Landing a Rivals five-star is a big deal, something the top programs in the country do often. Each year only the top 30 or so prospects in the nation are awarded such an honor, and this season the Oregon football staff find themselves in the top group with several of them.
In this edition of DSA Roundtable, analysts Dale Newton, Brandon Gibson and Scott Reed weigh in on the question: Who is the most likely Five-star the Ducks will sign in 2020?
Newton
Mario Cristobal's stated goal is to make Oregon a consistent contender for conference and national championships, to win rings. There's no feeling like it, he's said. It's a hunger in the soul.
To that end, he has to be aiming for the clean sweep. Not one potential five star. Not two. The Ducks have to close with Sav'ell Smalls, Johnny Wilson and Noah Sewell.
Sewell is not a five star yet, but after transcendent showings at the Rivals 5-Star Challenge and The Opening, his 5th star is a formality. The dude is powerful and explosive, as relentless as Rudy in an Oklahoma Drill, only with infinitely more talent.
While the Orem, Utah star is taking his recruiting process very seriously, he's the one most likely to quack, because the family ties are deep, and the relationships are very strong. He's grown up around the Oregon program and the Sewells have a lot of well-earned trust in the Oregon coaches.
Together, these three do as much to elevate the 2020 class as Thibodeaux, Funa, Ware-Hudson and Tauanu'u did to form the core of 2019. They are gap closers, possessing a level of ability and drive that forges a new identity for a program. Cristobal has to have all three.
Gibson
If we stick to the strict definition of “current” five-star, the only answer is Sav’ell Smalls. He is the most probable of the current five-star group that includes Justin Flowe and Kelee Ringo. If we wander a bit away from “current” five-star, we could include former five-star Johnny Wilson (#35 ranked) and rapidly rising four-star Noah Sewell (#33 ranked), which would widely open the debate.
Oregon is in a very good position with Smalls but traveling away from home may mean more than just getting a state away. Smalls has interest in Washington State as the most local school, but the remaining schools of interest are mainly in the SEC/ACC footprint. Although the chances with Oregon and Smalls are good, I would guess they are slightly less likely than a pickup of Wilson or Sewell.
Noah Sewell has the obvious family connection to Oregon with Freshman All-American Penei Sewell here. The Sewell family is extremely happy with the entire setup at Oregon and with how Penei is being developed. Playing with family will be a huge draw, but the draw from outside is due to every major program in the country recognizing his freakish ability and potential.
With Johnny Wilson the Ducks have the inside track thanks to relationship with the coaching staff and freshman Duck Mycah Pittman. Texas seems to be the main competition at this time, but I think the draw of playing closer to home with a good friend and teammate wins out in the end.
I would likely put the probability of Wilson and Sewell neck and neck, but I think Sewell has the slightly greater potential to earn the fifth star. Oregon has the potential to land all three, but I would be slightly surprised to see them not land a pair of these prospects.
Reed
The most likely current five star to sign with Oregon is Johnny Wilson. I wanted to go with Sav’Ell Smalls here, but I still think that – despite the legitimate interest in Texas – the Ducks are in the lead here and that multiple future visits (including SNL) push the Ducks over the top. There was some thought that Wilson might get dropped to four-star in the next round of rankings updates, but I am not so sure if that is going to happen right now.
Though he was not at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge, he was very impressive at The Opening Finals and his size/athleticism combination make him one of the best receivers int eh nation. Coach Boughknight is doing a fantastic job in his recruitment and the assistance of Mycah Pittman is sure to help as well.
Want the trifecta? I think Noah Sewell gets a bump and I think that the Ducks get all three. Considering that this class seems on the precipice of not being in the top ten, this could push Oregon to even greater heights int eh 2019 rankings should that all play out. It seems a long shot, but so did landing Kayvon Thibodeaux.
