The Oregon Ducks are chugging along on the field, but off the field their 2014 recruiting class is No. 22 in the nation and ranked fourth in the Pac-12. It's a light class so far at 11 commits.
Oregon football recruiting: Freeman and Springs lead growing class
Oregon’s recruiting rankings don’t match its on-field performance yet, but hey, it’s still October.
Oregon welcomed Justin Hollins, a 3-star DE from Martin High School in Arlington, TX earlier this week. Hollins is all potential at this point at 6’5 and 207 pounds, but he’s got the frame to fill out and become a holy terror. Oregon landed Hollins over offers from Oklahoma and Baylor, among other schools.
The top verbal commitment in Oregon’s class is RB Royce Freeman from Imperial High School (CA). Freeman is the eighth-best tailback in the 2014 class according to 247’s composite rankings, and he chose Oregon over the likes of Alabama, UCLA, USC and many, many others.
On the defensive side of the ball, Oregon’s top commit is Arrion Springs, a cornerback from Roosevelt High in San Antonio, TX. Springs is the nation’s No. 8 cornerback prospect according to 247Composite and he chose Oregon over offers from Oklahoma, Texas, Miami and dozens of other BCS-conference teams. Despite his commitment, Springs is scheduled to officially visit Florida State this weekend, but there are no heavy rumblings of a flip... yet.
Oregon’s top QB prospect is Morgan Mahalak, a dual-threat (real shocker there) from Marin Catholic High in Greenbrae, CA. Mahalak is the tenth-ranked dual-threat QB in 247Composite, earning him a high 3-star ranking (by “high” we mean the No. 7 through No. 45 dual-threat prospects all earned three stars, so Mahalak’s on a short list of candidates to get a fourth star, if that matters to you). Mahalak committed to Oregon relatively early in the process, in late April; as such, his offer sheet was still relatively light, with the Ducks only beating out NC State and Oregon State among serious BCS programs. No offense, Duke.
On deck
(By Bud Elliott, SB Nation Recruiting Analyst)
Oregon is continuing to recruit players to fits its explosive offense and opportunistic defense. And it will look to add the following players between now and signing day:
- Budda Baker, a great receiver from Bellevue (Wa.) High School, is a four-star who seems to favor the Ducks over UCLA and Washingon.
- Mattrell McGraw, a three-star safety from New Orleans (La.) John Curtis, is a heavy favorite for the Ducks.
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