Willie Taggart Spent the Most Time With....

You could call it a smash success and that still wouldn't do it justice. The Oregon staff hosted its first premier recruiting event at the University of Oregon on Saturday and it went off like a bang.The day started with four commits as competition had yet to even begin. Four big commits too, not just some dudes with a couple of offers.The action quickly moved into Autzen stadium which hosted roughly 2,000 fans. Perhaps it was as high as 2,500, but it was not more than that.But y'all did a great job of bringing the energy. When the recruits exited the tunnel onto Autzen the fans were clapping and cheering. It really was a strong atmosphere, especially given the first year of the event.Oregon had every coach on hand but even more important were the number of players in attendance. Justin Herbert, Troy Dye, Scott Pagano, Charles Nelson, Tony Brooks-James, Cyrus Habibi-Liko, Darrian Felix, CJ Verdell, the list goes on and on. There was a major contingent of Oregon players on the field at all times which made a huge difference in the atmosphere.This event will grow and grow each year as fans begin to realize just how special it is.Without further ado, let me give you some highlights of the event.

Not once, twice, but three different occasions I watched Willie Taggart put his arm around Talanoa Hufanga and spend quality 1-on-1 time with him.

It's no surprise, nor should it be. Not only is he the state's top player, he's one of the elite players in the country.

Speaking of Hufanga, he's just so natural, so smooth. He's going to continue to develop but he just has the 'it' factor.

I don't envision an immediate commitment from him, but I also don't see him leaving the state.

Jonathan King is a BOSS



I'm as big a fan of Malcolm Lamar as all of you. But King deserves his credit. He's fast, he's strong, he's one heck of an athlete.

You could call them 1A and 1B for me, but if you think Malcolm Lamar is on another level, then King is on that same level.

With regards to the offensive lineman they faced I was similarly impressed with Steven Jones in his reps. He's big but he's not stiff nor is he slow-footed. I would have to say he was the alpha-dog of the offensive line group.

Penei Sewell did not compete on the day.

Brandon Mello fared the same as he did in Oakland. He's a massive kid. But he's a little heavy-footed and doesn't have great balance just yet. He's like that giant Great Dane puppy dog you see that hasn't grown into his legs yet.

Even though he wasn't quite as polished as Jones, I really liked Chris Randazzo. He was tough and not afraid to go up against any of the top guys. He played reps at guard and tackle on a number of occasions.

Sure he might be a bit raw in some elements, but he was not lost by any stretch.

Oregon is in strong hands

If Saturday was any demonstration of what's ahead, this program's future is bright. I continue to be very impressed with Spencer Webb. He's big, he moves well and he catches everything thrown his direction. Oregon got a steal there.

Steve Stephens has to be one of the fastest safeties in the country. He's slightly under-sized today but he's going to get bigger. And you will be hard pressed to find anyone that can get to full speed as fast as he can.

Jevon Holland is the complete package. He is big, he is strong but he can move. He had a number of nice pass break-ups on the day from his safety perch.

MJ Cunningham is HUGE. Unfortunately that's all I can say for now. He looks dang impressive, but unfortunately he was in a boot by the end of camp. As we aren't allowed to recruits at the camp, I'm not sure what the injury was.

Braden Lenzy won fastest man competition. The dude can fly. He just flat out flies.

If Tre'Shaun Harrison lived in So Cal he'd be a 5-star. I've been saying that for months and I'll keep saying it. Oregon scored one hell of a game-breaker in Harrison.

Travis Dye gets a lot of heat for not being as big as some other guys. But he's every bit as shifty and strong as a number of elite guys. He has good hands out of the backfield and just has a no nonsense approach to how he practices. Reminds me of another Dye.

New Oregon commit Miles Battle reminded me a lot of Bryan Addison, whom I saw at the Opening. The guy is just tall and long and agile. He moved all over the field and was a match-up nightmare for everyone.



I didn't know what to expect from new commit Teagan Quitoriano but he really impressed. As fond as I was of Spencer Webb, Quitoriano held his own. He snagged everything thrown his way and moves with ease. I know a lot of folks were concerned with his overall athleticism, but I'm not.

The List Goes On and On

At the end of the day, we only had a 2-hour window. And 20 minutes (at least) of that was warming up. So while I'd love to give you an eval on everyone at the camp, I don't have that to offer.



The lineman were somewhat shoved down on the end, but I tried to watch them as much as I could.



Michael Johnson Jr, Patrick Herbert, Jamal Elliott and Chase Cota didn't participate. Isaah Crocker only went a rep or two because he had a tattoo healing on his arm.



I mean I can get on here and tell you Arjei Henderson is a good football player. As is Michael Ezeike. (Physical freak) And D'shawn Jamison and Verone McKinley and Jaylen Waddle. They are and they were on Saturday. I'm really trying to offer you the opinions on guys we might not know a lot about.

I will say this though in closing, if Talanoa Hufanga is a 5-star (and he is), Raymond Woodie Jr is not far behind him.







From Nima Movassaghi

Some of his standouts from watching are below:

Miles Battle: Some crazy touchdowns. Super athletic and scary quick.

Isaah Crocker: Long and lean but some super sharp cuts. Reminds of DAT.

Travis Dye: Great combo of power and speed. Solid technique and takes care of the football.

Talanoa Hufanga: Had a couple of 1-handed interceptions on the day. Great athlete with a super football IQ.



Teagan Quitoriano: Versatile tight end. I didn't see a ton of blocking but very smooth with the ball in his hands.

