Kai Locksley.jpg

Baltimore quarterback Kai Locksley is a four-star recruit who is a possible target for the Oregon Ducks, who are searching for their first quarterback commitment in the 2015 class.

(MaxPreps.com)

EUGENE -- Less than a week after elite quarterback recruit Kyler Murray spurned Oregon and left the Ducks without a QB commitment in its 2015 class, the Ducks got good news.

It came in the form of an unofficial visit to Eugene by Blake Barnett, who is a consensus four-star quarterback from a Southern California spread offense who gave his verbal commitment to Notre Dame in November. (Commitments, of course, are not binding until National Letters of Intent are signed in February.)

He is the third quarterback Oregon has pursued heavily this spring, following Murray and Brady White, each of whom had UO among his finalists before picking Texas A&M and Arizona State, respectively. Barnett won't be the last quarterback Oregon will have interest in, either.

After Murray's decision on May 28, Duck Sports Authority's A.J. Jacobson listed several quarterbacks from 2015 who Oregon would likely pursue next: Barnett, Travis Waller, Deondre Francois and Kai Locksley. Barnett and Francois have offers from Oregon, which is known to be more selective than most teams at offering scholarships because of its adherence to an multi-step evaluation process.

Though getting a quarterback commitment is a top priority for Oregon -- which faces the very real possibility that Marcus Mariota will forgo his senior season and declare for the 2015 NFL draft -- there are still many months to go until national signing day. With the Ducks in it for the long haul on adding a quarterback to its four-man 2015 class, here's a primer of what to know about some of Oregon's likely targets.

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BLAKE BARNETT

The measurables: 6-foot-4, 195 pounds

Ratings: 4-star by 247Sports; 4-star by Rivals; 4-star by Scout; 4-star by ESPN

Hometown: Corona, Calif. (Santiago HS)

The reviews: In February, the Los Angeles Times reported Barnett had finalized his plan to graduate a semester early to arrive at Notre Dame in time for spring practice. Then, he became the first quarterback invited to the 2014 Elite 11 camp. Since then he's visited Oregon, and 247Sports' Justin Hopkins has Oregon as now the likely landing spot for him. Get to know Barnett here, from Bruce Feldman's first FoxSports.com column:

The 6-4, 205-pound Barnett, a gifted dual-threat quarterback, who has worked diligently to tighten up an elongated delivery from his days as a pitcher, was under the radar before the start of his junior season, but then in the season opener on a nationally televised game on FOX Sports West, he matched the touted Brady White of QB factory Hart High in a 56-49 shootout. White completed 35 of 46 passes for 471 yards and three touchdowns in a winning effort while Barnett threw for five touchdowns and ran for 100 yards.

"That kind of sparked it for me, and then coaches started to coming to my games and then the offers started to come in," Barnett said. "Before the season my name was nothing. It wasn't relevant at all to be honest."

From the

in January, describing his televised opener and its influence on his recruitment:

That was the first of many standout performances during the season for Barnett, who finished with 2,332 passing yards and 22 touchdown passes.

Barnett also made plays with his feet, rushing for 695 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The scholarship offers rolled in throughout the season, with the first coming from UCLA in early October.

The number quickly rose to half a dozen by midseason. Two days after the season ended, Barnett gave a pledge to play for Notre Dame.

"For me, Notre Dame was the whole package I was looking for," Barnett said. "The tradition, the academics and the moral standards were the perfect fit for me."

Who's offered a scholarship: Oregon (March 8), Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama, UCLA, Arizona, Cal and more.

Twitter: @blakebarnett_8

The highlight tape:

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TRAVIS WALLER

The measurables: 6-3, 185

Ratings: 4-star by 247Sports; 4-star by Rivals; 4-star by Scout; 4-star by ESPN

Hometown: Anaheim, Calif. (Servite HS)

The reviews: Scout's Greg Biggins describes him as a player who "can beat you with his arm or his legs and is just scratching the surface of how good he'll be down the road. He has a lot of physical tools including a live, accurate arm, accuracy on the deep ball and the mobility to extend plays or run for first down yardage."

The 6-3, 195-pound Waller, who doubles as a standout triple jumper and sprinter on the Servite track team, is still uncommitted but has seen his offer list swell in the past few weeks as colleges have flocked to his high school to check him out.

"Travis and Barnett are the most raw," says Biggins. "Travis has only really played quarterback for like a year. I saw him play in Week 3 against (Bay Area powerhouse) De La Salle and he was good. He made some plays, hung in there, but then to see how much better he was in the playoffs against Alemany. The jump he's made is astronomical."

