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Elite JUCO CB Names Top Three Oregon remains in the mix for a number of 2024 recruiting targets. Even with the recent flip of cornerback Dakoda Fields, Oregon remains in the mix for another talented corner. College of San Mateo (Calif.) corner Sione Laulea has been a top target for the Ducks. He dropped a top five about three weeks ago but is now down to three programs. The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder named Oregon, USC and Miami as his finalists. Currently Oregon has the lead in the On3 RPM at nearly 84%. Laulea is the top-ranked JUCO player in the country. His combination of size and speed has made him one of the most coveted players in the country. In June Laulea took official visits to Oregon, USC, Penn State, Miami and Utah. He later visited Penn State at the end of the July period. Most expected this one to come down to Oregon and Penn State for his commitment. However his new top three does not include the Nittany Lions. Here is what Laulea told ScoopDuck about Oregon following his official visit... Elite JUCO CB Names Top Three - On3 WWW.ON3.COM Oregon remains in the race for elite JUCO cornerback Sione Laulea. Find out who made the cut and what's next.

Quack Minute

Football recruit who left BYU-Oregon game after chant has made his college decision TC Manumaleuna, the Latter-day Saint college football recruit who last fall said he left a BYU-Oregon football game after a derogatory chant broke out at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, has decided where he’ll play college football. Late Sunday night, Manumaleuna announced on social media that after he serves a mission for The Church of Latter-day Saints, he will go to Oregon. Football recruit who left BYU-Oregon game after chant has made his college decision WWW.DESERET.COM TC Manumaleuna, who was at a BYU-Oregon football game when a chant offensive to members of The Church of Gosh crap of...

Oregon/USC look good early for four-star '26 standout Tomuhini Topui The initial top 100 for the class of 2026 was released last Wednesday and Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei two-way lineman Tomuhini Topui was one of the headliners. The initial top 100 is based largely on freshman year production as well as high level projectable tools, ie) HT/WT/speed. Our rankings are an NFL Draft projection so high school production matters but we’re also highly influenced by things like length and elite athleticism. There were eight total players from California who made the top 100 with Topui checking in as the No. 5 player in the state and No. 41 nationally. Topui is a player that could have made this list as both an offensive guard/center as well as a defensive tackle/nose. He’s a dominant two-way player but will focus on the defensive side of the ball this year. He was the best player we saw at the SoCal National Preps Camp back in May where he earned MVP honors and didn’t lose a rep while working out on both sides of the ball. At 6-2, 335 pounds, he has a 78.5” wing, moves well and plays with a mean streak. He has advanced technique, uses his hands well and competes with a non-stop motor. Oregon/USC look good early for four-star '26 standout Tomuhini Topui 247SPORTS.COM Topui was rated a top 100 prospect in the initial 247Sports Top 100 that came out last week.

Canzano: USC makes scary-good AD hire in Jennifer Cohen Athletic director Jennifer Cohen likes to tell a story about attending University of Washington football games as a kid. Her father would hold her hand and walk with her over Montlake Bridge. They’d stand for all four quarters at the Huskies game. Then, on the way home they’d talk and recap what they saw. The following day, they’d watch “The Don James Show” on television to see what the UW football coach had to say about the game. Cohen will be announced today as the athletic director at USC. It’s a terrific hire by the Trojans and a good career move for Cohen. I had her pegged to someday become the president of the NCAA and save college athletics. Maybe she still will. First, though, Cohen will do this USC thing. Canzano: USC makes scary-good AD hire in Jennifer Cohen WWW.JOHNCANZANO.COM Washington AD leaving for USC.

