Hunter Rison

Once committed to Michigan State, Hunter Rison has re-opened his recruitment

(Courtesy of Hunter Rison)

In the class of 2016, the Oregon Ducks offered Elijah Holyfield, son of boxing legend Evander Holyfield, and Thaddeus Moss, son of NFL great Randy Moss.

While the program didn't win those recruiting battles, it's clear Oregon isn't deterred from offering athletes with proven super genes.

That trend has already continued in the class of 2017, as the Ducks recently extended a verbal scholarship offer to Rivals four-star wide receiver Hunter Rison, son of NFL wide receiver great Andre Rison.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound pass-catcher, out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, already holds offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Michigan State and UCLA, but Oregon has a secret weapon of sorts in 2017 four-star quarterback commit Ryan Kelley.

The duo played together at Basha High School during their freshman and sophomore seasons, but first met in the eighth grade when they were selected for an Arizona all-star game.

"Ever since then we've been on point. We went to the same high school and had a plan to play together," Rison said. "We're just so tight, it's crazy. I live so far away from him now, but we still talk every day. That's my dude."

In fact, Kelley may have been the catalyst for the growth of the Oregon-Rison relationship.

After landing the commitment of Kelley, Oregon was soon contacted by Rison, who expressed interest in the program.

"I'd never really talked to Oregon before, but they were (recruiting) my buddy Ryan," he explained. "At the time, I was committed [to Michigan State]. They let me know they were interested and I reached out. I messaged them through Twitter... I had to (contact) them. That's pretty much how it went down."

That conversation led to an offer last week:

The first comment on that tweet? It came from Kelley.

"Oregon is always a school you grow up looking at, because they've been to national championships, they're flashy, they are always at the top," Rison said. "Plus, I have a relationship with Ryan, who is committed there."

Despite the early offers from powerhouse programs Alabama, Michigan State and Oregon, Rison said he understands he is far from a finished product.

His father, a five-time NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver and Super Bowl champion, makes sure he knows that there's still plenty to learn.

"I'm grateful for that. I'm not being cocky, I know that I have a certain advantage having him in the household," Hunter Rison explained. "He teaches me all kinds of little tricks. Not just on the field, but how to become a great young man. I'm trying to take advantage of this situation. My dad was very successful in the field that I want to go pro in."

With his NFL bloodlines and a quarterback connection, Oregon is hoping the next stage of Rison's career occurs in Eugene.

-- Andrew Nemec

anemec@oregonian.com

@AndrewNemec