Cam McCormick

Summit High School star Cam McCormick poses with Oregon head football coach Mark Helfrich during an unofficial visit this month

(Courtesy of Debra McCormick)

It's not that Summit High School star tight end/defensive end Cam McCormick isn't grateful for all the attention, he's just been overwhelmed.

After flying under the radar for much of his high school career, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound tight end's stock soared this offseason, leading to offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, Colorado, Montana State, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State.

Initially, he and his mom, Debra, had planned to see all of the major programs that had offered him, but as the list grew, the Bend, Oregon teen decided he had already been to the school that was right for him.

Comforted by his experiences on two unofficial trips to Eugene this month, McCormick called the Oregon coaching staff Saturday afternoon and locked in his commitment to be a Duck.

"My mom and I have been discussing all of the places that I've visited. I wanted to give every school the same attention," he said. "We were talking (Saturday) morning, and I really like everything Oregon has to offer. That's where I'd like to go."

McCormick's defining experience in Eugene came during a pizza party with the football players before the basketball team's Feb. 22 victory over then-No. 9 Utah.

"It was a big weight off my shoulders. I really enjoyed getting to speak with them," he said. "They just made me feel so comfortable and so welcome."

Since that visit, McCormick has added two offers and was preparing several more trips, but decided to end the whirlwind process Saturday.

"It was a lot, having to reach out to all the coaches," he explained. "It led to some long days that I would have, but it was all helping me figure out where I would want to spend my next four years."

McCormick has canceled all future trips, but will still be taking an official visit to Eugene in the fall.

Oregon's newest attention represents a major coup for the program, as McCormick is the second in-state prospect to commit to the Ducks for the class of 2016 (Brady Breeze). Furthermore, this year's recruiting cycle is tremendously weak when it comes to West Coast tight ends. McCormick is rated by 247Sports as the top tight end west of Texas.

As a junior, McCormick tallied 491 yards and eight touchdowns. More important, he displayed flashes of elite athleticism out of a 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame, which has the Ducks coaching staff believing a move to outside linebacker is not out of the question down the road.

"They said that they were offering me as a tight end, but that I could be one heck of an outside linebacker for them," he said.

Oregon landed a three-star tight end, which may not sound like a major coup, but given McCormick's status as an in-state prospect and the West Coast's top tight end, the Ducks have landed an elite player on their board.

-- Andrew Nemec

anemec@oregonian.com

@AndrewNemec