Utah safety Jeffrey Bassa picks Ducks
Oregon football inched closer to finishing its class of 2021 on Monday when Salt Lake City (Utah) Kearns star Jeffrey Bassa made his announcement. The three-star rated safety selected the Ducks over a final group of three which included Oklahoma State and Utah after narrowing his choices from more than a dozen Power Five offers.
The Ducks have been hot in pursuit of Bassa since around the beginning of the pandemic with Oregon’s safeties coach leading the way.
“I've got a great relationship with all the coaches,” said Bassa. “My lead recruiter is Coach Heyward. My bond with them is cool because I can talk about football as always but then also talk about random topics as well.”
Safety
Bassa is the second safety prospect in the class this cycle joining Reisterstown (Md.) Franklin star Daymon David who made his pledge in September.
“They’re recruiting me for that position Jevon Holland is at, that nickel/safety position,” confirmed Bassa.
For the 2020 season, sophomore Verone McKinley III has the inside track at nickel although the coaches have been rotating numerous players there during fall camp, which started last week for the Ducks. They look to return much of their safety/nickel depth for 2021.
Though likely to start their Oregon careers at cornerback, fellow 2021 commits JaDarrius Perkins and Darren Barkins have the versatility to compete at nickel too.
Film
Bassa does everything for Kearns; Receiver, safety, kickoff and punt return, and he does it all well. He is one of those guys who always looks like the best athlete on the field. At WR you can see he is not a speed burner at the Pac-12 level but has more speed than the Utah 6A defensive backs who tried to chase him down. An excellent blocker at wide receiver.
On defense he shows great timing and instincts to the ball, and plenty of athleticism to cover receivers one-on-one. He is a good blitzer and at the Utah 6A level, looks like a linebacker against the run. Great combination of controlled aggression and athleticism.
Class of 2021
With 22 commitments, the Ducks are nearly done with the class. They do expect to take one more offensive player and are in the mix for several uncommitted blue-chippers. With two or so commitments left, the Ducks currently have the No. 3-ranked recruiting class in the nation.
Prognosis
Watching his junior film, you can see why the Ducks coaches like him at nickel. He has the length, speed and athleticism to cover Pac-12 receivers, yet shows a distinct toughness. He is the type of guy who can play against the run and pass with equal results.
Looking at the depth chart, Verone McKinley and Jamal Hill will be juniors when Bassa arrives in Eugene with other talented youth entering the fold, so his path to the defensive field early will not be easy. But at special teams he could shine right away. At Kearns he played on all special teams and was a playmaker at them. With four games to show what he can do as a freshman without using his redshirt, he will have his chance to make an impression his first year.