thomas and Byron Marshall for playing time, he’s the perfect change of pace back for the Ducks “blur” offense.

While he's a perfect back for the Oregon system, he will also be coming to Oregon with some health issues. Griffin is currently dealing with a torn ACL which he suffered in his season opener for McEachern high school. 

Though Griffin is recovering from his injury, he did thoroughly enjoy his official visit to Eugene on Sept. 6. 

“I would say his official visit was about a 10,” his father said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Or I would say a 9. The only reason it wasn’t a 10 is because Taj was injured. We had a great time. We had a lot of good food. It was obviously a good game. That was a big highlight to be able to go down to the locker room, and be a part of that. The coaches were extremely supportive, and they were glad to see him. They had a positive outlook on where they think things are going to be next season. So it was a very, very positive and uplifting visit.”

The other two commits who are intriguing are Travis Waller—a 4-star dual-threat quarterback from Anaheim, California—and Alex Ofodile—a 4-star wide receiver from Columbia, Missouri.

247sports.com

Waller, who plays at Servite high school, is a lightning-fast 6’3” quarterback who fits into the Marcus Mariota mold. Waller has a good arm, knows the spread offense, and figures to be a competitor for the Ducks starting quarterback job come next season.

While Waller is an important recruit for the Ducks, wide receiver Alex Ofodile may have a more immediate impact on the Oregon program.

Despite the fact that the Ducks have had success with their young wide receiver corps this season, they need more competent bodies at the position. Ofodile, who is 6’3”, represents another big target for the Ducks, something that the program desperately covets.

Visits

Oregon’s biggest recruiting weekend of the season will occur when Stanford comes rolling into town on Nov. 1. So far the Ducks are set to host eight recruits, three of whom have already committed to the program.

However, the second biggest recruiting weekend of the season already occurred. As the Ducks were taking down then seventh-ranked Michigan State on Sept. 6, the program was hosting six recruits, three of whom were previously committed to Oregon—3-star tackles Brady Aiello and Calvin Throckmorton and 3-star safety PJ Locke.

247sports.com

The other three visiting recruits may prove to be more important to Oregon’s final recruiting rankings this season. Those three—4-star safety Marvell Tell from Encino, California, 4-star cornerback Micah Abernathy from Norcross, Georgia, and 3-star defensive tackle Rex Manu from Mililani, Hawaii—are important because they all play on the defensive side of the ball.

The Ducks 2015 offensive class is off to a fantastic start with Taj Griffin, Travis Waller, Alex Ofodile and Zach Okun already locked up. However, the defensive side of the ball lacks numbers and blue-chip prospects.

Adding the likes of Tell, Abernathy and Stanford commit Manu to the recruiting class would be huge for the program.

Targets

247sports.com

Oregon’s top targets for the rest of the recruiting season will come on the defensive side of the ball. With a top quarterback, running back, wide receiver and multiple offensive linemen already in tow, it’s time for Mark Helfrich and new defensive coordinator Don Pellum to kick their defensive recruiting into high gear.

Their best opportunity to make a great impression on defensive recruits will come on Nov. 1 when the best player in the country—5-star defensive end Josh Sweat from Chesapeake, Virginia—comes to Eugene for a visit.

Sweat, who left his most recent game in an ambulance after suffering an apparent leg injury, is down to his final five programs and has been compared to 2014 first overall pick Jadaveon Clowney.

If the Ducks strike out on Sweat, the program will be looking to target the second-best defensive end in the country who just happens to be visiting on Nov. 1 as well. His name is Keisean Lucier-South—a 5-star recruit from Orange, California.

Lucier-South, who also has offers from UCLA, Oklahoma, Michigan and Alabama, has to be the Ducks' top target if they lose out on Sweat.

The dream of all dreams for the program would be to grab both Josh Sweat and Keisean Lucier-South. Getting commitments from the two top-ranked defensive ends in the country may be a dream, but it would represent the biggest recruiting win in the history of the Oregon program.

Jason Gold is Bleacher Report’s lead Oregon writer. Follow him on twitter @TheSportsGuy33.