Elite Recruiting Mountain Too High for Ducks’ Lanning?

[FishDuck Article]

I got jolted from some recent recruiting information, but it is not about the 2025 class that has an incredible Rivals 4.13 average per recruit thus far, with four Rivals 5-Star verbals. It is a rare class that is shaping up, although our national ranking is only No. 12 due to only 15 committed presently. While it is expected to be a ...

 

Elite Recruiting Mountain Too High for Ducks’ Lanning? | FishDuck

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I got jolted from some recent recruiting information, but it is not about the 2025 class that has an incredible Rivals 4.13 average per recruit...

 

[fred flintstone]

I suspect that due to the ability of players to quit mid season and transfer at will that teams that can recruit 5 star talent will literally fire lesser talent to make room. In the past this was done rarely because teams wanted to foster loyalty. With the new era, loyalty may be a relic. It's perform or else. 

[30Duck]

"Location,Location,Location!"

Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State are all football factories, championships and $$$ overflowing their programs, Texas hasn't won as many 'ships as the others, but it has tradition and the three L's. 

 

Then there's Oregon. Close to the Natty. 2007, 2011. Oregon has the money; it has the Brand. Oregon waved Buh bye to Washington in recruiting a long time and have no trouble getting guys from USC's backyard. But, as hard as Lanning tries, and forget Scott Frost. Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas, could be the glass ceiling that Oregon can't break. 

 

Oregon can consistently make the top 6, and that's going to bring in a lot of talent. 

Edited Friday at 02:22 PM by 30Duck

[Haywarduck]

I think this isn't a one legged stool, as they say. I think we all understand this but it should be discussed too.

 

The Ducks need to recruit well, and they have. We also need to develop talent so these elite athletes know they can reach their dreams of playing on Sunday. It seems like Lanning is building this development system. This season should be fun to watch as we may have a bumper crop of elite level guys ready for the NFL. That will be something else to watch, the NFL draft list of Ducks each season.

 

Lanning also has to create a culture that trains and executes both off the field and on. Players have to know they will learn to become part of a special team of men who beat teams from where they come from. So far it seems this is becoming a strength as the players who are sticking around is astounding, depth is a huge key. Also we are seeing this group come together, something we hopefully continue to see. I think it is also worth mentioning Lanning has kept the scandals away from the program and this will also have to continue.

 

I propose these elements will lead to even better recruiting, and the level of talent we need to win it all. I do think we have a special coach, to win it all it takes a few unique players to get the team to rise up, and who know maybe this year?

 

Can Lanning make it to the top of recruiting, I tend to think the other legs of the stool need to be firmed up first. I agree it is a tough sell when you are so far away, but Oregon is growing back onto what Brooks, Bellotti and Chip built up. We are again an offensive threat, an innovative force that is both creating curiosity throughout the country, and beginning to create some fear. 

 

Great topic, and something to watch!

 

 

[HappyToBeADuck]

Lots of info and comments to ponder ......

 

Happy feels a Natty trophy will help DL clear any hurdles in recruiting.

 

However, none of us know the in the living room energy and persona that DL brings. Along with the feeling of family and home that recruits share after visits.

 

For certain, more recruits will be watching OBD's in the CFP invite than if we play in the Alama, Vegas or Holiday Bowls.

 

This is a big year for OBD's......victories or great games against tOSU and Michigan are critical on the national stage.

 

Making the CFP is a must. Lots of pressure. DL and staff have it all within their reach......

 

We shall see as it unfolds one gane at a time.

[MicroBurst61]

Looking at recruiting through the "lenses" of recruiting history may place the Ducks on the outside looking in.  However, talent acquisition has now entered a whole new era, of which I believe Oregon is primed and ready for.

 

Up until several years ago I was always under the assumption that recruiting to a program that has a winning tradition, but is so remotely isolated regarding all the recruiting "hotspots" and the areas of fanatical devotion to the sport of football; was always going to regulate OBD to second tier recruiting status.

 

Slick Willy, Mari-OhNo, and now Sir Lanning, combined with the "new" face of college recruiting, transfers, and NIL programs, have proven otherwise and no longer makes the isolation a recruiting disadvantage.  Yup, YOU CAN recruit top tier talent to "That Team Out West".

