Pennsylvania Duck

As we prepare for the upcoming college football season, much of our conversations as Ducks fans revolve around the stars: Bo Nix, Bucky Irving, Troy Franklin, and more. We also discuss coaches plenty, as they are heavy on the recruiting trail, searching for players in the class of 2024. Today, I looked at 10 of the most important players on the 2023 Oregon Ducks that we at Ducks Wire don’t talk about as much. These are players you likely are aware of, and some you’ll know well. Regardless of their skill level, I believe that every player on this list has had one aspect of their game underestimated or undervalued. For some players, they were underrated in the recruiting process. For some they are undervalued by Ducks fans and college football fans alike, and sometimes perhaps by their own coaches. Regardless of the reason, all of these players deserve a little bit more of each conversation about Ducks football devoted to them. Which players on this list (or not on this list) do you think will show their worth? On a team full of stars, the Ducks have their underrated players too DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Oregon football has its share of stars, but it also has some “glue guys” that keep it all together and that value can be underrated.

VIEWING GUIDE | USATF CHAMPIONSHIPS - DAY 3 SATURDAY'S TELEVISION COVERAGE BEGINS AT 6 P.M. (PT) ON CNBC AND PEACOCK. Viewing Guide | USATF Championships - Day 3 - University of Oregon Athletics GODUCKS.COM Saturday's television coverage begins at 6 p.m. (PT) on CNBC and Peacock.

MCCORMICK WINS USATF U20 HURDLES TITLE AALIYAH MCCORMICK AND AIDEN SMITH COLLECTED U20 MEDALS FRIDAY AT HAYWARD FIELD. Aaliyah McCormick continued her impressive freshman season Friday by adding 2023 USATF U20 champion in the 100-meter hurdles to her list of accomplishments. Fellow freshman Aiden Smith collected more hardware for Oregon with a third-place finish in the U20 10,000 meters. In her first competition since the Pac-12 Championships, McCormick posted the fastest qualifier in the first round and returned with a winning time of 13.02 to win the U20 title. The San Diego, Calif., native who just completed her freshman at Oregon is now in line to represent Team USA at the Pan American U20 Championships (Aug. 4-6) in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Smith added a second U20 medal for the Ducks with his bronze finish in the 10,000 meters. He crossed the finish line in 32:43.76 to secure his spot on the podium. Smith is also entered in the U20 5,000 that will be run Sunday at 4:24 p.m. See article for more results... McCormick Wins USATF U20 Hurdles Title - University of Oregon Athletics GODUCKS.COM Aaliyah McCormick and Aiden Smith collected U20 medals Friday at Hayward Field.

VIEWING GUIDE | USATF CHAMPIONSHIPS - DAY 2 In addition to the USATF.tv stream, television coverage of the meet begins Friday and will run from 7-9 p.m. (PT) on CNBC and Peacock. See schedule of events and Duck participants article. Viewing Guide | USATF Championships - Day 2 - University of Oregon Athletics GODUCKS.COM Television coverage begins Friday from 7-9 p.m. (PT) on CNBC and Peacock.

Hi Kirklanduck. I just noticed this tweet from Kamar Mothudi. Note his salutation. Doesn't it look like he wants to be in the Duck family too? Or maybe I'm just reading too much into this!

Dylan Williams Announcement

Four-Star LB Dylan Williams commits to Oregon Four-star linebacker Dylan Williams of Long Beach (CA) Poly High announced his commitment to Oregon Friday afternoon. The 6-foot-3, 211 pounder chose the Ducks over Michigan State, Miami, and UCLA. Continue reading and find out why he chose the Ducks... Four-Star LB Dylan Williams commits to Oregon - On3 WWW.ON3.COM Four-star linebacker Dylan Williams of Long Beach (CA) Poly High announced his commitment to Oregon Friday afternoon.

