Oregon Ducks: Oklahoma Sooners
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Tight end DeAndre Goolsby (Derby, Kan./Derby) admits he's nowhere near ready to pick his college destination.
"I'm just kind of out there, looking," he says. "There's still a lot to see, so I'll wait that out."
With cautious curiosity, Goolsby visited Ohio State and Florida this week -- two big steps in his plan to narrow a sizable offer list to a handful of top teams before his senior season and make a decision by the end of the fall.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound tight end was in Columbus, Ohio, on Monday.
"I'm just kind of out there, looking," he says. "There's still a lot to see, so I'll wait that out."
With cautious curiosity, Goolsby visited Ohio State and Florida this week -- two big steps in his plan to narrow a sizable offer list to a handful of top teams before his senior season and make a decision by the end of the fall.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound tight end was in Columbus, Ohio, on Monday.
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WR Foreman stress-free, piling up offers 
May, 15, 2013
May 15
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Sam Khan Jr. | ESPN.com
TEXAS CITY, Texas -- These days, it's all smiles for ESPN 150 receiver Armanti Foreman.
Life is good for the Texas City (Texas) High School star. Offers are coming left and right. He's preparing for a banner senior season with his twin brother, 2014 running back D'Onta Foreman. He's enjoying the final weeks of his junior year of high school. On Tuesday, Armanti was sprinting past defensive backs and juking defenders out of their shorts, showing the playmaking ability that has so many colleges at his doorstep.
Life is good for the Texas City (Texas) High School star. Offers are coming left and right. He's preparing for a banner senior season with his twin brother, 2014 running back D'Onta Foreman. He's enjoying the final weeks of his junior year of high school. On Tuesday, Armanti was sprinting past defensive backs and juking defenders out of their shorts, showing the playmaking ability that has so many colleges at his doorstep.
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Plenty of suitors for 2014 Texas LB Whitley
April, 17, 2013
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By
Sam Khan Jr. | ESPN.com
HOUSTON, Texas -- After a busy track and field season, ESPN Watch List linebacker Zach Whitley Jr. is turning his attention back to football.
The 2014 prospect's time on the track for this season is complete and on Tuesday at Houston North Shore, the soon-to-be-senior was out at Galena Park ISD Stadium, barking out calls to his defensive teammates during 7-on-7 sessions as he and the Mustangs prepare for the 2013 season.
The 2014 prospect's time on the track for this season is complete and on Tuesday at Houston North Shore, the soon-to-be-senior was out at Galena Park ISD Stadium, barking out calls to his defensive teammates during 7-on-7 sessions as he and the Mustangs prepare for the 2013 season.
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RB Turner enjoys return trip to Oklahoma
April, 14, 2013
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Bob Przybylo | ESPN.com
It was a different feeling this time around for North Richland Hills (Texas) Birdville running back Xavier Turner at Oklahoma.
Turner made his first trip to OU last year for the spring game as a virtual unknown who hoped to earn some recognition. Turner made another trip to Norman, Okla., this weekend and felt a lot more comfortable.
His goal was to leave OU’s spring game with an offer. That didn’t happen, but it was key for Turner and OU running backs coach Cale Gundy to reconnect and Turner said he feels good about his situation going forward.
Turner made his first trip to OU last year for the spring game as a virtual unknown who hoped to earn some recognition. Turner made another trip to Norman, Okla., this weekend and felt a lot more comfortable.
His goal was to leave OU’s spring game with an offer. That didn’t happen, but it was key for Turner and OU running backs coach Cale Gundy to reconnect and Turner said he feels good about his situation going forward.
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With more than 20 offers on the table, ESPN Watch List safety Jamal Adams (Carrollton, Texas/Hebron) ultimately will have to make a big decision.
That decision became even more complex on Wednesday when Adams picked up an offer from Oregon, his 21st overall and fourth from the Pac-12. The 6-foot, 195-pound safety is taking his time with the process, but he said Oregon is a major pickup for him.
