In the midst of the excitement and star-gazing that took place in the hours that followed the announcement that five-star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux would be taking his talents to Eugene next season, there was also news of a departure from the Ducks’ 2019 recruiting class.
After committing to Oregon in late July, Yuma (Ariz.) Arizona Western College four-star cornerback Elijah Blades announced on Twitter that he would be de-committing from the Ducks and head south for College Station to sign a letter of intent with Texas A&M, citing a “change of heart.”
Change of Heart
Please respect my decision.. pic.twitter.com/V7bZr0cGyC
— Elijah Blades (@savageszniv) December 16, 2018
With his de-commitment, the Ducks lay claim to the nation’s fifth-ranked recruiting class for 2019, per 247Sports’ Composite Team Rankings, trailing LSU for fourth place by little more than a point.
Blades’ decision to de-commit marks the third time in the last three weeks that Oregon has lost a member of its 2019 recruiting class, joining Jared Casey and Jeremiah Criddell. Blades’ departure also marks the fourth de-commitment the Ducks have received in the secondary this recruiting cycle, as the Pasadena native joins Criddell and former Oregon commits Cameron Williams and Marques Caldwell.
Mykael Wright and Trikweze Bridges now remain as the Ducks’ lone commitments at defensive back for the 2019 recruiting class.
Below, WFOD analyzes Blades’ de-commitment and how it impacts the Ducks.
The glass half-empty look:
Though the recruiting rankings may not totally bear it out, Blades was perhaps the one player from Oregon’s group of commits at defensive back with the brightest potential NFL future. At 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds, Blades blends tremendous athleticism with pure cover skills in a prototypical NFL cornerback frame. Ranked as the nation’s top cornerback prospect coming from the JUCO ranks, Blades was also ranked as one of the nation’s top corners coming out of high school in the class of 2017, as 247Sports slotted Blades as the 15th-best cornerback per their Composite Rankings. Despite the Ducks looking to return their top three cornerbacks from last season in Thomas Graham, Deommodore Lenoir, and Kahlef Hailassie (plus Verone McKinley, who is redshirting this season), Blades was a player who many expected would challenge those incumbents for not only playing time, but potentially starting reps. Now, with only days to go before the start of the early signing period, and only weeks to go before the late signing period in early February, the Oregon coaching staff has their work cut out for them as they look to address their dwindling numbers at a major position of need this cycle.
The glass half-full look:
Blades’ recruitment has been one of the more wild and unpredictable recruitments over the past few years. After seeing interest in him take off during the spring and summer of 2016, Blades verbally committed to Florida in June of that year. Then, in January 2017, Blades de-committed from the Gators a week before signing day and wound up signing a letter of intent with Nebraska that February. After Blades failed to qualify academically at Nebraska, he went the JUCO route to improve his academic standing. With Oregon adding cornerbacks coach Donte Williams to their staff earlier this year, Blades interest in the Ducks was piqued, as Williams was the coach who originally recruited Blades to Lincoln. After pledging to the Ducks this past July, the thought was that Blades had finally found his home, though after officially visiting Texas A&M in early September, it was clear that Blades was going to be a tough one to keep. Yet, while superbly talented, the concerns surrounding Blades’ academic standing are real, thus there was and is no guarantee that he was a lock to qualify regardless of the school he chose. By comparison, with more reliable recruiting options still on the Ducks’ recruiting board, one could argue that Oregon has been allowed an opportunity to add a more sure-fire bet to the fold.
Who are Oregon’s remaining options at cornerback?
Of the known remaining options the Ducks have at cornerback, the most obvious name is Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco four-star cornerback Chris Steele. Ranked as the nation’s fifth-best corner according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Steele also has the versatility to star at safety. It’s believed that Oregon is one of the top contenders for his services along with Oklahoma, Florida, and USC, who originally received his verbal commitment during the summer. Steele is currently scheduled to announce his commitment on January 5. Other names to keep an eye on at corner are North Palm Beach (Fla.) The Benjamin School four-star prospect Kaiir Elam and San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) JSerra Catholic three-star Tarik Luckett, who is currently committed to Colorado.