The Oregon Ducks play the Texas Longhorns in the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas

Oregon Ducks head coach Mark Helfrich and his staff are looking for a quarterback in their 2015 recruiting class to shore up depth at the position should Marcus Mariota (8) depart for the NFL.

(Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian)

EUGENE -- Despite its runner-up status for several high-profile quarterback commitments in the 2015 recruiting class, Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich believes the Ducks have nonetheless put themselves in position to fill that and other needs.

Oregon's recent attempts to land a quarterback commitment haven't ended in their favor, with a series of high-profile snubs. Mostly recently four-star dual-threat QB Blake Barnett of Corona, Calif., listed Oregon as his top school in early June before verbally committing to Alabama on Wednesday. Previously, five-star rated Kyler Murray and four-star Brady White listed Oregon as a finalist before committing elsewhere.

NCAA rules prohibit coaches from speaking publicly about specific recruits until they sign binding National Letters of Intent in February. But in general terms Helfrich acknowledged that though Oregon has missed in some areas its "bridesmaid" status in quarterback recruiting doesn't necessarily reflect inroads the staff has made.

"I think we're in on a higher level, caliber of guy and some of those guys decide quickly and some of them don't," Helfrich said in an interview with The Oregonian (read part one here). "In short, no, we're not very different from where we've been in the past but I think we're competitively in on a lot of guys and we'll see how that shakes out in a couple months.

"We want to get the right guys. Everybody says that but that's all that matters. Absolutely you're going to come in second a lot in recruiting, that's going to happen, it's just a percentage game. As long as we're going to end up with the right guys when the letters come in -- and more importantly when those guys show up in the fall and go -- that's what matters."

Receiver, offensive line and quarterback are still the Ducks' offensive areas of need for 2015, while defensively there is no specific unit the staff is targeting heavily.

That said, "you're never going to pass up a great tailback or a great whatever the position is just because your numbers say this," Helfrich said.

One reason why quarterback has been watched so closely this offseason is because of the possible loss of starting QB Marcus Mariota, who is already being discussed as a potential top pick in the 2015 NFL draft. He has already graduated from Oregon but has two years of eligibility remaining entering this season.

Four-star quarterback Morgan Mahalak will arrive at Oregon next week and veteran Jeff Lockie and walk-on Taylor Alie are also expected to be in the mix in 2015, but UO wants to shore up its depth there regardless of Mariota's decision.

Though NFL decisions will ultimately be up to a player and his family, Helfrich met in May with several Ducks who have the potential to forgo their senior seasons as a way of starting the conversation about staying or going.

Helfrich said the staff typically re-opens those discussions in December, when the regular season is over.

"Part of it is just taking their temperature and part of it is starting that process of just information," he said. "We're here to help those guys whatever the result is."

-- Andrew Greif | @andrewgreif

Oregon football class of 2015 verbal commitments

Shane Lemieux -- OL, 6-6, 285, Yakima, Wash.