Another day, another de-commitment.
On the heels of Tuesday’s news that Louisville (Ky.) Ballard four-star linebacker Jared Casey backed away from his verbal commitment to Oregon, the Ducks received another hit to their 2019 recruiting class Wednesday when Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star defensive back Jeremiah Criddell also announced his de-commitment from Oregon.
God has my back….. pic.twitter.com/rNpBjDSUpA
— J4 (@JayCriddell) November 28, 2018
Now that Criddell has made the decision to look elsewhere (at least for the time being), the Ducks’ 20-man recruiting class has slipped from fourth to seventh in 247Sports’ Composite Team Recruiting Rankings. Oklahoma is believed to have the inside track for Criddell with roughly three weeks to go before the start of the early signing period, but don’t completely count out Ole Miss, who also made an in-home visit to Criddell this week.
With two de-commitments in two days, it’s natural to wonder whether there’s a larger issue afoot for Mario Cristobal and the Oregon football program. The truth, however, is that this recent rash of recruiting class defections feels more circumstantial than anything else.
Below, WFOD analyzes Criddell’s de-commitment and how it impacts the Ducks.
The glass half-empty outlook:
Make no bones about it – suffering two de-commitments in as many days isn’t exactly ideal. Not only do the Ducks lose a notable member of their 2019 recruiting class, but they also lose a player at a position of need for Oregon heading into the 2019 season. Though he was expected to compete for playing time at safety when he arrived on campus, at 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds, Criddell also has the versatility to play corner, which would have made him a potentially valuable asset for a team desperate for depth at the position. Criddell’s de-commitment now leaves the Ducks with just three verbal commitments at defensive back this cycle in four-star cornerbacks Mykael Wright and Elijah Blades, and three-star safety Trikweze Bridges. Additionally, Criddell’s de-commitment raises the question whether his decision could impact the three other Mater Dei players currently committed to Oregon in four-star prospects Sean Dollars, Mase Funa, and Keyon Ware-Hudson.
The glass half-full outlook:
Though the Ducks have lost two commitments in two days, this doesn’t feel like a situation in which the Oregon coaching staff is losing sway over their 2019 class. De-commitments happen, and the fact the Ducks suffered high-profile defections on consecutive days has more to do with pure happenstance than anything that could be construed as an issue that’s more systemic. Criddell’s versatility is well regarded, but he was a player who was expected to play the vast majority of his snaps at safety. Fortunately for Oregon, depth at the safety position is solid. Though the Ducks will lose the valuable senior leadership of Ugo Amadi, they return a host of players with experience in Nick Pickett, Jevon Holland, and Brady Breeze. Oregon also expects to receive contributions next season from Steve Stephens, a former four-star recruit who redshirted this season, and the aforementioned Bridges, a ballhawk extraordinaire who may be among the most underrated prospects in the 2019 class.
Who are Oregon’s remaining options at defensive back?
Even with Criddell in the fold, the Oregon coaching staff had not relented when it comes to its pursuit of top flight prospects at defensive back. Before Criddell’s de-commitment, the Ducks looked to add one more prospect. With Criddell now looking for a new landing spot, expect Oregon to look to secure commitments from two more targets at the position. The primary targets at this stage appear to be a pair of four-star cornerbacks from SoCal powerhouse St. John Bosco in Chris Steele and Trent McDuffie. A former USC verbal commit, Steele de-committed from the Trojans in October and has open himself up to all comers. Steele unofficially visited Eugene on two separate occasions earlier this year as the Ducks were a top contender for his signature prior to his commitment to USC, though they are not in line to receive an official visit from Steele, who used all five of his allotted trips before the start of the season. With that, Florida and Oklahoma should be considered the frontrunners for Steele at this time. Like Steele, McDuffie has also taken an unofficial visit to Oregon, but has not yet scheduled an official visit. Getting McDuffie on campus before he renders a decision will be key if Oregon hopes to edge out Stanford and Washington, who are believed to be the top two choices for McDuffie. Duck fans will also want to keep an eye on potential developments with Gilbert (Ariz.) Williams Field four-star Noa Pola-Gates and North Palm Beach (Fla.) The Benjamin School four-star Kaiir Elam. Pola-Gates unofficially visited Eugene for the Oregon Spring Game in April, while Elam has only hosted the Oregon coaches for an in-home visit. Alabama and Florida are the perceived frontrunners for Pola-Gates and Elam, respectively.