A 2020 recruiting class that was headlined by a trio of five-star signees in Noah Sewell, Justin Flowe, and Dontae Manning gives way to a 2021 cycle that will look to be replicated – or perhaps even improved upon – by Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal and his slightly new-look coaching staff.
Gone from last year’s group is former offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo and former cornerbacks coach Donte Williams, who have left their posts in Eugene to become the head coach at UNLV, and the cornerbacks coach and passing game coordinator at USC, respectively.
Replacing Arroyo at OC is Joe Moorhead, who is best known for his work as the former offensive coordinator at Penn State before making his way to Starkville to be the head man at Mississippi State for two seasons before meeting his ouster this past January. Filling Williams’ void is former Minnesota cornerbacks coach Rod Chance, who was a member of the Oregon coaching staff as a defensive analyst in 2018.
Together, Moorhead and Chance – combined with the rest of the staff already in place – look to provide the same level of punch on the recruiting trail that Arroyo and Williams were known to bring during their stints with the Ducks.
With momentum in the 2021 cycle already building, WFOD takes a closer look at the 2021 prospects Duck fans should know as the year unfolds.
Defensive Line
The Big Fish: (5*) Korey Foreman – 6’4″, 265 lbs. – Corona (Calif.) Centennial – **CLEMSON VERBAL COMMIT**
It can be argued that the Ducks have signed the top overall defensive prospect out West each of the past two cycles in Kayvon Thibodeaux (2019) and Justin Flowe (2020). However, their chances of going three-for-three in that department appears to be jeopardy after Corona (Calif.) Centennial five-star defensive end Korey Foreman announced his verbal commitment to Clemson in late January. The Tigers have made a habit of plucking some of the top talent out West in recent recruiting cycles, as Joe Ngata (2019) and DJ Uiagalelei (2020) are the two most notable examples of Clemson flexing its recruiting muscle on the West Coast. And despite the fact that Foreman is planning to go to college more than 2,200 miles from his SoCal home, his commitment to Clemson should be taken seriously, as the Tigers have seldom suffered de-commitments from their recruiting classes in recent years. Still, in the world of recruiting, nothing is guaranteed, and no one understands that truism more than Mario Cristobal and this staff. Expect the Ducks – with a little help from 2021 commit Seven McGee, a high school teammate of Foreman this year – to continue pushing for Foreman’s commitment as the season unfolds, as there’s no telling what kind of reservations Foreman may have as the reality of moving across the country for college begins to settle in.
Other names to know:
(5*) J.T. Tuimoloau – 6’5″, 277 lbs. – Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic
(4*) Keanu Williams – 6’5″, 250 lbs. – Clovis (Calif.)
(4*) Damon Payne – 6’4″, 297 lbs. – Belleville (Mich.)
(4*) Victory Vaka – 6’3″, 315 lbs. – Westlake Village (Calif.) Westlake
Linebacker
The Big Fish: (5*) Raesjon Davis – 6’1″, 215 lbs. – Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei – **LSU VERBAL COMMIT**
Similar to Korey Foreman’s recruitment, expect Oregon to continue their pursuit of five-star linebacker Raesjon Davis despite his early verbal commitment to LSU. The Ducks have had tremendous success recruiting Mater Dei High School in recent years and don’t figure to let Davis head to Baton Rouge without putting up a fight. Though relatively undersized at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, Davis has a frame that could allow him to add 10-15 pounds without sacrificing the athleticism and versatility that makes perhaps the most coveted off-ball linebacker in the country. Oregon will have its work cut out for them, as immediate playing time doesn’t figure to be something they can actively sell at the position this cycle, but like Foreman, distance from home for Davis (roughly 1,800 miles) could always become a much larger factor as the recruiting cycle begins to wind down.
Other names to know:
(4*) DE/OLB Elijah Jeudy – 6’3″, 233 lbs. – Philadelphia (Pa.) Northeast
(3*) DE/OLB Brandon Buckner – 6’1″, 234 lbs. – Chandler (Ariz.)
(4*) LB Wynden Ho’ohuli – 6’3″, 220 lbs. – Mililani (Hawaii)
(4*) LB Mason Tufaga – 6’1″, 210 lbs. – Honolulu (Hawaii) St. Louis
(4*) LB Keith Brown – 6’1″, 220 lbs. – Lebanon (Ore.) – **OREGON VERBAL COMMIT**
(4*) LB Jonathan Flowe – 6’1″, 200 lbs. – Upland (Calif.)
(3*) LB Trey Reynolds – 6’2″, 225 lbs. – Queen Creek (Ariz.)
(4*) LB Julien Simon – 6’2″, 221 lbs. – Tacoma (Wash.) Lincoln
(4*) LB Ethan Calvert – 6’3″, 230 lbs. – Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian
Defensive Back
The Big Fish: (4*) CB Jaylin Davies – 6’0″, 165 lbs. – Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei
The Ducks wouldn’t be doing their due diligence on the recruiting trail if they weren’t pursuing multiple prospects from SoCal high school powerhouse Mater Dei. In this case, the object of Oregon’s recruiting eye is four-star cornerback Jaylin Davies. Listed at an even 6-feet and 165 pounds, Davies is ranked as a top 10 corner nationally per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. He backs up that billing with an awesome combination elite cover skills and better-than-expected physicality for a player of his size. Like most other positions on defense, the Ducks are stacked for the foreseeable future, though corner is one place where there could be an opportunity to make immediate impact, as Oregon will lose Thomas Graham and Deommodore Lenoir to graduation at season’s end. Expect the Ducks to be one of the schools vying for Davies’ signature until the very end.
Other names to know:
(4*) CB Ceyair Wright – 6’1″, 175 lbs. – Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola
(4*) CB Jamier Johnson – 6’1″, 175 lbs. – Pasadena (Calif.) John Muir
(3*) CB Robert Regan – 5’11”, 170 lbs. – Orange (Calif.) Orange Lutheran
(4*) CB Steven Ortiz – 5’10”, 170 lbs. – Goodyear (Ariz.) Desert Edge
(4*) CB D.J. Harvey – 5’10”, 166 lbs. – Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon
(3*) DB Jaylin Smith – 5’11”, 180 lbs. – Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany
Who to know in 2021: An early look at Oregon’s top recruiting targets on offense
Top Photo: Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic DL J.T. Tuimoloau (247Sports)