If the 2022 recruiting cycle was your oven, consider the present day to be the pre-heat setting.
In fact, with roughly a year and a half to go before 2022 prospects can officially sign a letter of intent with the program of their choice, labeling this as the pre-heat stage may even be a tad premature.
That word, “premature,” had particular significance for one 2022 recruit Tuesday night, as now former Oregon verbal commit Jaydn Ott announced his de-commitment from the Ducks on Twitter.
— Jaydn Ott (@THEJAYDNOTT) June 17, 2020
In an interview with 247Sports West Coast Recruiting Analyst Blair Angulo, Ott, who is currently ranked as a four-star recruit and the 26th-best running back in the 2022 class by 247Sports, explained that he felt like he pulled the trigger too quickly when he originally pledged his commitment to the Ducks last spring.
“Oregon has always been a top choice for me since I was younger,” Ott told 247Sports. “However, my de-commitment opens up more possibilities for me and I will continue to weigh my options. Due to the fact that most high school athletic teams have been unable to congregate, from early March up until now, it’s made it hard for college scouts to recruit heavily as they’ve been used to doing so during the spring in the past. Because of this, my contact with any schools has been minimal.”
Following a breakout freshman campaign in 2018 that saw the SoCal native rush for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns for Norco (Calif.) High School (the same program that notably produced future Ducks in Jaden Navarrette and Troy and Travis Dye), Ott transferred to Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman, where he averaged over 11 yards per carry and scored seven touchdowns in nine games while splitting carries out of the backfield last season.
Ott’s de-commitment leaves Oregon with no current verbal commitments in its 2022 recruiting class.
Below, WFOD analyzes Ott’s de-commitment and how it impacts the Ducks.
The glass half-empty look:
Though Ott has yet to receive his industry-generated rating and ranking from the 247Composite, the 247Sports network views Ott as one of the top running backs on the West Coast for the upcoming 2022 recruiting cycle. And statistically, the numbers back that up. Ott burst onto the scene following a breakthrough freshman season that saw him establish himself as a rising prospect in his class, which eventually led to him making the move to Vegas to attend Bishop Gorman this past season.
While extensive action was hard to come by in a loaded Gael backfield in 2019, Ott made the most of his opportunities, serving as a home-run threat for one of the top high school programs in the country. His production should only increase as he enters his junior year, which should only serve as salt in the wound for Duck fans who were hoping to have one of the region’s top backs already in the fold. With that no longer the case, Oregon running backs coach Jim Mastro is forced to re-assess his options, as the Ducks are now even more likely to be active participants in the running back market with CJ Verdell, Travis Dye, and Cyrus Habibi-Likio all expected to be gone from the roster come the start of the 2022 season.
The glass half-full look:
It’s a rarity for any recruit to stick with a verbal commitment that was made prior to the start of their junior year in high school. In Ott’s case, his pledge to Oregon came well before the ink had dried on his final freshman year report card, making the enduring prospect of his commitment even more improbable. With that, it is difficult for even the most die-hard Duck fan to feel some type of way about Ott’s decision to open up his recruitment.
There’s no denying that Ott is a player who will be highly sought after as his high school career continues to unfold, and the Ducks will miss not having that assurance at running back – however flimsy – heading into the 2022 cycle. However, if any program in the Pac-12 is equipped to overcome this relatively minor setback, it’s Oregon. Under head coach Mario Cristobal, the Ducks have recruited like gangbusters and that’s unlikely to change as long as Cristobal is in Eugene. With the program on a serious upswing and prospective playing time to offer, Cristobal and his staff should have no trouble attracting top talent at running back in 2022.
Who are Oregon’s options at running back during the 2022 recruiting cycle?
Even though Ott has de-committed from Oregon, expect the Ducks to remain in the mix for his services over the next 18 months or so. Beyond Ott, however, the options at the moment are virtually limitless. As of the publish date of this article, the Ducks have offered roughly a dozen running backs (including Ott) from coast-to-coast, with more offers expected to be made over the course of the next 12 months.
Regionally, look for Oregon to factor into the respective recruitments of prospects such as Raleek Brown, Jabari Bates, Rayshon “Speedy” Luke, Jovantae Barnes, Gavin Sawchuk, and Jaylen Thompson. Beyond the Pac-12 footprint, one name to keep an eye on is Atlanta (Ga.) Woodward Academy running back Damari Alston, who is a close friend and former high school teammate of Ducks walk-on running back Cross Patton.
Top Photo: Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman RB Jaydn Ott (247Sports)