Big visit weekend for Oregon

The Oregon coaching staff prefers to have recruits take their official visits on home game weekends for reasons that need little explaining. When they take the field Saturday night against the Arizona State Sun Devils, a strong contingent of prospective student athletes will be in the stands taking in the action.

Recruiting visit lists change at the last minute for numerous reasons, but as of this writing the group of probable attendees is star-studded:

D.J. Foster Scottsdale, Arizona Rivals100 athlete with a top three of Arizona State, Nebraska and Oregon. Rumored to be a strong lean to his home state team, this weekend could prove pivotal in his recruitment.

Ellis McCarthy Tenth-rated player in the nation, the Monrovia, California star is one of the top Oregon targets for the Class of 2012. Oregon and USC are thought to be amongst his favorites.

Bryce Cottrell Ranked as the nation's #45 defensive end but being recruited by Don Pellum and the Ducks at linebacker, Plano, Texas standout Bryce Cottrell has the Ducks on the top of his recruiting list and could be a possible to commit during or shortly after his visit.

Reggie Daniels Ranked as the #16 safety in the nation, Chandler, Arizona athlete Reggie Daniels has the Ducks in his top four along with Washington, Arkansas and Boise State. Coach John Neal has made a good impression on Daniels giving the Ducks a decent chance with 4-star rated player.

Shaq Thompson Ranked as the #12 player in the nation and the top-rated safety, Thompson is one of the most highly coveted recruits in the country. The Ducks face tough competition for his services from USC, UCLA and Notre Dame and others.

Jeremy Castro Though committed to Washington, DSA did receive a message from Castro which leads us to believe he is visiting this weekend. Ranked as the nation's #21 weakside defensive end, Castro committed to the Huskies in July but as he is taking official visits, is considered a "soft" commit.

If history is any indication, this weekends' game day official visits could prove crucial to the Ducks' chances with all the athletes. While there will likely be last minute additions and subtractions from the list, this weekend will be the most important recruiting weekend of the year to date for Oregon.