If you’ve had WFOD on lock the last several days, then you’re probably well-acquainted with our multi-part series that aimed to re-examine the 2020 recruiting landscape for the Ducks entering the May evaluation period. For those wondering, May is the month in which college coaches from around the country head out on the road to visit prospects they’ve already forged relationships with, as well as discover new talent that is waiting to be found.
To conclude our series, WFOD is going out on a limb of questionable integrity to pose its best guess as to how Oregon’s 2020 recruiting class finishes up. Note that all current verbal commits will be counted towards our 2020 class prediction, meaning we won’t account for potential de-commitments. Additionally, we’re basing the size of the 2020 class on an estimation of the number of recruits we believe the Oregon coaching staff will sign, with the assumption that there will be a relatively normal amount of attrition. Of course, take this accounting with a grain or two of salt, as it is almost sure to change between now and signing day.
Without further adieu, behold WFOD’s mid-year predictions for Oregon’s 2020 recruiting class!
**Estimated available scholarships in 2020: 23**
Quarterback: (1)
The Options: Re-examining Oregon’s targets entering the May eval period: Quarterback
The Prediction: (4*) Jay Butterfield – 6’6″, 180 lbs. – Brentwood (Calif.) Liberty
It’s not necessarily the big prize Duck fans wanted in five-star prospect DJ Uiagalelei, but landing Butterfield would be one heck of a consolation for Mario Cristobal and his staff. Ranked as a the fourth-best pro-style quarterback in the country per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Butterfield will provide stiff competition to Cale Millen for the backup quarterback job once Justin Herbert graduates and Tyler Shough ascends (we assume) to QB1 entering 2020.
Running Back: (1)
The Options: Re-examining Oregon’s targets entering the May eval period: Running back
The Prediction: (3*) Trey Benson – 6’0″, 205 lbs. – Greenville (Miss.) St. Joseph
It was a close call here between Benson and four-star prospect Tirek Murphy, but in the end, we went with Benson. Despite having not yet visited Eugene, Benson has developed a strong relationship with Ducks running backs coach Jim Mastro and has not been bashful in expressing his affinity for the Oregon program on social media. The Ducks are stacked with talent at the running back position for the foreseeable future, thus a commitment from a more modestly rated prospect like Benson feels right given the circumstances. Don’t be surprised either if the Ducks altogether pass on taking a running back in 2020 in order to help space out the current backs on the roster and the future prospects coming in (see 2021’s Seven McGee and 2022’s Jaydn Ott).
Wide Receiver: (3)
The Options: Re-examining Oregon’s targets entering the May eval period: Wide receiver
The Predictions:
(4*) Kris Hutson – 5’11”, 175 lbs. – Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco
(5*) Johnny Wilson – 6’6″, 220 lbs. – Calabasas (Calif.)
(4*) Brenden Rice – 6’3″, 208 lbs. – Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton
Oregon is set to lose seniors Juwan Johnson and Brenden Schooler following the 2019 season, while Jaylon Redd and Johnny Johnson will represent the lone seniors at wide receiver heading into 2020. This is a position that the Ducks have needed to overhaul with talent for some time now, and commitments from three of the West’s best receivers in Hutson, Wilson, and Rice would go a long way towards improving this unit’s overall depth and talent level.
Tight End: (2)
The Options: Re-examining Oregon’s targets entering the May eval period: Tight end
The Predictions:
(3*) Seth Figgins – 6’7″, 225 lbs. – Thousand Oaks (Calif.) Westlake
(4*) D.J. Rogers – 6’3″, 230 lbs. – Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic
Don’t expect Mario Cristobal to ever make apologies for stacking the Oregon roster with big men who can move, which is why Duck fans should fully expect Cristobal to add two tight ends to next year’s roster. Figgins was the first tight end (and recruit) to commit to Oregon’s 2020 recruiting class, but smart money says he probably won’t be the last. With Jacob Breeland and Ryan Bay set to graduate following the upcoming season, Figgins and Rogers feel like strong future additions to this position group.
