Kapolei DE Maceal Afaese picks Ducks

Oregon continued its scorching pace on the recruiting trail with their fifth commitment of the month when Kapolei (Hawaii) defensive end Maceal Afaese announced his decision via social media on Wednesday. He joined the #JuneDucks20 crew of Honolulu OL Faaope Laloulu, Harbor City (Calif.) safety Jared Greenfield, Indio (Calif.) DE Jake Shipley and Greenville (Miss.) RB Trey Benson.

The 6-foot-5, 240-pound athlete picked the Ducks over fellow Pac-12 schools Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Oregon State plus national schools such as Nebraska, Tennessee and others.

Oregon now has 13 total commitments and is ranked as the No. 10 recruiting class in the country. They still have plenty of room left for 2020 with a projected total class size of around 20.

Before this month’s commitments of Afaese and Shipley, defensive line was a priority for the class. While that remains the case with five seniors graduating from the unit, the Duck staff can be more focused on true interior linemen; defensive and nose tackles.

At 6-foot-4, 240-pounds heading into his senior season in high school, it is conceivable that Afaese will end up as a defensive tackle in college after some time inside the Oregon program. He played both end and tackle for Kapolei’s defense in 2018 as a junior.

The same can be said for Oregon’s other June defensive end commitment, 6-foot-5, 270-pound Jake Shipley.

Still, look for the Ducks to look to add another interior defensive lineman to the class before the final signing day.

The Ducks may not be done for the month as several prospects they are heavily involved with will be announcing their decisions. Stay tuned to Duck Sports Authority for the latest.