In the end, Oregon lands five-star DE Matayo Uiagalelei

For months, it looked like Matayo Uiagalelei was headed to Ohio State.

The five-star defensive end from Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco loved position coach Larry Johnson and his development of players for the NFL. Uiagalelei had a phenomenal time in Columbus for the Buckeyes’ game against Notre Dame. He hit it off with JT Tuimoloau and they played the position similarly.

Then as signing day got closer, especially as this week got started, the word leaked that USC would be the pick. The family had talked, the Trojans made a lot of sense for on- and off-field purposes and Uiagalelei had decided to go down the road and play for coach Lincoln Riley, who took USC to the Pac-12 title game in Year 1.

But neither of those scenarios happened.

Instead, Oregon was the big winner in the Uiagalelei sweepstakes as coach Dan Lanning and his staff continue to show the ability to get into talent-rich Southern California for many of the top prospects there.

IN HIS WORDS

"I really like the coaches, and seeing where the program is going to go. I think they’re only going to go up. It’s pretty cool to see the guys that are being recruited and see the guys that are already there, and how they are adjusting to the new coaches and how they like the new coaches.”

WHAT IT MEANS

Uiagalelei has matured and developed into one of the best defensive ends in the country, a dominant physical force off the edge who was unstoppable in the biggest of games against Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei earlier this season.

The five-star is also a phenomenal tight end who has flashed those skills throughout his high school career and make numerous big plays to show off his athleticism on both sides of the ball.

USC was absolutely a big-time player late in his recruitment and some sources felt up until Tuesday night that’s where he was headed. Ohio State definitely held the lead earlier. But Oregon won out.

What will be interesting to watch from here is how this impacts his brother, DJ, and his transfer status. The two have expressed an interest in playing together and the former five-star quarterback who recently transferred out of Clemson has two years of eligibility left.