 

When Oregon shows a continued and successful "pipeline" into the NFL, along with continued success in the new NFL-Lite on a yearly basis; location of the program will mean a whole lot less to top tier recruits.  Especially since OBD now plays Coast to Coast in the B1G, and top recruits are awash with NIL money, it is far easier for said recruits families to see their protegees perform in a top tier football program than ever before 

 

Last "advantage" I see for That Team Out West.  These are all young men, each at their own levels of maturity and growth.  ALL not yet the Men they will finish growing into.  So, often it is a good thing to "remove" oneself from the comfortable and familiar (and distracting) situations to help refocus oneself and start to discover the truly important things in life's pursuits as an individual.

 

Oregon apparent isolation, will in fact, most likely be seen as an advantage by many Oregon players turned NFL pro when looking back on the program that helped get them there.  So much so that after our first "Natty" we should be recruiting right along side the Alabama's, Georgia's,  and Ohio St.'s of the NFL-Lite world!

 

Think we are making a lot of blue blood recruiting powers.... nervous.

 

's is

[Fitnessczar]

Location is definitely a negative. However, I do not think it is as big a negative as it was in the past.

 

The biggest issue with distance has been family being able to see games. With NIL top recruits can afford to fly their families in to see them play.

 

So now it's scheduled vacation time to see new parts of the country.

[OregonDucks]

Great article and questions.

 

Location and lack of in state talent has always been an issue at Oregon. Coach Lanning and his staff should be given major credit for the job they’ve done to sign talent from coast to coast.  Oregon is a national brand.  
 

I’ve never understood why team recruiting rankings are based on the total score vs. average star rating (or a combination of the two). It inflates the rankings of teams with a big class. 
 

I guess my question in return is - while it would be nice to consistently sign a top 5 recruiting class, does Oregon need to in order to compete for national championships every year or is a consistent top 10 class, with an occasional top 5 class, good enough? 

[NYDuck]

Great topic. as said in almost every other reply, location is what matters. However, it plays less of a role with our move to the B1G.

 

As for competing with the big boys ie. Bama, UGA, Texas, tOSU...... there's only one thing that will propel us to this status and put us over the top. That is A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. What would we not have if we added this to our already prestigious and glamorous resume? I can't think of anything (besides maybe being far from players' families)?

 

National championships are the name of the game. Sure, these guys make a lot of dough now, but a ring on our finger will make us an unstoppable force on the recruiting trail. The true blue chippers want to compete at the highest level, on the biggest stages in this sport. 

 

Go Ducks!!! I believe this is the year.

Edited Friday at 04:28 PM by NYDuck

[30Duck]

On 9/27/2024 at 9:26 AM, NYDuck said:

Sure, these guys make a lot of dough now, but a ring on our finger will make us an unstoppable force on the recruiting trail. The true blue chippers want to compete at the highest level, on the biggest stages in this sport. 

Absolutely. Oregon already has the Brand; top recruits always have an Oregon hat on the table. Oregon, stuck in the Pacific Northwest is a Player when it comes to football. All Oregon needs is, to finally, grab the Ring. Then Washington and USC will really hate OREGON!!!

[criticalduck]

The only thing I can give Slick and Mari-NO is they started the recruiting boon for OBD. With DL there is not only recruiting but coaching! The BRAND has been around. I remember the first commercial with the Duck as part of college football mascots and was shocked! Little Oregon has made the splash as a recognized mascot!

 

DL will get OBD where we all want them to be. I would not be surprised if it is this football season..."sneaking" under the radar.

[Charles Fischer]

On 9/27/2024 at 8:55 AM, OregonDucks said:

I’ve never understood why team recruiting rankings are based on the total score vs. average star rating (or a combination of the two). It inflates the rankings of teams with a big class. 

Agreed.  There are years where you need a ton of new talent, and thus sign more players and get more in the rankings as a result.  But when you need fewer, and get super-high quality that fits your objectives--you are not as rewarded in the rankings.

 

BTW, the 4.13 average recruit ranking is No. 1 in the nation at the moment.  Ahead of Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, etc.

 

[Charles Fischer]

On 9/27/2024 at 8:37 AM, MicroBurst61 said:

Especially since OBD now plays Coast to Coast in the B1G,

This is another offsetting component in our favor, and it is a B1G one.  Yet when you do not have a single 4 or 5-Star in-state, and I consider all the talent in the south that the biggies hardly have to travel for....it is really a tall barrier. 