Will Stein has seen progress from both backup QBs, Ty Thompson in position to be 'next man up' Will Stein likes what he's seen from the quarterback room this fall. Incumbent starter Bo Nix is the unquestioned top QB on the roster coming off a stellar first year in Eugene, while backups Ty Thompson and Austin Novosad are each improved, Oregon's new offensive coordinator said on Monday afternoon. Thompson, now a redshirt sophomore, is three years Novosad's elder, and that experience is largely what separates the two to be "next man up" should Nix go down. "He's taken major strides this fall to put himself in a good position to be the next man up," Stein said of Thompson. "But Austin Novosad has definitely pushed him. Will Stein has seen progress from both backup QBs, Ty Thompson in position to be 'next man up' 247SPORTS.COM Oregon QB coach Will Stein has been pleased with the competition behind starter Bo Nix at quarterback. Ty Thompson has "put...

Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein meets with the media following Day 15 of Fall Camp Everything OC Will Stein said after Oregon's 15th fall practice - Transcript Everything OC Will Stein said after Oregon's 15th fall practice 247SPORTS.COM Below is a complete transcript of offensive coordinator Will Stein discussing the Ducks' offense through 15 practices.

Jr. Defensive Back Tysheem Johnson meets with the media following Day 15 of Fall Camp

Sr. Offensive Lineman Steven Jones meets with the media following Day 15 of Fall Camp

Aaron Fentress doesn't like Lanning not giving answers...defiant? Click on "Show More" to see entire post

Welcome to the final season of college football as we know it. Extreme? Maybe, but 2023 has an end-of-an-era feel. Texas and Oklahoma are taking their last lap in the Big 12. The Pac-12 is still a Power Five conference. Will it even be a conference in 2024 after the Big Ten opens its West Wing and the Big 12 expands yet again? The College Football Playoff is a four-team event for the last time this year before tripling in size. Everything about the collegiate sports model seems ripe for radical changes. But not quite yet. “It does seem like it will feel like a lame-duck year at some point in time,” former Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said. Before the maps are redrawn (again) and the stakes are remade (again), there is one more season to left to appreciate what is being lost — or long for what’s being gained. “I’m resigned to it,” said ESPN’s Rece Davis on The AP Top 25 College Football Podcast. “There are parts of it I will miss very much because I consider myself, at heart, a traditionalist. I love the nostalgia of the sport. Maybe, save, baseball, I don’t think there is another sport that conjures up that type of deep emotional connection that college football does. And we’re losing some of that.” With super conferences and CFP expansion on horizon, 2023 is the end of an era in college football APNEWS.COM Welcome to the final season of college football as we know it. That might sound extreme, but 2023 has an end-of-an-era feel.

Five-star OL Brandon Baker closing in on commitment We had a chance to see Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei offensive lineman Brandon Baker in action over the weekend in the Monarchs season opener. In a matchup featuring teams ranked Nos. 1 and 3 in the state, the top-ranked Monarchs took down Centennial 28-14 in a game that was closer than expected. It was good to see Baker in action, as we didn’t get to see a lot of him over the offseason. Physically, he looks great. He said that he recently measured in at Mater Dei at 6-foot-5, 295 with an 83-inch wingspan. He’s rated the No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 24 player overall in the Top247 as well. As good as Baker was last season — and he was very good, starting every game at right tackle for the Monarchs — he said that he’s a different player this year. Five-star OL Brandon Baker closing in on commitment 247SPORTS.COM The talented offensive tackle could be making his college choice in the next few months.

Junior Angilau back to full health, ready to compete for starting OL spot at Oregon While the Oregon Ducks were figuring out how they were going to replace almost an entire starting offensive line this past offseason following the departure of four starters, they looked to the transfer portal to bring in talented individuals who up the level of competition. Former Texas Longhorns OL Junior Angilau is one of the linemen that Dan Lanning chose to bring in. However, his ability to compete for a starting spot on the line was a bit delayed as he recovered from a knee injury suffered last year. Angilau didn’t participate in spring football with the Ducks, but after extensive rehab over the summer, he is now back to full health and ready to contribute. Oregon Football: OL Junior Angilau back to full health for Ducks DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Junior Angilau back to full health, ready to compete for starting OL spot at Oregon

