Jordon Scott

Jordon Scott committed to Oregon on December 25

(Courtesy of Jordon Scott)

After finishing 4-8 last season, the Oregon Ducks football program had some glaring needs on the defensive side of the ball, particularly along the defensive line.

That became an immediate priority for new Oregon coach Willie Taggart, who quickly worked to re-stabilize the pledge of U.S. Army All-American defensive tackle Rutger Reitmaier, a Tennessee product who plans to enroll early.

With Reitmaier solidly in the fold, Taggart still needed to add another body up front, and did so on Christmas, landing 345-pound former Florida Gators commit Jordon Scott, who was also hearing from Louisville, Michigan State, Ole Miss and USC.

An added benefit with Scott? The 6-foot-1, 345-pound defensive mauler, out of Pinellas Park (Largo, Florida), signed with Oregon, sent it in Monday and expects to be on campus by early January.

"I'll be there January 2, I think, is when I got to go," he said. "I'm excited to see where my journey takes me."

But as much as Scott's familiarity with Taggart was a factor, the Florida product was also quite close with new defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt.

"Coach Taggart was a big part of the decision - he and Coach Leavitt," Scott said. "The school itself was really the deciding factor, but Coach Leavitt was recruiting me since my ninth grade year when he was at Colorado. When I got the offer, he was the first person I talked to from the school. It's a great situation for me."

Scott is familiar with Oregon's need up front, but indicated immediate playing time was not a factor in his commitment.

"That didn't matter in my decision," he said. "I was going in to any college thinking I was going to play, but it's no guarantee I'm going to start now. I've still got to go in and work for it."

Oregon desperately needed to add bulk up front, and certainly does that with Scott, who will be on campus and ready to work early.

-- Andrew Nemec

anemec@oregonian.com

@AndrewNemec