Oregon Football: Players to Watch in High School All-American Games

While the Oregon Ducks are squarely focused on the Rose Bowl and Florida State, some of their most prized 2015 recruits are getting ready to perform on a big stage of their own.

The Ducks currently have the No. 20-ranked recruiting class for 2015, according to 247Sports. Oregon currently has 17 commitments, including six 4-star players.

Some of Oregon’s most prized recruits will partake in the 2015 U.S. Army High School All-American Bowl on Jan. 3 (12 p.m. ET, NBC) in San Antonio, Texas. Others will compete in the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 4 (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2) in St. Petersburg, Florida.

National signing day is Feb. 4, 2015, which means Oregon has just over a month to get all of its recruiting ducks in a row.

Here are the Oregon recruits and prospects you should be watching out for.

Recruit information via 247Sports.

Taj Griffin: 5’10”, 175-Pound 4-Star APB

Taj Griffin, a 4-star running back from Powder Springs, Georgia, is the top-ranked all-purpose back in the nation, according to 247Sports. Griffin is the No. 43 prospect in the entire country.

Griffin was chosen for the U.S. Army High School All-American Bowl on Jan. 3 for the East team; however, he will not play in the game due to a season-ending injury suffered in the first game of his senior season. 

According to Andrew Greif of The Oregonian, Griffin has enrolled early at Oregon and will join his brother Ty in Eugene:

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Taj, a four-star running back from Powder Springs, Georgia, is one of five players in Oregon's 2015 recruiting class scheduled to enroll in classes at Oregon for winter quarter, in January. Taj Griffin suffered a season-ending knee injury in September, which curbed his senior-season exploits but may have hastened the start of his college career.

"

Ty, a quarterback, transferred this season from Georgia Tech to Oregon and will compete for the starting job next season.

As for the advice Ty will give his brother, according to Greif: "Study the playbook, make sure you're early to everything. Other than that, it's nothing too big to keep up on. I'm definitely interested to see how his transition will be from high school to college. ... I know my brother, but I think he'll be all right."

The speedster from Georgia committed to Oregon in April 2014 and will likely see time at running back and wide receiver for the Ducks next season.

Despite the fact that the Ducks return all three running backs—Royce Freeman, Thomas Tyner and Byron Marshall—the coaching staff has shown that it will find a way to use a player as talented as Griffin.

Travis Waller: 6’3”, 190-Pound 4-Star QB

Travis 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.

The young QB has also enrolled early at Oregon and will play for the West squad in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. 

The Ducks' starting quarterback job will be open this summer as Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner, departs for the NFL. Will Waller be able to compete for the job as a true freshman? He certainly seems to think so, and it’s one of the reasons he decided to enroll early.

According to The Oregonian’s Greif, when asked about enrolling early and competing for the job, Waller said, "I'm very excited. But one thing is when I go in there, it's all business. I can't just think that I'm in college and I'm free. I'm there for business, I'm there to work hard, because it's going to take a lot of hard work to earn the starting job." 

As one of only three QBs on the West team, Waller is likely to see his fair share of action against the nation's best high school players. We may be getting our first real glimpse of Oregon’s future starting quarterback.

Canton Kaumatule: 6’7”, 290-Pound 4-Star DE

Kaumatule, who is 6’7”, 290 pounds, is the No. 53-ranked recruit in the nation and No. 4 defensive end, according to 247Sports.

Kaumatule was "blown away" by the friendliness of Oregon fans during his trip to Eugene for the Stanford game while his flight was delayed in Portland on his way to Eugene, according to Andrew Nemac of The Oregonian.

"We had a little delay in the flight, so we had to fly to Portland first, then to Eugene," Kaumatule said. "The people were so nice. I was already like, 'Oh my goodness, this is awesome.'"

Kaumatule officially committed to the Ducks the day of the Stanford game and also plans to enroll early at Oregon. For the record, all five Oregon commits who have been invited to high school all-star games have decided to enroll early at the school.

Here is an analysis of Kaumatule from Scout.com national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins:

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Kaumatule already has an NFL body at 6-7, (295) pounds and a non-stop motor. He's an improving athlete, very strong at the point of attack and one of the most physical linemen in the nation. He already looked like a college player when he was just a freshman and he just keeps getting better. He's relentless in pursuit and plays like his hair is on fire.

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Kaumatule will play defensive end in the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 4 in Florida. Apparently, he’s made quite an early impression in practices for the game, according to The Oregonian’s Nemac.

While he’s relatively unknown nationally, he may not be for long if he plays as well as he’s been practicing for this showcase game.

Alex Ofodile: 6’2”, 185-Pound 4-Star WR

After scaring Duck fans a bit earlier in the season with a visit to Ole Miss, 4-star wide receiver Alex Ofodile reaffirmed his commitment to Oregon, and he plans to enroll early at the school.

"I'm definitely 110 percent to Oregon still," Ofodile said, according to The Oregonian’s Nemac. "The Ole Miss visit...they've been recruiting me still hard, so it was just going in person and telling them that I'm going to be a Duck. They wanted me to come and visit, but basically it came down to me just telling them 'no' again."

Ofodile, who is the No. 12 wide receiver in the nation and ranked as the No. 2 prospect in Missouri, will play in the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 4 in Florida.

Despite the fact that the Ducks have had success with their young wide receiving corps this season, they need more bodies at the position. Ofodile, who is 6’2”, represents another big target for the Ducks, something that the program desperately covets.

Oregon saw a ton of production from true freshmen this season en route to a Pac-12 title and a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff. Ofodile may be a player who makes an immediate impact on the Ducks next season.

Zach Okun: 6’4”, 310-Pound 4-Star OG

Zach Okun, an offensive lineman from Newbury Park, California, figures to have some kind of impact on the Ducks next season. 

The Ducks were desperate for more bodies along the offensive line, as the group was dealt a multitude of injuries this season. Okun may not start next season; however, he figures to play at some point.

Okun is the No. 13-ranked offensive guard in the 2015 class and the No. 30 prospect in California. He will play for the West team in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Okun was named “most surprising” by Barton Simmons of 247Sports at Army Bowl practice:

“Oregon commit Zach Okun had struggled some in camp settings in the past, but this was a great illustration of how those can be misleading. When the pads were on and Okun was playing on the interior where he was comfortable, he was extremely effective." 

Okun committed to the Ducks in March 2014 after meeting with offensive line coach Steve Greatwood and head coach Mark Helfrich.

On committing to the Ducks, Okun said his connection to the other offensive linemen was a big reason why he committed early.

“At Oregon, you know you’re going to get your facilities and your uniforms. But it’s more than that really,” Okun said, according to The Oregonian’s Greif. “The atmosphere is by far the best. I got to meet the offensive linemen, and I really enjoyed hanging out with them and getting to know them. They seemed like great guys. I honestly can’t say that about other places.”

Statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise stated. Recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise stated. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.

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