Pics from scrimmage...Click on pic to enlarge

If you are a state legislator and there is a piece of legislation you could pass or a regulation you could repeal that would improve the competitiveness of a local business, then, for the most part, you do it. Maybe it’s a tax break for expansion. Maybe it’s by building infrastructure. Maybe it’s trying to create an appealing environment to attract or retain talent. If you are, for example, a Missouri state representative, then you are on the side of Missouri businesses. The University of Missouri athletic department is a business, with fiscal year 2022 revenue coming in at $141.1 million, with a $15.5 million profit. That doesn’t even count the economic boost of fans flocking to Columbia for a game weekend. Taken under those considerations, it makes sense why Missouri House Bill 417 passed last spring. And it not only codified name, image and likeness compensation for college athletes in the state and protected them against NCAA enforcement. It also contained a newly popular wrinkle. Once a Missouri high school athlete signs a written agreement (such as a letter of intent or a financial aid agreement) with an in-state school, he or she is eligible to begin receiving NIL money up to, in some cases, six to 10 months before they could if they signed with an out-of-state school. In major college football terms: Sign with Mizzou, and you can get paid early. Additional details in article. How state governments are using NIL to juice recruiting: 'Why wouldn’t we try to help?' SPORTS.YAHOO.COM A Missouri House bill is aimed at incentivizing local athletes to sign with in-state universities.

Family BBQ after scrimmage...Click to enlarge pics

'There is a standard'; Ducks offensive line not feeling pressure to live up to 2022 unit The biggest question surrounding the 2023 Oregon Ducks is how the offensive line will fare. Oregon had one of the top blocking units a season ago, but most of those players have graduated and moved on. However, while there is a lot of inexperience on the O-line, there isn’t a lack of talent. Many of the projected starters for the upcoming season were top recruits in their respective classes. On Pac-12 Media Day, Dan Lanning mentioned how impressed he’s been by the O-line’s commitment to building that experience early so that they are still primed and ready to go in the latter stages of the season. Recently, Ducks’ O-line coach A’lique Terry, had a lot to say about the differences between this year’s O-line group and last year’s, as well as what goes into preparing for the upcoming season. “I wouldn’t call it pressure, but there is a standard,” Terry said. “We say to ourselves that other people are going to put pressure on us, but we’re going to hold a standard ourselves that we want to keep it at.” Oregon Football: O-line coach shares his thoughts on the 2023 O-line DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM “Other people are going to put pressure on us, but we’re going to hold a standard ourselves that we want to keep it at.”

Quack Minute

Defense gets upper hand in Oregon's final scrimmage of fall camp While details from Saturday's scrimmage inside Autzen may have been sparse, head coach Dan Lanning indicated that the defense had the better day. Oregon coach Dan Lanning chose to keep details from Saturday's second and final scrimmage of fall sparse, but the through-line for most of his post-scrimmage practice revolved around a defense that took its game up another level. Last weekend's scrimmage saw the offense control play, but this time around the other side fired back. "The defense really had the better hand for most of the day today. We're playing a really physical brand of ball," Lanning said. "I thought last week the offense came out and drove the ball early in the scrimmage, and then the defense recovered in the second half. Today it was a little bit the other way." Defense gets upper hand in Oregon's final scrimmage of fall camp 247SPORTS.COM While details from Saturday's scrimmage inside Autzen may have been sparse, head coach Dan Lanning indicated that the defense...

Head Coach Dan Lanning meets with the media following Day 14 of Fall Camp Everything Dan Lanning said after Oregon's second fall scrimmage - Transcript Everything Dan Lanning said after Oregon's second fall scrimmage 247SPORTS.COM Below is a complete transcript of everything Dan Lanning said in his post-scrimmage press conference.

