Where Oregon's top targets stand after coaching change
Oregon fired coach Mark Helfrich on Tuesday night, leaving its recruiting situation in flux. Here is are five top recruits considering the Ducks and where things stand in their recruitments heading into the coaching search.
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The five-star receiver from Los Angeles Hawkins is still considering many programs and really hasn’t narrowed down his list yet as Oregon stays among those schools under contention. USC, UCLA, Arizona, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama and others are involved as well. For Oregon to stay in the mix, it seems like offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Matt Lubick will have to stay on the new coaching staff in some role. If Lubick is gone, getting Lewis to play for the Ducks could become much more difficult.
One of the top outside linebackers in the class and a five-star prospect, McBride has been seriously interested in Oregon for a long time even though he’s all the way across the country in Vidalia, Ga. But Helfrich’s dismissal could significantly change things, especially if linebackers coach Don Pellum is not retained by the new coaching staff. Georgia looks like the clear frontrunner at this point as Oregon wades through a coaching search and Auburn could be the dark horse in his recruitment.
Utah, Boise State, Washington State and others remain seriously in the mix for Thompson and he said Tuesday night he will “of course” continue to consider Oregon even with Helfrich gone. This could be a huge deal for the Ducks because not only is Thompson one of the most talented receivers in the West, he had been waiting for an Oregon offer for some time. If the new coach fits Thompson’s style and continues to go after the four-star, then he’s definitely a prospect who will make a later decision and the Ducks should be in the mix.
Oregon has emerged as a serious contender for Graham, whose Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., teammate Jaylon Redd is committed to the Ducks as of late Tuesday night. Those two, along with three-stars Tayari Venable and Darren Hall, form one of the best defensive backfields in the country. Arizona seems to have the edge for Graham while Notre Dame and some others remain involved. The four-star said Tuesday night that he will wait to see who’s hired at Oregon and then figure out how high the Ducks will be on his list.
For a while, it seemed nearly inevitable that Johnson would join teammates Deommodore Lenoir and Nick Pickett in Oregon’s recruiting class, especially after the Ducks offered and Johnson visited. Now, Lenoir has backed off his pledge and Pickett is, at best, shaky on his future with the Ducks now that Helfrich is gone. UCLA, USC, Florida, Texas A&M, Nebraska and others remain involved with Johnson, who wants to see how the new Oregon staff recruits him before making any further decisions.
