The wide receiver position for the Ducks has been the intense focus of Oregon coaches and fans alike the past several months, as the Ducks have been in the running to land one of, if not the best, wide receiver classes in the country during the 2021 recruiting cycle.

However, the player who made the call for Oregon on Saturday, wasn’t necessarily the player who had been long considered a Duck lean for the past several months. Instead, it was Southaven (Miss.) four-star wideout Isaiah Brevard, not Fresno (Calif.) Central East four-star Xavier Worthy, who provided the 4th of July fireworks for those who closely follow Oregon recruiting.

1000% COMMITTED 💚💛 #ScoDucks🦆 #Takeflight21🐍 pic.twitter.com/01neLp1iJI

— 1️⃣0️⃣K isaiah Brevard (@BrevardIsaiah) July 4, 2020

With his verbal commitment, Brevard is now the 16th member of the Ducks’ 2021 recruiting class, joining five-star prospect Troy Franklin and four-star prospect Kyron Ware-Hudson as the third wide receiver in this group. Brevard also represents the latest recruiting victory for Oregon in the state of Mississippi, which has been unexpectedly kind to the Ducks the last two cycles with 2020 signee Trey Benson and 2021 verbal commit Jadarrius Perkins both hailing from the Magnolia State.

Brevard chose the Ducks after landing more than 20 offers from the likes of Georgia, Florida State, Penn State, Texas A&M, and Auburn. His decision to make his way out west gives the Ducks the nation’s fifth-ranked recruiting class and the no. 1 class in the Pac-12 per 247Sports’ Composite Team Rankings, bypassing USC (for now) in both sets of rankings.

Below we take a closer look at Brevard’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:

• Good, but not great speed, explosiveness: One of the biggest knocks on Brevard is his lack of “twitchiness.” He’s not a player who possesses tremendous breakaway speed, or is particularly explosive off the line of scrimmage or coming in and out of his breaks. With other similarly styled receivers already on the Oregon roster, Brevard may find it difficult initially to distinguish himself.
• Raw route-runner: Route-running is more often than not an area of much needed development for receivers making the transition from high school to college, and Brevard is no different in this regard. Sharpening up this area of his game could fast track Brevard when it comes to earning early playing time.

Notable strengths:

• Physical pass catcher: Brevard is all of 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds at first glance, and in time, he should only continue to fill out his rugged frame. In many ways, Brevard’s frame is his biggest asset, as he effectively uses it to make catches through contact and to shed would-be tacklers when making plays after the catch. He’s a strong, sturdy pass catcher.
• Competent perimeter blocker: Thanks to his physical build, Brevard is plenty comfortable operating as a perimeter blocker. His willingness to mix it up with defenders and serve his team by being more than just a pass catcher should put him in his coaches’ good graces almost immediately.
• Displays good competitiveness, concentration: On tape, Brevard comes across as a player who takes pride in doing the little, less sexy things in order to help his team. He’s displays good focus and concentration on the field, which reveals itself both in the notable and non-descript plays he makes. In particular, Brevard has a real knack for making contested catches.

Overall outlook:

On the hoof, Brevard’s game and skill-set is somewhat reminiscent of former Duck wide receiver D.J. Davis. While neither player possesses dazzling speed and athleticism, both are rugged, reliable pass catchers who offer an element of toughness at a traditionally finesse position. Perhaps a more contemporary comparison for Brevard is fellow 2021 receiver commit Kyron Ware-Hudson. Though we don’t see Brevard as a player who is as polished as Ware-Hudson coming in, he is taller with more high-end potential. Regardless, Brevard is a player who registers as another tremendous addition to what could very well wind up being the best wide receiver class nationally this cycle.

The question now becomes, how many wide receivers do the Ducks end up taking? With Brevard, Ware-Hudson, and Franklin already in the fold, Oregon still remains firmly in the hunt for four-star prospects like Worthy and Dont’e Thornton. On Thursday, Worthy tweeted that he will announce his commitment on July 10, as the Ducks, Michigan, and Alabama appear to be the primary contenders for his services, with Oregon perhaps slipping in that final grouping. Thornton isn’t expected to make his decision known until early January, but Oregon has been long considered the heavy favorite in his recruitment.

For now, Brevard gives the Ducks another yet another impressive receiving target to help address what has been one of the weakest position groups on the roster for the past several years. We expect Brevard to be a redshirt candidate his first year on campus, but should he demonstrate refined fundamentals between now and when he arrives in Eugene, Brevard could be a player who challenges for one of the final spots in Oregon’s regular rotation at receiver.

Top Photo: Southaven (Miss.) WR Isaiah Brevard (247Sports)