With spring football now squarely in the rear-view mirror and the dog days of late spring and summer lying just beyond the horizon, now feels like as good a time as any to re-evaluate where things stand with some of the biggest targets for the Ducks in the 2020 recruiting cycle.

Back in February, WFOD set the table for Duck fans by offering an early look at the names on both offense and defense that recruitniks should familiarize themselves with as Oregon looks to repeat their otherworldly performance on the recruiting trail last season.

Today we continue the exercise of revisiting the Ducks’ top 2020 targets by taking a position-by-position look at the recruits currently believed to be in play. At the end of the series, we’ll submit our educated long-range guess as to what Oregon’s class could look like with more than six months remaining between now and the early signing period in December.

Defensive Line

The Top Target: (4*) Jamar Sekona – 6’3″, 305 lbs. – Greenbrae (Calif.) Marin Catholic

Other prospects of note:

(3*) Jake Shipley – 6’4″, 250 lbs. – Indio (Calif.) Shadow Hills
(3*) Van Fillinger – 6’3″, 255 lbs. – Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon
(3*) DeShawn Lynch – 6’4″, 280 lbs. – Folsom (Calif.)
(3*) Alex Lemon – 6’4″, 275 lbs. – San Diego (Calif.) San Diego Mesa College – **ARIZONA STATE VERBAL COMMIT**
(3*) Kobe Pepe – 6’0″, 294 lbs. – Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco

After inking five defensive linemen to their 2019 recruiting class, it would seem as if the Ducks are willing to be a bit choosier with who they take in 2020. That has been reflected to a degree in both the number of known targets that Oregon is pursuing at this present moment, as well as the star power of the prospects on their immediate radar.

In general, the West Coast is a bit light on top level talent in the defensive trenches in 2020, but fortunately for Mario Cristobal and defensive line coach Joe Salave’a, Oregon is squarely in the mix for arguably the top defensive line recruit out West this cycle in four-prospect Jamar Sekona. Standing 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, Sekona is a powerful presence from his defensive tackle position. On film, Sekona shows a real knack for overpowering offensive linemen at the point of attack and flashes enough athleticism to be a consistent threat making plays behind the line of scrimmage. The Bay Area native was recently in Eugene for the spring game, but the Ducks will have a battle on their hands as they try to outmaneuver Cal and Nebraska for the big man’s letter of intent this winter.

While Sekona is probably the most high-profile name the Ducks are after along the defensive line, Lynch, Shipley, and Fillinger are potential difference makers in their own right. Of the three, Lynch may be the player who is most likely to be a Duck within the coming weeks. His unofficial visit to Eugene a few weeks ago not only earned Oregon overwhelming positive reviews from Lynch, but also garnered the Ducks a handful of Crystal Ball predictions from 247Sports staff members. With the versatility to play along the interior or on the edge, Lynch would be a valuable addition to this recruiting class despite his relatively modest star rating.

Similar kinds of things can be said for Fillinger, who plays in the middle for high school team, but is more likely defensive end in a 3-4 or 3-3-5 alignment like the Ducks look to utilize under first-year defensive coordinator Andy Avalos. Michigan, who holds 100% of the Crystal Ball predictions on 247 could be Oregon’s biggest competition here. Shipley is another three-star prospect who outplays his three-star rating on film. At 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Shipley would be a likely defensive end in Oregon’s defensive alignment, but he’s athletic enough to be a standup pass rusher should his physical development allow. Shipley recently named a top five which includes Oregon, UCLA, Washington, Arizona State, and Cal.

Re-examining Oregon’s targets entering the May eval period: Quarterback
Re-examining Oregon’s targets entering the May eval period: Running back
Re-examining Oregon’s targets entering the May eval period: Wide receiver
Re-examining Oregon’s targets entering the May eval period: Tight end
Re-examining Oregon’s targets entering the May eval period: Offensive line