 

Again, the success is remarkable considering that handicap. But the question is whether we can break into the "elite" recruiting status, and that is yet to be seen, IMHO.

 

[David Marsh]

In terms of traditional recruiting Oregon is always going to have a disadvantage due to location. But we'll get enough star power to build a strong roster and stack classes. 

 

But it's Lanning's ability to dive into he portal so far that has really separated him from other teams. 

 

However, we will get a better view of this team next year when those youngsters he's brought in will be upper classmen and will begin taking more reps and owning the team. Keep in mind that Smart and Saban recruited five stars not with the thought they'd play on day one but rather they become the backbone of the team in year 2-4. We haven't quite seen that out of Lanning's team just yet. 

[David Marsh]

On 9/27/2024 at 10:28 AM, Charles Fischer said:

This is another offsetting component in our favor, and it is a B1G one.  Yet when you do not have a single 4 or 5-Star in-state, and I consider all the talent in the south that the biggies hardly have to travel for....it is really a tall barrier. 

 

Again, the success is remarkable considering that handicap. But the question is whether we can break into the "elite" recruiting status, and that is yet to be seen, IMHO.

 

The biggest factor that they get out of having highly talented players local are the unofficial visits. These are visits that players pay for themselves and show up to the school and get to be around the staff and players. If the big recruits are local these happen ALL the time. Oregon getting unofficial visits usually means that player and their family is getting on several planes to make it to Eugene. It's a cost in time and money. 

 

Unlimited Official Visits Will Only Make College Football Worse |...

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College Football has always been composed of the “haves” and “have-nots” and that isn’t going to change, but there is a desire to make the sport more…

 

[Solar]

I took the facts in the article and came up with a twist on the concern.

 

You can be merely top 10 in recruiting and still win a Natty, if you have superior coaching, both developmentally and in game planning.

 

My concern is the lack of local talent means you don't have the bandwidth to be great at both.

 

We all flamed DeBoer for being a horrible recruiter at UW, but he spent the bye weeks before our games game planning how to beat us while the Oregon staff was on the road building the 2024 class.

 

Coaching staffs are time and energy constrained between recruiting and being a coach. The extra effort required for recruit non-local is definitely putting us at a disadvantage, but it will manifest itself in some combination of recruiting AND coaching.

[Drake]

These are all young men just out of high school.  Just like average college students some will have no problem venturing off to a different part of the country, and some are immediately “ homesick” being away from friends and family. 
 

The “ family” atmosphere with Duck football is an important part of their recruiting. Families need to “buy into” the idea of letting their son move to Eugene. 

DL and staff create an attractive environment for players that have NFL aspirations. Since only a small percentage move on to the NFL, the scholastic support that student athletes receive at U of O is also attractive to both students and families. 
 

I don’t believe that travel is as big of an obstacle for as many families as it was 20 years ago, or even 5 years. 

 

[DanLduck]

The state of Oregon has never been a hotbed of football talent. 2025 is a down year, usually we get 1 or 2 and some 4☆. We have always relied on CA athletes, thus we say "sco ducks".

 

In my opinion, Lanning & Co are doing an amazing job!

 

We have landed the #1 recruit out of all the western states; ID, WA, AZ, CO, NV, and many of the top CA. Also top players fom MI, MN, NJ, FL, MO & more.

And that's when we were Pac12. Being in the B1G should only help.

 

I don't know if we will ever become "top 4" every year. But we certainly will be in the running for every player DL wants.

Winning the Natty and being an NFL pipeline will also help.

 

I am curious to see recruiting for the next few years. NIL monies are playing a huge part, bigger then we realize. Will that continue? How will the House case settlement effect teams and spending?

 

Will new coaches at Bama and MI change anything? Can Sark actually coach a winning season for an entire year? Is Lanning going to develop into the next winningest coach? 

 

I believe we are already recruiting at the elite level. We need to just win, baby.

[dksez]

I've mentioned this once before on this forum, and I know it's ridiculous, impractical, inefficient, and unlikely. But Uncle Phil is running out of only two things -- recruiting advantages that money can buy and his days to enjoy the benefits he has bestowed.

