Demetri Burch

Demetri Burch is down to a final two of Oregon and South Florida

(Courtesy of Demetri Burch)

When the Oregon Ducks hired away South Florida coach Willie Taggart in December, it immediately became clear the new coach intended to use his Florida connections to pull talent away from, "The Sunshine State."

And South Florida's recruiting class proved to be a perfect starting point.

Taggart has generated significant interest from a pair of South Florida's top recruits in four-star athlete Bruce Judson Jr. and three-star athlete Demetri Burch, the latter of which made an intriguing announce over the holiday.

This weekend, Burch tweeted that he is down to a final two of Oregon and South Florida and will be making a final decision on Signing Day (February 1):

I'll be making my decisions February 1st ⏱⏰‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/wSqDtcrfBZ — Demetri Burch (@Metrinumber8) December 24, 2016

For the 6-foot, 181-pound athlete, out of powerhouse Apopka High School (Florida), his official visit January 20-22 will be key, but he's already got a strong opinion of both programs.

"Oregon has been a dream school, and I'm ready to see the facilities," he said. "USF has been a school that's continuously recruited me throughout my recruitment."

The recent uptick in Burch's Oregon interest is hardly a surprise.

Earlier this month, the dynamic open-field playmaker indicated he was "very serious" about the Ducks, and felt a close bond to Taggart.

"(It's a) dream-come-true," Burch told The Oregonian. "Coach T was the reason I committed to South Florida, and he's a good guy and a great coach."

With just 13 commitments in the 2017 recruiting cycle, Oregon still has a tall task ahead filling out its allotted scholarships.

But Burch could be the answer to filling one of those slots.

It'll take until Signing Day to get an answer, but appears Taggart's recruiting ability at South Florida could pay significant dividends for Oregon in the coming weeks.

-- Andrew Nemec

anemec@oregonian.com

@AndrewNemec