Five-star LB Justin Flowe details Oregon pledge
If the early signing period for the class of 2020 will be remembered for one thing at Oregon, it will be the day the nation’s No. 1 linebacker prospect announced he was going to be a Duck. At a ceremony at his high school streamed live on national television, Upland (Calif.) five-star standout Justin Flowe announced his choice.
“For the next three or four years I will be I will be pursuing my academic and athletic career at the university of…”
With that he stood up, paused, then picked up a green hat with a yellow ‘O’ off the table in front of him and placed it on his head.
“Oregon,” he beamed at the assembled cameras.
He explained his choice to the broadcast hosts afterwards.
“Oregon has a great program,” said Flowe. “I have seen what they have been doing over the years. Mario Cristobal, he is a great guy. I love being around the coaching staff.
“It was the best pick for me personally. I feel like I will thrive in that program so that is what I picked.”
Mario Cristobal and the Oregon coaching staff was on the practice field as the announcement was made, preparing for their New Year’s Day date with Wisconsin at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Cristobal was aware of the announcement and had somebody monitoring it on the sidelines.
“I was on the field, we were practicing,” recalled Cristobal. “We were paying attention. We were concentrating and focusing on practice. I just had a guy at a distance with a little phone on him to make sure you don’t get a thumbs up or just get nowhere near me if it didn’t work out.”
Flowe is the No. 4 overall prospect in the 2020 class, the No. 1 ranked linebacker. Before his commitment, the Ducks already had two outstanding linebackers committed and signed. Orem (Utah) ILB and fellow five-star Noah Sewell is the No. 2 ranked LB in the class, the No. 16 overall prospect in the nation. Sparks (Nev.) Spanish Springs OLB Jackson LaDuke is rated with four stars, the No. 22 OLB in the country.
Together, they make one of the top linebacker prospect groups ever signed in a single class.
“An incredible group of men, young men,” Cristobal assessed. “They are intense competitors. They are great teammates. They are great leaders. They’re all physical. They’re explosive, instinctive. I mean, these guys change you. They’re knock back tacklers. They take on big bodies and knocking backs and get hands on. They’re able to shed blockers and their block destruction capabilities are phenomenal. I mean, these guys are game changers. Again, as excited as can be that they are with us.”
The football world found out about his decision on Wednesday, but in his mind he has known where he wanted to go for months.
“I knew the second time I went to campus and saw the surroundings and off campus environment,” Flowe told Duck Sports Authority. “I loved it.”
Coming from Upland high school in the greater Los Angeles area, Flowe saw the relatively small town of Eugene, Oregon as a welcome contrast.
“It’s real laid back and calm,” said Flowe. “A place where I can just focus on school and football.”
His friends, family and mentors thought it was a solid pick as well.
“It was a great choice,” said Flowe. "Everybody stood firmly behind me.”
The fact that he was joining two excellent linebackers the Ducks had signed earlier in the day did not go unnoticed.
“We’re going to be real aggressive,” said Flowe. “I think we’ll push each other to our limits.”
Flowe’s message to Duck fans as he prepares for life in Eugene is simple.
“I am determined to come in and work my ass off to give Oregon the best version of Justin Flowe ever.”
And Duck fans cannot wait to see it.