Oregon Ducks trending for 5-star WR Gatlin Bair

After decommitting from Boise State on Dec. 1, Burley (Idaho) Senior wide receiver Gatlin Bair has had two schools at the front of his recruitment — Michigan and Oregon.

At first, it was the Wolverines that were trending to land the newly-minted five-star. Since then, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh departed for the NFL. Now, it’s the Ducks that are gaining traction with the February National Signing Day right around the corner.

On Monday, Michigan recruiting insider EJ Holland logged a pick in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) in favor of Oregon landing the speedy wideout. The Ducks now have an 86.2% edge for the top uncommitted prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking.

“Jim Harbaugh has decided to move on to the NFL and become the head coach of the San Diego Chargers. Sherrone Moore has been named the new leader of the Michigan football program. After Nick Saban announced his retirement, Dan Lanning was a hot name for a short amount of time. He’s all in with the Ducks and that could be the difference in Bair’s decision,” On3’s Chad Simmons wrote.

Earlier this month, Oregon WRs coach Junior Adams made his way to Idaho to visit with Bair after the 6-foot-1.5, 195-pounder had an exquisite showcase at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio. Bair continues to see the appeal with playing for the Ducks:

“I think I was a similar player to Troy (Franklin). Troy is super fast…I think Oregon utilizes speed really well so I think i’d be a good fit there, for sure,” he said on Jan. 3.

Following the release of the final 2024 On300, Bair has acquired five-star status in the On3 Industry Ranking, now checking in at No. 30 overall. He’s also the No. 7 wideout and top-ranked player in Idaho in the cycle.

“It’s the two most prestigious universities in the country, it’s unbelievable being recruited by those guys. The biggest thing is — they both develop really well, I guess the way they develop is really different,” Bair told On3. “I think Michigan develops their players better than anyone in the weight room and I think that shows — their just dominant physically at every position. Oregon does a phenomenal job with their receivers. Their offensive style is a little different, they throw the ball a little more.”

He has an On3 NIL Valuation of $166K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.