Published Jul 11, 2017
Wide Receiver Recruiting
circle avatar
Brandon Gibson  •  DuckSportsAuthority
Staff Writer
Twitter
@DSArivals

Oregon is in the hunt for a number of high level wide receiver targets, and has been on a roller coaster ride this recruiting cycle.

Ducks will need to replace two seniors (Darren Carrington and Charles Nelson), two transfers (Jalen Brown and Alex Ofodile), and could add some further depth. While I've predicted four wide receivers for this class, that number could be as low as three or high as five at this point.

Current Commits

Advertisement

The Ducks were a long-time player for the high 4* out of Long Beach Poly. Although Hall had a strong connection to both Taggart and Oregon, coach Cristobal and Oregon won this head-to-head recruiting battle thanks to strong connections to the remaining coaches and Oregon being a good academic fit for Hall’s future goals.

Crocker was an absolute nightmare for opposing defenders at The Opening, and had he had better quarterback play, would have put up unreal numbers. While he doesn't boast the most insane measurable out there, he is similar to Jerry Rice, in that his route running is so clean. Crocker pulled the trigger for the Ducks on his Mother's birthday, January 29th, a special tribute to her #RIPMOM

Remaining Targets

After watching Williams dominate during The Opening, going up against the top talent in the nation, I felt that he is underrated at 169. Soon after he moved to a 5* status. Williams originally dropped a top 10 list, but has also gone on record saying that Oregon is the favorite. Williams also has ties to current Duck players including freshman defensive backs Deommodore Lenoir and Nick Pickett. Losing out on Williams would be a major blow, as the Ducks seem to be in the driver seat.

Waddle gets the nomination for best "Duck" name since Wesly Mallard. On name alone, he would be the most disappointing miss for the Ducks. Most have feared that pulling Waddle out of Texas might be too tall a task for Oregon, but Waddle paid for a second unofficial visit to come to the Saturday Night Live camp. Paying in full for two trips to see a school as far away as Oregon can't be seen as anything but serious interest. Waddle has recently been showing more interest in the local schools, so he may be a longer shot at this point.

Tre'Shaun Harrison is another high quality pickup at athlete, and would be a difference maker on either side of the ball. He shows flashes of De'Anthony Thomas, but here is the catch, he has a few inches and a bunch of pounds on the former speedster. USC and Utah have come on as of late, but the Ducks still have a shot with him. A final official visit is coming up to FSU, and while Harrison has a strong connection to the former Ducks coach, it would be surprising to see him go cross country.

Previously committed to the Ducks, he backed off his pledge after the coaching change. Oregon could use his talents in a number of ways, as his size and speed combination present match problems for opposing teams. It will be interesting to see how things shake out, as the commitment list continues to fill out.

Position Grade - B+

This grade is highly likely to move into the A-/A range with the right combination of the above joining the flock.