WILLIAMS ADVANCES TO SEMIFINALS IN 100 Micah Williams turned into a qualifying performance in the opening round of the 100 meters Thursday on day one of the USATF Championships at Hayward Field. Former Oregon standouts accounted for 10 semifinal berths including four moving on in the men's 1500 meters. Williams was one of three UO men in the opening heat of the 100 meters first round. The Portland native was third across the finish line in 10.11 to guarantee himself a lane in the semifinals. Just two lanes to his right, Kyree King posted a time of 10.15 which stood up through the heats to earn a spot into the next round. The semifinals are set for 7:29 p.m. with the top three in each heat and next two fastest advancing to the final at 8:54 p.m. to close out day two. In the first #ProDucks result of the day, six-time NCAA champion and 2021 Olympic bronze medalist Raevyn Rogers advanced to the semifinals of the 800 meters. She clocked a time of 2:00.08, winning heat one of four to secure automatic placement into the next round. The semifinal round will go off Friday at 7:59 p.m. (PT) on CNBC and Peacock. Two more former UO icons moved on with English Gardner and Jenna Prandini in the 100 meters. Gardner (11.12) was third in her heat while Prandini (11.14) grabbed an at-large spot by way of her effort in heat one. Friday's semifinals start at 7:14 p.m. with the final set for 90 minutes later. Check more results in the article below... Williams Advances to Semifinals in 100 - University of Oregon Athletics GODUCKS.COM Collectively, past and current Ducks combined to send 11 into the semifinals.

Transfer portal era takes minor sting out of 5-star recruit runner-up finishes Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks are not unfamiliar with this feeling, unfortunately. Over the past 8-12 months, there have been a number of times where a highly-rated 5-star prospect flirted with the idea of committing to Oregon, and ended up choosing to go elsewhere. That’s what happened on Thursday afternoon when 5-star EDGE Elijah Rushing — the No. 8 player in the 2024 class — announced that he would commit to the hometown Arizona Wildcats, rather than the Oregon Ducks. For months, Rushing was thought to be a virtual lock to join Lanning and come to Eugene, but over the past 48 hours, something flipped, and he ended up staying close to home. What happened? Who knows, ultimately? Does it matter? Not really. The end result is the same: Oregon is left sitting as a silver medalist, rather than a gold medalist. However, in today’s era of college football, just because you missed out on a player once doesn’t mean that an opportunity to recruit him and sign him won’t present itself again. Oregon Recruiting: Ducks miss out on 5-star player yet again DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks are not unfamiliar with this feeling, unfortunately. Over the past 8-12 months, there have...

Elijah Rushing has committed to the Arizona Wildcats.

DUCKS ON DISPLAY AT USA CHAMPIONSHIPS With a primary focus on qualifying for the upcoming World Championships, more than 40 current, past and future Ducks will compete at this week's USATF Championships at Hayward Field. In addition to the World Championships (Aug. 19-27) in Budapest, the USATF Championships is also the selection event for the NACAC U23 Championships (July 21-23) in San Jose, Costa Rica, Thorpe Cup (Aug. 12-13) in Marburg, Germany and Pan Am Games (Oct. 29-Nov. 4) in Santiago, Chile. The 2023 USATF U20 Championships, also being contested in Eugene beginning Friday, serves as the selection event for the Pan Am U20 Championships (Aug. 4-6) in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Ducks on Display at USA Championships - University of Oregon Athletics GODUCKS.COM More than 40 current, past and future UO standouts will compete this week at Hayward Field.

Canzano: Meet the new guy... again and again and again John Karl Scholz officially started his new job at the president of the University of Oregon on July 1. That makes him the newest member of the Pac-12 CEO Group. In fact, I’m told by a UO source that Scholz’s first duty was to start the job early and attend the conference’s board meeting on June 30. During that event, the remaining nine Pac-12 presidents and chancellors opened the fire hydrant and got the new guy up to speed. Media rights negotiations. Expansion decisions. All that. It appears more and more of Cazano's articles are behind a paywall, however today's article is free... Canzano: Meet the new guy... again and again and again WWW.JOHNCANZANO.COM Pac-12 CEO Group gets a new board member.