The Los Angeles Times, from October:

Charisma. Intelligence. Athleticism. Toughness. Those are just a few of the qualities exhibited by junior quarterback Travis Waller of Anaheim Servite. If a coach needs a teenager to lead on and off the field, Waller is the ideal candidate.

With a 3.8 grade-point average, off-the-chart physical skills and personal experiences that keep him inspired and focused, the 6-foot-3 Waller shows every sign of understanding what it takes to succeed.

Moved from receiver to quarterback in the fifth game of last season, Waller has found his calling.

"This is my position," he said.

The Friars switched to a no-huddle, spread offense launched from a shotgun formation this season, and Waller is blossoming with every snap.

Who's offered a scholarship: Alabama, Arizona, Maryland, Colorado, California, Penn State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and more.

Twitter: @traviswaller11

The highlight tape:

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DEONDRE FRANCOIS

The measurables: 6-2, 185

Ratings: 4-star by 247Sports; 4-star by Rivals; 4-star by Scout; 4-star by ESPN

Hometown: Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy)

The reviews: The first scholarship offer for Francois was Louisville in May 2013. Since then, the Cardinals' staff was shaken up by the departure of Charlie Strong to Texas, Francois transferred from an Orlando high school to IMG Academy -- where Heisman winner and Florida State star Chris Weinke is head coach -- and interest in Francois has multiplied. His current "top six" schools are Oregon, Florida State, Florida, Ohio State, Auburn and Tennessee. This was how Francois reacted to his first offer, more than a year ago, in the Orlando Sentinel, a reaction that suggested he knew more interest would pour in:

It was certainly baffling as to why Francois still had no offers, yet sometimes it takes colleges a while to pull the trigger on quarterbacks.

"I was waiting for it but at the same time I wasn't worried about it because I knew good things would come with me being patient," Francois said. "Now that I have that first offer, it takes the weight off my shoulders, but I want more.

"I'm not all worried about it, but I'm still hungry. Now that I do have that first one though, it will let me focus on other things like school and family and getting better."

Also from the Sentinel, from March:

Francois, the lone un-committed player of the trio, went through a coaching staff transition at Orlando Olympia this past season and his numbers showed, but the player I call "The Natural" will surely bounce back from a bumpy junior season.

During his two-year career, he has thrown for 3,162 yards and 28 touchdowns and completed 54 percent of his passes, a number that was pulled way down by his junior percentage of 48 percent. He also struggled to see eye-to-eye with new coach Tom Paolucci and missed one game. He has numerous big-time offers, including Florida, Florida State and Miami. What stands out is the ease with which he can hurl a football 60 yards downfield. It's effortless, natural.

Who's offered a scholarship: Auburn, Oregon (April 16), Ohio State, Florida State, Florida, Miami, Michigan State, Clemson and more.

Twitter: @deondre_3

The highlight tape:

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KAI LOCKSLEY

The measureables: 6-4, 180

Ratings: 4-star by 247Sports; 4-star by Rivals; 4-star by Scout; 4-star by ESPN

Hometown: Baltimore, Md. (Gilman HS)

The reviews: The son of former New Mexico coach Mike Locksley, Kai Locksley is yet another top dual-threat quarterback who can run or throw with ease. He visited Oregon unofficially on April 20. He's pursued heavily by a number of elite schools and first met one of the coaches recruiting him, Ohio State's Urban Meyer, when he was 6. Meyer was trying to retain his father, Mike, on his staff at Florida.

From September 2013, in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer:

"We joke about how we met when I was 6 years old when he was trying to keep my dad at Florida," the younger Locksley said in a recent phone interview. "He laughed and said I have grown a lot since then."

Ohio State is one of many programs that has made an offer to Locksley, a four-star prospect according to Scout.com. Locksley currently plays for Baltimore (Md.) Gilman school. Others that have offered a scholarship to the dual-threat quarterback are Alabama, Florida State, Maryland, Michigan State, Rutgers, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Meyer might have a particularly hard time competing with Maryland, considering Mike Locksley is now the offensive coordinator for the Terrapins.

"It's funny how things work out," Kai Locksley said. "Maryland was the first to offer me a scholarship, but we made the decision for my dad not to recruit me. A lot of the coaches on the staff are recruiting me instead. With my dad, it is just father-son stuff and advice."

Locksley admits that he's always dreamed of playing for his father.

Who's offered a scholarship: Florida State, Auburn, Alabama, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Texas, Maryland and more.

Twitter: @locksnloaded_3

The highlight tape:

-- Andrew Greif | @andrewgreif