 

How could an unexpected few hundred million benefit the Eugene airport? How many direct flights could be funded with guaranteed minimums for each new airline? What would it take to build two adjacent hotels and a shared conference center? How can we make our airport a destination in its own right?

 

We've earned our reputation as innovators and disrupters. Air travel is overdue for something entirely different. I can't help wondering what that might look like, given the minds at Nike and the resources available. (Before you castigate me, please reread my first sentence.)

 

[30Duck]

On 9/27/2024 at 11:14 AM, Solar said:

 

We all flamed DeBoer for being a horrible recruiter at UW, but he spent the bye weeks before our games game planning how to beat us while the Oregon staff was on the road building the 2024 class.

Oregon will just have to prove the long term strategy was the way to go.

[Charles Fischer]

(Before you castigate me, please reread my first sentence.)

 

dksez...you are new here, and thus expect it to be the same as other sites.  People can disagree here, heck I WANT disagreement, I want to see all views on a topic, and thus I learn from others and we all become better fans as a result.

 

But nobody can go after anyone on a personal basis.  Disagree with your opinion?  Sure, but everyone has to be "polite and respectful" to fellow OBD members. How do you safely post here?  Just what you did...give your opinion, your facts, your rationale with the topic and that is it.  Nothing about anyone else or taking shots personally, and you were perfect.

 

We have a ton of women on this forum because it is the only safe place for them to express their views about Our Beloved Ducks anywhere.  They know we have 14 moderators who hide offending posts immediately, and the violator will hear from yours-truly. I have pages of people banned over the last three years because they could not control themselves.  Bye.

 

We manage it for safety and civility; it is the only GREEN REFUGE out there, the forum-with-decorum, and it does not fit for the majority of fans.  But for this community--it is perfect.

 

Welcome, and do keep posting!

 

[Haywarduck]

Some have mentioned this factor, but for those who want to stay home, we don't have a chance. For the rest, they are interested and some plain want to get away from home, as it isn't a home. 

 

DAT wanted to get away and make a name for himself. Many young people need to get away as a right of passage. It use to be our young had the challenge of going in to the military and travelling. That opportunity made men of the young. I think too often the young who stick around their homey's, support system don't grow as much as those who choose to travel. 

 

That is a win win for our program. We get strong individuals who are looking to make new friends and teammates. They have no fall back, can't run home to mom, or their old friends. They grow up in ways the Miami kids, for example, don't. 

 

I think our weakness is actually a strength. While we still get the Boectther walk-on types. We also get the DAT's and others who have grown up and become something they wouldn't have at home.

[Drake]

On 9/27/2024 at 3:03 PM, dksez said:

I've mentioned this once before on this forum, and I know it's ridiculous, impractical, inefficient, and unlikely. But Uncle Phil is running out of only two things -- recruiting advantages that money can buy and his days to enjoy the benefits he has bestowed.

 

How could an unexpected few hundred million benefit the Eugene airport? How many direct flights could be funded with guaranteed minimums for each new airline? What would it take to build two adjacent hotels and a shared conference center? How can we make our airport a destination in its own right?

 

We've earned our reputation as innovators and disrupters. Air travel is overdue for something entirely different. I can't help wondering what that might look like, given the minds at Nike and the resources available. (Before you castigate me, please reread my first sentence.)

 

It is entirely up to Phil Knight to give Eugene a few hundred million(they own the airport).
 

By the way, the notion that Nike has unlimited resources is far from true. They have major internal problems at the moment. Their stock is down 50% over the last few years, they just laid off 10% of their workforce, and recently fired the CEO. 
 

Nike’s resources are controlled by the Board of Directors/shareholders. The reality is that the Corporation is not the philanthropist, Phil Knight is the philanthropist. 
 

Not castigating, just a reality check. 

 

[AllOregon]

Fair article, I’d likely put Texas there too given current situation.

 

But proof is in the pudding on remarks about location being off base.

1. UO’s reach and influence is broad, does not need nor has relied on Oregon high schoolers.

2. UO owns California so much that USC talks more about UO recruiting than they do about USC.

3. High schoolers coast to coast have Oregon hat on the table. “Dream school”  “The place to be”

4. Best marketing in the business, will always be present.