Colorado named an underdog in all but one game in 2023 One of the biggest mysteries in college football in 2023 is just how good the new-look Colorado Buffaloes will be. Former Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders was able to utilize the transfer portal in a manner that had never been seen before, bringing in over 50 transfers to help revive a program that went 1-11 this past season and has finished below .500 in all but two seasons since 2005. However, even with all of the buzz being generated by Sanders there are still many doubts about this team. For Colorado, they are viewed as underdogs in all but one game joining just two other Power 5 programs projected to be underdogs in 11 or more games. To read the Colorado projections, click here. ******* Projection: Washington One Of Five Schools Favored In All 12 Of Their Regular Season Games The Washington Huskies have a daunting schedule in 2023, but that doesn't mean oddsmakers don't think they are the favorites to win all of their games. According to Action Network Senior Writer Collin Wilson's power ratings, Washington is one of five Power Five programs to be favored in all 12 of their regular season games. The other four are Alabama, Michigan, Georgia and Louisville. In addition to the Huskies, the other Pac 12 programs listed as favorite to win a vast majority of their games are Utah (11), Oregon (10), Oregon State (9) and UCLA (9). Conspicuously missing is USC, widely considered to be one of the favorites to win the conference title as they return last year's Heisman winner, quarterback Caleb Williams. Projection: Washington One Of Five Schools Favored In All 12 Of Their Regular Season Games 247SPORTS.COM The Washington Huskies have a daunting schedule in 2023, but that doesn't mean oddsmakers don't think they are the favorites...

Oh, NO! Hate to see this new prediction change...Announcement tomorrow Update Prediction on a Key Oregon Target Set to Commit Well as the saying goes in recruiting, things can change in an instant. As we enter a very key July period of recruiting, I’m sure there will be many more twists and turns. However with just over 24 hours out from the commitment of Salpointe Catholic (Ariz.) EDGE Elijah Rushing, it appears we have a big turn. Back in March I put in an Oregon prediction at 60-percent. But with roughly 24 hours to go, it’s time to update that 4 month old prediction. I just changed my prediction from Oregon to Arizona based on the latest intel I’ve collected. Notre Dame, Tennessee and UCLA were also contenders. Arizona and Oregon have been the two constants. The Wildcats are not only the local favorite, his older brother Cruz Rushing, is also a part of the Arizona football program. With my new prediction switched to Arizona, the On3 RPM now favors the Wildcats with 75.9% chance to land the four-star EDGE. Update Prediction on a Key Oregon Target Set to Commit - On3 WWW.ON3.COM There's been a big shift in the recruitment of four-star EDGE Elijah Rushing in the last 48 hours. Here's an update on that movement.

Just ran across this article...Could it impact Justin Williams? Elite 4-star DL Joseph Jonah-Ajonye puts Ducks among top schools The recruiting on the defensive line has been quite impressive for the Oregon Ducks over the past few years. While the team is in a good position to land a 5-star defensive end on Thursday afternoon in Elijah Rushing, the Ducks also landed among the top schools for 4-star DL Joseph Jonah-Ajonye on Wednesday, alongside Georgia Tech, Georgia, and Oklahoma. Jonah-Ajonye is rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 37 overall player, and No. 6 DL in the 2024 class. Jonah-Ajonye is high school teammates with 5-star LB Justin Williams, the No. 1 rated linebacker in the 2024 class, and a player who has been favored to commit to the Ducks for quite some time and will announce commitment Friday. The Bulldogs are also a serious contender to land Williams, so it will be interesting to see how or if one commitment impacts the other. Jonah-Ajonye will announce his commitment on Thursday (tomorrow). Oregon Recruiting: Joseph Jonah-Ajonye puts Ducks among top schools DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Elite 4-star DL Joseph Jonah-Ajonye puts Ducks among top schools

TRENDING NOW: Mountain West Conference Withholding Millions From San Diego State Over Exit Fee Just a couple of weeks ago, San Diego State told the Mountain West Conference it intended to leave the conference. However, just days ago, the University then told the MWC that it planned to remain in the league after its grand plans of an invite to the Pac-12 fell through (for now). However, the Mountain West isn’t reportedly interested in playing nice. According to the San Diego Union Tribune, lawyers are involved over a $6.6 million distribution share for the 2022-23 academic year that the Mountain West is withholding to defray SDSU’s exit fee, pending reinstatement by the board. Essentially, the Mountain West is suggesting that SDSU told the league it planned to leave, and it owes the league $17 million, so they are withholding $6.6 million, with a remaining balance of $10.4 million. To read further about the predicament SDSU finds itself in, click here.

