“Go west, young man!”

Those may not have necessarily been the words going through Chris Steele‘s head earlier this spring, but they certainly rang true in recent weeks as the true freshman announced his intention to transfer from the University of Florida. This following a disturbing incident involving a former teammate and roommate of Steele’s during his brief time in Gainesville.

After entering the NCAA transfer portal on May 9, the former St. John Bosco High School product worked relatively quickly to find a new landing spot, announcing Tuesday that he would be continuing his collegiate career at Oregon after the Ducks were a top finalist for Steele’s services towards the end of the 2019 recruiting cycle.

I now know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have everything I’ve ever wanted. I have learned the secret of being content. In any and every situation, I can do all things through GOD who gives me strength…Ready to get to Eugene and ball! #LongLiveBigBruce🖤🦆 pic.twitter.com/QIomrC5L1w

— 🌹🖤 (@KinggChris7) May 14, 2019

Rated as a four-star recruit and the no. 5 ranked cornerback prospect in the country per 247Sports’ 2019 Composite Rankings, Steele’s addition to the Ducks’ 2019 recruiting class elevates Oregon into the top five of 247Sports’ Composite Team Rankings, supplanting LSU to earn the no. 5 ranking once occupied by the Tigers.

A one-time verbal commit to USC dating back to last October, the Ducks did well to position themselves as the preferred destination for Steele following his transfer from Florida, edging out the Trojans and others for the high-profile recruit’s commitment. He now serves as the third cornerback in Oregon’s 2019 class, joining Mykael Wright and DJ James.

Below we take a closer look at Steele’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:

• Possesses good, but not great speed: Steele’s short area quickness is great, but he doesn’t quite have the deep speed that would elevate him to an unrivaled level among corners in the 2019 class. Could run into trouble covering receivers who utilize tremendous speed to gain separation.
• Progress to be made as a tackler: As good as Steele is at corner, he’s still a work in progress when it comes to being a consistently effective tackler. On film, he at times demonstrates unpolished skills in his attempts to bring down ball carriers.

Notable strengths:

• Excels in press coverage: Few are as effective as Steele is in press coverage. He’s a tenacious pass defender who surrenders very little to receivers off the line of scrimmage and is skilled at batting away passes thrown in his vicinity.
• Smooth, quick twitch athlete: At 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Steele is bigger than your average corner, but he moves with the smoothness and quickness of a smaller athlete. His ability to stick to receivers is uncanny and is made possible thanks to these finely tuned athletic traits.
• Demonstrates a willingness to be physical: Tackling may not be his strong suit, but that doesn’t preclude Steele from exhibiting redeeming physicality in his play. His size and strength especially comes in handy when it comes to imposing his will and intimidating smaller receivers he faces off against.

Overall outlook:

One of the bigger disappointments for the Ducks during the 2019 recruiting cycle was the inability to land Steele. Head coach Mario Cristobal and the rest of the Oregon coaching staff recruited Steele as hard any prospect the Ducks had offered last year before ultimately losing out to Florida. For Oregon, that goodwill has now officially been repaid, and in turn, bolsters a cornerback group that is suddenly brimming with talent both in the present and in the years to come. The question now becomes, “Where does Steele fit in with regard to 2019?” Juniors Thomas Graham and Deommodore Lenoir are all but entrenched as Oregon’s starters at corner, while true freshman Mykael Wright and redshirt freshman Verone McKinley seem to have firm grasps on reserve roles based on their respective performances this spring. Steele was in Gainesville this spring and reportedly held his own against some of the best athletes in the SEC, earning reps with the Gators’ first-team defense. But how will that translate when he arrives in Eugene later this summer? Incoming freshman DJ James, and veterans Haki Woods and Daewood Davis will each presumably have a say in the amount of playing time that Steele is able to carve out for himself once fall camp begins, meaning the path to the field may not be as clear as anticipated. Regardless, the addition of Steele is a monumental one for this defense, and despite everything we just said, it would come as no surprise to see Steele force his way onto the field in some capacity based on raw talent alone. With Steele now part of the mix, the secondary is now verifiably one of the deepest and most talented units on the Oregon roster.