Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich was fired Tuesday night, ending a four-year tenure that started with tremendous promise but ended with one of the school’s worst seasons in the last 30 years. A dip in recruiting has been partly to blame for the Ducks’ downfall, but which recruits could have helped keep the program at the top of the college football world? We take a look at five recruits that got away from Helfrich during his time in Eugene as head coach.
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Baker committed to Oregon in December of 2013, but his time as a Duck commit didn’t last long. A month later he re-opened his commitment before announcing a Signing Day commitment to Washington. He has been a major part of the Huskies’ turnaround from the Pac-12 basement to Pac-12 North champs.
Barnett initially committed to Notre Dame, only to later back off his commitment. Most assumed he would be headed to Oregon. He visited Eugene and talked openly about his fit in the Oregon offense and his affinity for the school in general. But a surprise visit to Alabama led to a surprise commitment, one that shocked Oregon and left the staff scrambling to find a quarterback in the class. Ultimately, Barnett’s career in Tuscaloosa lasted less than a month into his freshman season and he’s back on the recruiting market, while Oregon’s 2015 quarterback signee, Travis Waller, has yet to see the field for the Ducks. One can only wonder if it would have worked out better for both parties if Barnett ended up in Eugene.
Ross is another player that seemed like a perfect fit in the Oregon offense, and a near carbon copy of former Oregon star DeAnthony Thomas. He officially visited Oregon in October of 2012, but ultimately ended up picking the Huskies over the Ducks in Jan. 2013. When he has been healthy for the Huskies, Ross has been one of the most dynamic players in all of college football. The season he has caught 72 passes for more than 1,000 yards and has also been a factor in the running game and the return game.
Green appeared to be very high on the Ducks for most of his recruiting process, and officially visited Eugene in October of 2014. He gave the trip rave reviews and the possibility for early playing time seemed to give the Ducks a real chance at landing him. However, once USC turned up the heat, Green elected to stay close to home and committed to the Trojans on National Signing Day in 2015. With Oregon’s defensive line play a major factor in the team’s struggles this fall, a stalwart like Green, who has five sacks for the Trojans this year, could have helped right the ship.
An Alabama native, Cunningham didn’t receive serious interest from many SEC schools and ended up with a final three of Oregon, Vanderbilt and Auburn. Each school received an official visit, with Oregon’s coming the same weekend that Chip Kelly announced he was leaving the Ducks for the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite most of the defensive staff staying in place, the Ducks weren’t able to land Cunningham, who ultimately committed to Vanderbilt on National Signing Day. He’s gone on to enjoy tremendous career with the Commodores and projects to be a high NFL draft pick. With Oregon’s linebacker play among the worst in the Pac-12, Cunningham surely would have been a star in Eugene as well.
