Linebacker has been a position of strength for the Ducks both on the field during the 2018 season and on the recruiting trail for the 2019 recruiting cycle, as Oregon entered the day with four verbal commitments from highly-touted prospects.

On Thursday, the Ducks added a fifth member to that group in the form of Louisville (Ky.) Ballard four-star prospect Jared Casey, who made his pledge just weeks after his official visit to Eugene for Oregon’s showdown versus Stanford back on September 22.

💚🕊COMMITTED🕊💚 pic.twitter.com/TKN6acQpFy

— Jaręd Çasey🦍 (@jared_casey01) October 11, 2018

Casey joins four-star prospects Mase Funa and Ge’mon Eaford and fellow three-star prospects Isaac Townsend and Treven Ma’ae at linebacker in Oregon’s 2019 class, though unlike those players, Casey figures to be a future mainstay at inside linebacker for the Ducks.

Despite being sidelined for all of last season due to injury, Casey enjoyed a terrific offseason on the camp circuit, which resulted in him picking up multiple offers from Power 5 programs in addition to a notable rise up the national recruiting rankings.

Ranked as the nation’s 18th-best inside linebacker prospect by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Casey chose the Ducks over offers from Kentucky, Louisville, and Wisconsin, among others. With his commitment, the Ducks’ 22-man 2019 recruiting class remains as the nation’s no. 4 recruiting class behind Georgia, Alabama, and Texas A&M.

Below we take a closer look at Casey’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:

• Has been injury prone: When healthy, Casey is a terrifying force on the football field. However, perhaps the biggest knock on Casey has been his inability to stay consistently healthy throughout his high school career. Casey missed his entire junior season due to a shoulder injury and will need to prove he can be a player counted on to stay on the field when he reaches the next level.
• Suspect skills in pass coverage: Casey is at his best playing with a head of steam and making plays downhill, but there’s very little tape that suggests he has the kind of athleticism and skills to hold up consistently in pass coverage. His game has the potential to reach another level if he can prove himself as a reliable defender in space.

Notable strengths:

• Physical, rugged defender: After popping in the tape, it doesn’t take long to notice that Casey thrives on playing a physical brand of football. He’s a tenacious, bruising athlete who relishes contact and doesn’t hesitate taking blockers and ball carriers head on. Excels at finishing tackles.
• Very industrious: On tape, Casey is a very active player who shows a nose for the football. He does a good job getting off blocks, and is as effective knifing into to the backfield to make a stop as he is playing sideline-to-sideline. Wherever the ball is, Casey is soon to follow.
• Physically mature: Standing 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Casey simply looks different than your standard senior in high school. He’s sturdily built and possesses the look of a player who is physically ready to contribute once he arrives on campus.

Overall outlook:

The Ducks have done an outstanding job of recruiting the linebacker position the last few recruiting cycles, and with the addition of Casey, it likely signals the end of another fruitful recruiting effort at the position for 2019. With Kaulana Apelu set to graduate and Troy Dye facing a decision of whether to forego his senior year to pursue a career in the NFL, Casey is a player with all the physical attributes to come in and compete for playing time right away. Competition will be stiff, as Adrian Jackson, Sampson Niu, and Isaac Slade-Matautia will be the primary favorites for starting positions, along with youngsters such as MJ Cunningham and Andrew Johnson vying for backup reps. However, if Casey can remain healthy and continue building off the momentum he’s garnered for himself as a senior, he could wind up as one of the unsung additions to Oregon’s 2019 recruiting class.