Visiting schools is an important part of the recruiting for any prospect, and sometimes it ultimately becomes the most vital aspect of a commitment decision. The first impression is meaningful.

So, when Colorado-based edge rusher Blake Purchase made his first trip to Oregon over the weekend he went with the intention of figuring out just how much consideration the Ducks would have as he moves forward in the process.

He also wanted to see how much Oregon is interested in him to help bring some clarity to the future of his recruitment.

It was a highly-anticipated trip for the 6-foot-4 recruit, and he left Eugene feeling positive about how Oregon will factor into the process as he moves ahead this spring and summer.

“It was my first time being out there,” he said. “It was crazy seeing all the atmosphere of the fans for a spring game. Then also with the coaches, it was just a great experience being out there and being able to see Oregon for the first time.”

Purchase has been busy this offseason. The early portion of the year was spent splitting time between his recruitment and his junior basketball season at Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Still, he managed to squeeze in visits where he could before ultimately lining up several trips this spring.

USC, Washington, Arizona State, Iowa State and Cal have all hosted him on trips this spring helping him sort through some of the schools he’s interested in most.

He says that the campus living situation at each school and his relationships with the coaches, beyond just football, are a couple of the things that have become a bigger priority in his recruitment after his latest string of visits.

So, there was a lot to take in during his first trip to Eugene, and he came away feeling strongly about the direction of his relationship with the Ducks after spending time around the team on campus.