Jon Gold: The Pac-12's most explosive players On today of all days, we celebrate ramparts so gallantly streaming, the rockets’ red glare and all of the Pac-12’s bombs bursting through the air. Last year, there were plenty of fireworks throughout the conference, and with several of the country’s top passing games returning in 2023, we can only expect to see more in 2023. Here’s a look at the Pac-12’s most explosive players… Gold: The Pac-12’s most explosive players SATURDAYOUTWEST.COM With four of the top passers in the country and plenty more aerial talent, the Pac-12 is preparing for fireworks. There is no shortage...

Who doesn’t love a good fireworks show? On the 4th of July, it is an American tradition to get together with friends and family and celebrate independence by lighting things on fire and watching them explode in the sky. While you prepare for those festivities to begin on Tuesday night, we wanted to offer some fireworks of our own — some Oregon Duck fireworks. The past couple of decades in Eugene have been incredibly entertaining. With the rise to national prominence for Oregon football, and the Chip Kelly blur offense that took the college football world by storm, the Ducks saw themselves one of the biggest fan favorites across the nation this century. Go ahead and add in Marcus Mariota’s Heisman season, the enthralling career of Sabrina Ionescu, and the deep tournament runs made by both basketball teams in March. It’s safe to say that the past 23 years have provided a ton of highlights. I want to bring them to the surface and give you all a fireworks show to start your holiday. Of course, there are going to be many plays that I missed throughout this all. To every player and every play that did not get mentioned, I apologize. If you have any favorite firework-worthy plays that didn’t get mentioned, share by posting them below. Without further ado, let the firework show begin... Oregon Duck Fireworks: The best highlights in the 21st century DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM What better way to celebrate the 4th of July than with an Oregon Ducks firework show?

Ducks land among top schools for elite 4-star LB in 2025 A lot of the focus in the college football recruiting world at the moment is aimed at the 2024 class, but that doesn’t mean that the groundwork for the 2025 class isn’t currently being laid. When it comes to some of the top defensive players, it comes as no surprise that Dan Lanning is putting the Oregon Ducks in a good position. On Monday afternoon, 4-star linebacker DJ McClary announced his top eight schools, listing the Ducks along with schools like Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, and USC, among others. McClary is rated as the No. 10 LB and the No. 91 overall player in the 2025 class, per the 247Sports Composite. Oregon Recruiting: Ducks land among top schools for elite 4-star LB DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Ducks land among top schools for elite 4-star LB in 2025 Rivals Info DJ McClary | Rivals.com N.RIVALS.COM DJ McClary - 2025 4 Star Inside linebacker for Snyder (Jersey City, NJ) on Rivals.com

CLASS IMPACT: Da'Jaun Riggs Commits to Oregon The Oregon Ducks landed a big commitment on Monday in Washington, D.C. native Da'Jaun Riggs. He's the 18th player to join the Ducks in 2024 and the first running back for coach Carlos Locklyn. We're breaking this commitment down from all angles. This article offers a good evaluation of Riggs. To read the rest of the article, click here.

Da'Jaun Riggs Breaks Down Oregon Commitment The newest Duck goes in-depth on his decision to play for Dan Lanning and Carlos Locklyn. "Oregon was the call because of Coach Lock (Carlos Locklyn)," Riggs said. "I saw something in him that I didn't see in a lot of running back coaches. I feel like he can get me to where I need to be in life--not only for football but in life, with jobs, being a father and things of that nature." Riggs and his future position coach connected on a different level during his multiple trips to Eugene. To read the rest of the article, click here.

This is the defense Coach Lanning is working towards...Just saw this on another Twitter site