Local EDGE Emar'rion Winston decommits from Oregon Ducks

With the Ducks still looking for a new head coach, Oregon’s 2022 recruiting class continues to take hits. News emerged Thursday morning that three-star EDGE Emar’rion Winston of Portland (Ore.) Central Catholic had decommitted from the Ducks.

Emar’rion Winston announced he was backing away from his pledge in a social media post. This is the fifth known player to back away from a commitment to the Ducks after Mario Cristobal left for Miami.

“First of all, I would like to thank Oregon for an amazing opportunity to play football at the next level and for believing in my ability enough to offer me,” Emar’rion Winston said in the post. “With that being said, I have talked to my family. And I have decided that it is best to open my recruiting back up to make the best decision for my future.”

Emar’rion Winston has been a longtime Duck commitment. He originally pledged to the Ducks on July 16, 2020. By committing so early, Winston never truly got a chance to go through the recruiting process. But at the time UCLA, USC and Arizona State were showing him heavy interest.

Unclear where Emar’rion Winston could land

It’s unclear at this point what schools are showing interest in Winston because he had been committed for so long.

Emar’rion Winston ranks as the No. 4 player in Oregon, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 39 EDGE in the country, according to the On3 Consensus.

The Ducks currently have only one commitment from top-10 players in Oregon. That pledge is from four-star safety Trejon Williams of Portland Jefferson. The Ducks continue to heavily pursue coveted receiver Darrius Clemons of Portland Westview. But without a coach in place, it might be tough to lock him up.