Mayden on the rise
Sachse (Tex.) cornerback Jared Mayden is a player on the rise. After committing to the Oregon Ducks at the Opening in July, the 6-foot, 195-pound athlete made a breathtaking 41-position leap in the latest Rivals.com re-rankings, up to the No. 106 overall prospect in the country.
Duck Sports Authority caught up with the nation's No. 9-ranked CB prospect to get his reaction to the new ranking while getting an update on his recruitment.
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"I actually didn't know that I got bumped up until you just told me," said Mayden. "But that's cool, moving up from as far down as I did. I think I could even be ranked higher. That is just my nature."
Of course for Mayden and Oregon's staff it has not been all great news this week as they had two Rivals250 prospects decommit from the Class of 2016. Westlake Village WR Theo Howard and Mission Hills CB Troy Warner gave the Ducks a bitter recruiting double-whammy just as the 2015 football season prepares for kickoff.
Mayden is understanding of the setback.
"Really I guess they are just trying to find the right fit. You can't really blame anybody. They thought it was the right thing when they made their commit but I guess something changed for them. So I don't blame them but I wish it didn't happen.
"We would definitely welcome them back for sure."
Naturally Duck fans are concerned about an outbreak of decommit fever. And a highly-sought prospect committed to a distant program is a juicy target.
"A few schools are still after me like Ohio State, Florida, UCLA and Michigan," Mayden confirmed. "Those schools are still contacting me. It's mainly just twitter."
And what would he say to Duck fans edgy from recent events?
"I would tell them not to be too worried about it," replied Mayden. "Those two decommits don't affect me in any way. They don't have anything to worry about with me.
"I made my decision because I really loved my unofficial visit. It just felt like the right place for me, and I have been to a lot of places. But when I was at Oregon it just felt like the right place."
The next time Mark Helfrich and his staff get a chance to remind the Lone Star State standout about the place he fell in love with in the summer of 2014 will be in early October.
"My Oregon official will be for Washington State," Mayden confirmed. "I don't have any plans for any other officials."
Duck Sports Authority will check in with Jared Mayden next month to see how he and his Sachse team is faring during their first few games of the season. In the meantime stay tuned as Oregon's 2015 campaign begins next Saturday when Eastern Washington comes to town to face their old quarterback and his new team.