It’s been said before, and deserves to be said again – recruiting has forever been, and will forever be, one of wildest beats around.

If you need validation, look no further than what has recently transpired in the roller coaster recruitments of Bru McCoy and Chris Steele, two of the most highly-touted prospects from southern California in the 2019 class.

Both players were at one time committed to hometown USC (McCoy had in fact signed with the Trojans), only to renege in favor of schools outside of the Pac-12 Conference (McCoy transferred to Texas shortly after the February signing period, while Steele signed with Florida). 

Those decisions, however, turned out to be nothing but brief detours in a journey that is widely expected to lead both players back to USC – albeit for very different reasons.

McCoy left Texas citing “personal” reasons that many have labeled as homesickness, whereas Steele transferred from Florida in May after he was reportedly denied an immediate request to change roommates with fellow incoming freshman Jalon Jones. Steele’s request to Florida football team officials allegedly occurred before Jones was accused of sexual battery in a police report this past April.

Though Oregon pursued both McCoy and Steele during the 2019 recruiting cycle, the Ducks forged the stronger relationship with Steele over the course of the process, as it was reported that Oregon finished as the bridesmaid to Florida when Steele announced his decision to commit to the Gators in early January.

When Steele elected to transfer from Florida following the fallout from the Jones accusation, Oregon and USC almost immediately emerged as favorites to land the former four-star prospect. In fact, many at the time believed the Ducks possessed the inside track to land Steele. The Los Angeles native de-committed from USC last October in part because of a desire to leave L.A. and develop at a program with a coaching staff that wasn’t as maligned as USC’s appeared to be at the end of last season and continues to be entering the 2019 season. That speculation was proven correct roughly three weeks ago when Steele announced on Twitter that he was headed to Eugene to become a Duck.

Yet, despite the public declaration, priorities have shifted for Steele in recent weeks. Steele revealed to Tyson Alger of The Athletic on Wednesday that recent family circumstances have ultimately swayed him to stay close to home and attend USC, not Oregon. Since Steele never signed an official letter of intent with Oregon, he is free to release himself from his commitment to the Ducks without jeopardizing his eligibility for the upcoming season. Given the personal nature of the situation, one can empathize with Steele’s sudden change of heart, but ultimately Steele’s decision will go down as yet another example of distance from home coming back to bite the Ducks in yet another hotly contested recruiting battle for a high profile prospect.

Regardless, while the news is certainly disappointing for the Ducks and their fans, it’s ultimately not devastating.

With Steele in the fold, Oregon conceivably boasted one of the deepest secondaries in the Pac-12 this season and one of the most promising defensive backfields in the conference, if not the nation, projecting forward. Without him, the Ducks won’t be nearly as deep and talented in the present or the future, but they’re far from depleted.

Projected starters Thomas Graham and Deommodore Lenoir are rising juniors with a wealth of playing experience, while freshmen Verone McKinley and Mykael Wright are expected to be key contributors this season who possess high long-term upside. Additional depth will be provided by former JUCO transfer Haki Woods (a senior), converted wide receiver Daewood Davis (a redshirt sophomore), and incoming freshman DJ James, who will arrive on campus in a couple of weeks. The Ducks are also in good shape as it relates to addressing the cornerback position in 2020, as Oregon currently has verbal commitments from a pair of four-star prospects in Myles Slusher and Luke Hill.

Indeed, the brief addition of Steele was a fortuitous turn of chance that served momentarily as a melon-sized cherry on top of what was already an impressive 2019 recruiting sundae for the Ducks. And while the taste has soured some given the unexpected nature of Steele’s decision, the long-lasting flavor remains sweet for a program that has worked admirably on the recruiting trail to re-position itself as a conference and potential national title contender under the direction of Mario Cristobal.