How are Oregon football's transfer receivers adjusting to new setting? Though the Oregon football team’s wide receiver room has the stabilizing force of quarterback Bo Nix’s favorite target in Troy Franklin, the Ducks aggressively combed through the transfer portal over the spring and summer, adding three high profile targets ahead of the 2023 season. Those faces, including Tez Johnson (Troy), Traeshon Holden (Alabama), and Gary Bryant Jr. (USC), have been working to connect with Nix and the rest of the team before the season kicks off Sept. 2 against Portland State. Nix was the new guy last year, and quickly acclimated himself to his new situation, recording career-high numbers in completions, pass attempts, completion percentage, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and his quarterback rating. This year, it’s not Nix that’s new, but most of the faces in his receiver room. How are Oregon football's transfer receivers adjusting to new setting? WWW.REGISTERGUARD.COM The Ducks aggressively combed through the transfer portal over the spring and summer, adding three high profile targets ahead of...

Kirk Schulz's WSU athletics advisory committee convenes in 'a frank discussion' THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Washington State President Kirk Schulz formed, to help identify the school’s best path forward in athletics following the disintegration of the Pac-12, met Friday for the first time in what was described by those on hand as “highly informative” and “a frank discussion.” A number of committee members asked notably penetrating questions of Schulz, who chaired the Zoom gathering, Cougfan.com has learned. Neither names nor questions were shared but Schulz was characterized as engaged, factual and unflappable. Much of the focus, CF.C was told, centered on the fluidity of the college landscape and what options might be available to WSU for a conference alignment, particularly if the on-again/off-again dalliance between Cal, Stanford and the ACC. Sources declined to detail the options discussed. But the current lay of the land would suggest some version of the following... Kirk Schulz's WSU athletics advisory committee convenes in 'a frank discussion' 247SPORTS.COM Status of Cal and Stanford looms large Kirk Schulz says WSU has three options in conference hunt 'Apple discussed putting $100 million in the first year into marketing this' SINCE THE PAC-12 collapsed two weeks ago, Washington State President Kirk Schulz has maintained a low profile for a president navigating a crisis. In the immediate aftermath, he granted an interview for an ESPN.com story and a California newspaper. This past week, he announced an advisory committee would be formed to help WSU decide on its future. But that was about it. Schulz finally spoke out in more detail on Friday in a video with a WSU regent. In a nearly hour-long Q&A with WSU Regent Enrique Cerna, Schulz dished on a wide range of topics, including Washington State's remaining options for conference affiliation, the proposed Apple deal UW and Oregon turned down, and whether he felt betrayed by his cross-state rival the University of Washington. The full interview can be found at the bottom of this article, with a snippet in the video above. But here are a few initial takeaways from the interview... Kirk Schulz says WSU has three options in conference hunt 247SPORTS.COM 'Apple discussed putting $100 million in the first year into marketing this'

More photos from Oregon's 13th day of fall football practice Below is a second collection of a few dozen images snapped from DuckTerritory's Craig Strobeck from Friday's fall practice. More photos from Oregon's 13th day of fall football practice 247SPORTS.COM Below is a second collection of a few dozen images snapped from DuckTerritory's Craig Strobeck from Friday's fall practice.

The Latest With 5-Star DL Aydin Breland Aydin Breland is the top-ranked defensive lineman on the West Coast and a decision may not be far off. The No. 1 Mater Dei Monarchs took home their first win of the Frank McManus era Friday Night in the Inland Empire, putting away the Corona Centennial Huskies 28-14. Their defense played a big role in securing the win, as their defensive front, led by Aydin Breland, was getting after Husan Longstreet all night. Ducks Digest caught up with the 6-foot-5, 290-pound lineman for the latest in his recruitment, as there's been buzz he could be narrowing his list of suitors. "Just time to make a decision," Breland said. "Me and my family have come down to make it a top four. It's gonna drop pretty soon." Breland has been a highly-coveted recruit for much of his high school career, but it doesn't appear that there's a clear finish line in sight just yet. To access the article, click here.