Winston amazed by Oregon

Oregon already landed verbal commitments from two top in-state prospects and it's working on a third.

Rivals250 athlete Lamar Winston of Portland (Ore.) Central Catholic visited the Ducks for the first time over the weekend and was amazed by everything he saw.

"It was amazing," Winston said. "The facility, the visit, the people -- everything was amazing and first-class. What stood out to me most, though, was how interactive the coaches were. That's what I liked most about them. I watched practice and instead of yelling at players following bad plays, they calmly told them what they could do better. That's what I really liked."

Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich and his staff have some help in trying to reel in yet another top in-state recruit. Winston's teammate Brady Breeze, a four-star defensive back, and three-star tight end Cam McCormick have been working on Winston to join them in the class.

"They're just trying to get me to be a part of the family," Winston said.

Winston, though, intends to continue assessing all his options. He went up to Washington for its junior day and he's planning on taking a swing through the Golden State next month to visit California, UCLA and USC. And though the cycle hasn't even hit the spring evaluation period, those aren't the only trips on his mind.

"I know of two official visits for sure, and that's to Oregon and Michigan," Winston said. "I don't know yet which dates. I've got to check out the schedule and see what fits. But I know I want to take officials to those two schools."

The Wolverines, Winston said, are giving him the choice to pick between outside linebacker and receiver. It's a recruiting pitch that many coaches are trying with the 6-foot-3, 205-pound prospect.

"I just want to get out to Michigan and get some actual contact with the coaches so I can see what they're like with the players, see what Michigan is about," Winston said. "Oregon was great, so I want to see what Michigan has to offer and what they have that I can't get a feeling for through phone conversations."

Oregon definitely set the bar high over the weekend and that's something not even Breeze or McCormick could replicate through their various pitches.

"We talked a lot about academics and life after college," Winston said. "They do a lot to help a player if he doesn't make it to the NFL. I had actually never taken time to consider the fact that my parents could come to all my home games, and I like that a lot. It's a top school and the No. 2 team in the nation right here in my own backyard so there is a lot to like about Oregon. If I go back there for their camp in the summer, it might be to work with the coaches and see how they're going to make me better."

Winston had more than 600 receiving yards and nine touchdowns as a junior, helping Central Catholic capture another state crown. On defense, the outside linebacker had 34 total tackles, four pass deflections and three fumble recoveries.