Rivals national recruiting analyst Nick Harris takes a look at Oregon's potential before National Signing Day, Peyton Bowen's intriguing recruitment and what Colorado could do in the coming weeks.
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1. Watch for Oregon ahead of National Signing Day.
It would be safe to say that Oregon exceeded expectations in year one under Dan Lanning, and that momentum from the field has generated some steam on the recruiting trail, especially in the final days ahead of the Early Signing Period.
The Ducks are making some late runs at some top committed prospects, including Peyton Bowen, David Hicks Jr., Kadyn Proctor and others. Depending on who you ask, you will get some different answers on the Ducks' chances with each of them.
Additionally, the Ducks remain in the hunt for Matayo Uiagalelei, Rodrick Pleasant, Ashton Porter and others to add to their impressive defensive class. The latter will officially visit this weekend, and the expectation is that the Ducks seal it up ahead of his final decision at the Under Armour All-American Game.
However, it's not all sunshine and rainbows for the Ducks down the stretch, as newly hired offensive coordinator Will Stein and his offensive staff are working overtime to keep five-star quarterback Dante Moore in the class amid a strong push from UCLA. If the Ducks lose out on Moore, I would expect them to quickly pivot to Baylor commit Austin Novosad.
How successful can Oregon be down the stretch? That remains to be seen, but the Ducks will be at the center of some of the most important recruitments in the country.
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2. Peyton Bowen has had arguably the most roller-coaster recruitment in 2023, and we're far from the end.
Denton (Texas) Guyer five-star safety Peyton Bowen raised his stock arguably more than any other recruit in the state of Texas during the 2022 season, as his ability in the defensive backfield and the return game has made him an invaluable asset that has his recruitment in a whirlwind down the stretch.
A longtime Notre Dame commit, Bowen has been courted heavily by Texas A&M and Oklahoma during the majority of his Irish commitment, but it's the Sooners that have been able to make the most noise in the late stages of his recruitment. Another program to watch ahead of the Early Signing Period is Oregon as the Ducks are pushing to get a late official visit before he puts pen to paper.
Whether it be a relationship with a current Oklahoma women's soccer player, potential NIL riches at Oregon or a laid-out education plan at Notre Dame this recruitment has added a layer of intrigue almost daily in the final days ahead of his final decision.
Notre Dame had an in-home visit with Bowen on Thursday night, and it's expected that Oklahoma will try to thwart any potential Oregon official visit with an in-home visit on Saturday afternoon.
I predicted a flip in this recruitment in November to Oklahoma, and that still remains the expectation, but it won't go down without some fanfare in one of the cycle's more wild recruitments.
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3. The Deion Sanders effect will eventually strike again.
It didn't take new Colorado coach Deion Sanders long to to make his impact at the Power Five level felt when he quickly flipped four-star running back Dylan Edwards from Notre Dame, and it'd be foolish to expect that to be the last splash the Buffaloes make before February's National Signing Day.
Things are still coming together in Boulder for Sanders with his staff and team personnel, but once things get adjusted the recruiting trail will be hit hard by his staff for some of the nation's top talent. It might be too quick of a turnaround to make something happen ahead of the Early Signing Period, but don't discount the possibility.
It's almost been a little too quiet when it comes to Colorado's buzz in the 2023 cycle, similar to how it felt around this time with Jackson State at this point in the cycle last year. Needless to say, even with barely half of the resources, we all know how that ended.
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