Oregon keyed in on Mater Dei duo, Northwest talent to round out 2024 class

Oregon made a splash in early August, flipping Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra four-star cornerback Dakoda Fields from USC. Fields, the No. 95 overall prospect, No. 13 CB and No. 11 player in California, per the On3 Industry Ranking, became the Ducks’ highest-ranked commit in the 2024 cycle.

The new addition to Dan Lanning‘s class makes for 21 total commits, the No. 12 class in the nation and No. 4 class in the Big Ten, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. As the Ducks begin to navigate their transition into a new conference, they’re hoping to continue their dominance on the recruiting trail in the Northwest.

On Thursday, 247Sports recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong talked where Oregon stood with some of its top remaining targets on the ‘Whiltfong Whiparound.’ Adding multiple five-star prospects is still in the cards for the high-profile program.

“They’re as hot as any school in the country,” Wiltfong said of Oregon.

Ducks battling for Brandon Baker, Aydin Breland

Among the players that are still a top priority for the Ducks, none are bigger than Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei five-star duo offensive tackle Brandon Baker and defensive lineman Aydin Breland. Both remain in play as the 2024 season nears its beginning.

Baker is the No. 22 player, No. 1 OT and No. 2 player from California in the cycle. Oregon is the current favorite for the coveted lineman, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). The Ducks have an 88.3% chance to win the pledge of Baker, while USC is a distant second at just 3.5%. He’s taken six visits to Eugene, with the most recent trip coming in May.

“We know Oregon’s in the middle of that one, they’ve been a mainstay for (Baker),” Wiltfong said.

Oregon also has the RPM lead for Breland, the No. 26 player, No. 6 DL and No. 3 player from the Golden State, though it’s also a contentious recruitment. It’s currently sitting at a 23.9% chance, while Georgia is right behind at 20.9%, with Miami and Texas A&M also close by at 15% and 10%, respectively.

Breland concluded a round of official visits with a trip to Eugene at the end of June, his fourth visit with the Ducks overall. Georgia has also received that many visits, despite being across the country from Mater Dei.

Washington prospects highlight Oregon’s big board

Oregon continues to be keen on plucking talent away from Washington as the premier Northwest program. Both Yelm (Wash.) four-star LB Brayden Platt and Seattle O’Dea four-star RB Jason Brown are current targets that Wilftong sees the Ducks making a run for.

Like Baker and Breland, Platt is favored by Oregon in the RPM. At 83.7%, no other program is currently challenging the Ducks, with Oklahoma next for the blue-chip LB at 4.9%. Oregon also has a slim lead for Brown at 29.8%, though the in-state Washington Huskies and the Michigan State Spartans are also in the race for the tailback.

Back down in the trenches, Wiltfong also mentioned another pair of four-stars. Tampa Catholic four-star IOL Eddy Pierre-Louis towers at 6-foot-3, 335 pounds and is garnering interest heavily from UCF, though Florida and perhaps even the Ducks could be in on the No. 22 IOL. Back close to home, Fairfield (Calif.) Armijo four-star DL Jericho Johnson has had interest from all over, including Oregon, Washington, USC and Miami. He is the No. 123 overall prospect and No. 19 DL in the cycle.