Offensive Line: (4)
The Options: Re-examining Oregon’s targets entering the May eval period: Offensive line
The Predictions:
(4*) Roger Rosengarten – 6’7″, 275 lbs. – Littleton (Colo.) Valor Christian
(3*) Jaylan Jeffers – 6’6″, 260 lbs. – Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro
(3*) Faaope Laloulu – 6’7″, 370 lbs. – Honolulu (Hawaii) St. Francis School
(N/A) Levi Rogers – 6’5″, 270 lbs. – Woodinville (Wash.)
The Ducks will lose a boatload of experience at season’s end with the graduation of Shane Lemieux, Calvin Throckmorton, Jake Hanson, Dallas Warmack, Brady Aiello, and George Moore. That means Cristobal and Oregon offensive line coach Alex Mirabal will be on the prowl for big bodies to help negate some of those losses. More so than any other position this cycle, the names on our target list could change drastically between now and the signing period, but for now, mark us down for commitments from Rosengarten, Jeffers, Laloulu, and Rogers.
Defensive Line: (3)
The Options: Re-examining Oregon’s targets entering the May eval period: Defensive line
The Predictions:
(4*) Jamar Sekona – 6’3″, 305 lbs. – Greenbrae (Calif.) Marin Catholic
(3*) DeShawn Lynch – 6’4″, 280 lbs. – Folsom (Calif.)
(3*) Jake Shipley – 6’4″, 250 lbs. – Indio (Calif.) Shadow Hills
Like the offensive line, the Oregon defensive line will lose a host of seniors to graduation following the 2019 campaign – five to be exact. The good news is the Ducks did well to address this impending exodus during the 2019 cycle, signing five freshmen in Kayvon Thibodeaux, Keyon Ware-Hudson, Sua’ava Poti, Brandon Dorlus, and Kristian Williams. Though there isn’t a desperate need for bodies during the 2020 cycle, we expect Oregon to add a handful of names to this group. For now, pencil us in for Sekona, Lynch, and Shipley.
Linebacker: (4)
The Options: Re-examining Oregon’s targets entering the May eval period: Linebacker
The Predictions:
(3*) Peter Latu – 6’4″, 225 lbs. – Spanaway (Wash.) Bethel
(4*) Jaden Navarrette – 6’3″, 235 lbs. – Norco (Calif.)
(5*) Sav’ell Smalls – 6’3″, 230 lbs. – Burien (Wash.) Kennedy Catholic
(4*) Noah Sewell – 6’2″, 266 lbs. – Orem (Utah)
Linebacker was a position of major focus for the Ducks during the 2019 recruiting cycle, and it appears to be that once again in 2020. A solid foundation has already been laid this cycle with the verbal commitments from Latu and Navarrette, but it appears Cristobal and company are far from finished. The 2020 class of linebackers out West is absolutely stacked, and the Ducks sit in prime position to land two of the nation’s best at the position in Sav’ell Smalls and Noah Sewell.
Defensive Back: (5)
The Options: Re-examining Oregon’s targets entering the May eval period: Defensive back
The Predictions:
(4*) Avantae Williams – 5’11”, 170 lbs. – DeLand (Fla.)
(4*) Luke Hill – 5’11”, 180 lbs. – Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy
(4*) Myles Slusher – 6’0″, 181 lbs. – Broken Arrow (Okla.)
(3*) Makell Esteen – 6’1″, 170 lbs. – Lawndale (Calif.)
(3*) Jared “JJ” Greenfield – 6’0″, 180 lbs. – Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne
Oregon’s depth at both corner and safety has steadily improved over the last couple recruiting cycles, yet, despite the incremental improvement, it feels like cornerbacks coach Donte Williams and safeties coach Keith Heyward are gearing up for a serious haul in 2020. Williams, Hill, and Slusher are already part of the current class, but Esteen and Greenfield feel like strong bets to join them in the coming months.
Overall outlook:
If we assume for a moment that this is the class Oregon signs in 2020, using 247Sports’ Class Calculator feature, the Ducks’ final score of 274.96 would have finished 11th nationally in 2019, 10th in 2018, 8th in 2017, and 10th in 2016.