Oregon’s annual “Saturday Night Live” event – initially implemented by former head coach Willie Taggart – is billed as arguably the biggest recruiting weekend of the offseason, save for perhaps the spring game.
Taking place one week before the start of fall camp, Saturday Night Live is a chance for the Oregon coaching staff to make one final, and major, recruiting push before they begin fully turning their focus to preparations for the season. It’s a recruiting event that typically generates tremendous buzz and excitement around the program, often leading to a number of high-profile commitments. While this year’s event didn’t yield anywhere near the number of commits that last year’s did, the Ducks were able to make quite an impression on one of the nation’s top linebacker prospects.
On Thursday, Deerfield Beach (Fla.) four-star prospect Ge’mon Eaford announced his verbal commitment to Oregon, choosing the Ducks over offers from schools like Florida, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and others.
I’m 1000% committed to the university of Oregon 🦆@coach_cristobal @Coach_Dennison @coachD_UofO @CoachField @AllAmericaGame @HamiltonESPN @alexgleitman @AllAmericaGame @DB_BucksFB pic.twitter.com/CC7vAccbQb
— G5👳🏾😈 (@Gemon_J_Wilson) August 3, 2018
Ranked as the 11th-best outside linebacker in the country by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Eaford is the 19th prospect to verbally commit to the Ducks’ 2019 recruiting class, and its third linebacker, joining four-star Mase Funa and three-star Isaac Townsend. Eaford also attends the same high school that produced current Ducks receiver Daewood Davis.
With Eaford’s commitment, Oregon’s 2019 recruiting class now ranks as the nation’s 4th-ranked class behind Alabama, Georgia, and Texas A&M.
Below we take a closer look at Eaford’s game, examining his weaknesses and strengths, as well as projecting how he may make an impact for the Ducks when he ultimately arrives on campus.
Notable weaknesses:
- Doesn’t possess great length: Eaford is a strong, stoutly built defender who actually has rather long arms for a player his size, but he doesn’t have the kind of overall prototypical length that gives defenders fits. With that, he could be a player whose impact is neutralized by more physically imposing players at the next level, namely offensive linemen.
- Suspect skills in coverage: Can he hold up in coverage? We know Eaford is a terrific athlete that can get after the quarterback and be an asset against the run, but how does he perform when matched up against offensive skill in space? With little film available that showcases his coverage skills, one can’t help but wonder if he’s a liability in this area.
Notable strengths:
- Playmaking presence off the edge: The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Eaford is a tremendously disruptive force from his outside linebacker position. He has a knack for forcing turnovers, and uses his great speed and quickness to knife into the backfield to make game-changing plays behind the line of scrimmage.
- Punishing hitter: When you watch Eaford on film, there’s real weight behind the smack he puts on opponents. He’s a human wrecking ball who can be an intimidating force on the field as a result of his physical play. Plays with a mean streak and just enough reckless abandon.
- A versatile athlete: Despite his size, Eaford is just as effective as a stand-up rush end as he is putting his hand down and bullying his way to the quarterback. The power he’s able to generate at the point of attack is impressive, and he’s handful to deal with no matter who you put in front of him.
Overall outlook:
Though Funa is bigger and possesses a more well-rounded game as a defender, Eaford shares many similar traits when it comes generating pressure and forcing turnovers. The level of physicality that he plays with is also unmatched by any current member of the Ducks’ 2019 recruiting class, which will make him an exciting player to track once he arrives on campus next year. His lack of length and overall size is somewhat concerning, but to Eaford’s credit, he plays much bigger than what he’s listed at. Athletically, he has the ability to see the field immediately as a linebacker – especially given some of the health questions surrounding Funa as he recovers from a knee injury that will sideline him for his senior year. Oregon is building something special with this current class of recruits, and Eaford is yet another example of the kind of ready-made talent the Ducks haven’t always had the good fortune of landing.