That decision became even more complex on Wednesday when Adams picked up an offer from Oregon, his 21st overall and fourth from the Pac-12. The 6-foot, 195-pound safety is taking his time with the process, but he said Oregon is a major pickup for him.
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Arizona ATH Whiley's stock is on the rise
March, 4, 2013
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Erik McKinney | ESPN.com
It's possible that few players helped their stock more than Tyler Whiley (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral) during this past weekend's NLA 7-on-7 tournament in Las Vegas.
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Ducks No. 2 in Way-Too-Early Top 25
January, 8, 2013
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By RecruitingNation staff | ESPN.com
Streeter Lecka/Getty ImagesAlabama, with three of the past four national titles, is No. 1 in the Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2013.There are still seven months before the start of the 2013 season, and the teams and their order figure to change frequently, but it's never too early to take a look at the Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2013.
And with three national championships in the past four years, there's no reason to change the team that's on top. Oregon, which finished the season No. 2 in the polls, starts there in 2013 as well.
Also see:
A closer look: Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
December, 27, 2012
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David Ubben | ESPN.com
As the bowl season approaches, we're going to be looking a little closer at each game. We'll go down the Big 12 bowl schedule in chronological order.
TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL
No. 5 Kansas State (11-1) vs. No. 4 Oregon (11-1)
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
When: Thursday, Jan. 3, 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
About Kansas State: Bill Snyder's boys proved they could get over a painful Baylor loss. With the Big 12 title in the balance, K-State thrashed Texas with a second-half surge to win the Big 12 title on its home field. K-State made the first 10 games of the season look pretty easy, even with close wins over Oklahoma and Iowa State on the road. The Wildcats largely controlled both games but blew out a whole bunch of 7-5 Big 12 teams like West Virginia, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. The Wildcats have a great case as the best K-State team ever, even though a painful loss to Baylor cost them what looked like a really likely shot at a national title after reaching No. 1 in the BCS for the first time ever after a win at TCU. This was K-State's first Big 12 title since 2003 but the first time it's truly been the Big 12's best team throughout the regular season since 1998.
About Oregon: The Ducks are all about go, go, go and this season's been no exception. The run-heavy offense didn't miss a beat without LaMichael James and Darron Thomas. We'll talk about the Ducks trio more a little later, but Oregon nearly reached the national title game for the second time in three years before a painful overtime loss to Oregon's super offense's kryptonite: Stanford. The Ducks hadn't scored fewer than 42 points all season. Stanford held them to just 14 in an overtime loss the same night K-State lost to Baylor. The teams were No. 1 and No. 2 in the BCS on Nov. 17, poised to block the SEC from playing for a seventh straight national title, but the loss also cost Oregon a bid to the Pac-12 championship and a second consecutive Rose Bowl berth. Instead, the Ducks are headed to the desert where they lost to Auburn in the title game two years ago. The Ducks are 4-1 against top 25 teams, but haven't played anyone ranked higher than No. 13, which was Stanford. Those four wins, though, came by an average of almost 29 points.
Wildcats to watch: In case you missed the second half of the Wildcats' win over Oklahoma State, Heisman finalist Collin Klein is K-State's offense. Receiver Chris Harper and running back John Hubert are fine talents in their own right, but Klein is the man who makes it all go. When he's out or plays poorly like he did against TCU and Baylor (performances that ultimately cost him the Heisman Trophy), K-State can look very, very average offensively. Linebacker and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Arthur Brown has led one of the Big 12's best defenses along with cornerback Nigel Malone and big-time pass-rusher Meshak Williams.
Ducks to watch: How many players on any team ever have had three different players earn legitimate Heisman hype at some point during the season? Scatback De'Anthony Thomas was an early-season splash before slowing with limited touches as the season moved forward, though Kenjon Barner emerged as the team's best back throughout the season. In the middle of the season, though, quarterback Marcus Mariota landed on a few ballots with some big games, too. Barner is the team's best player, ranking fifth nationally with 1,624 rushing yards, but Mariota's passer rating of 165.36 is higher than every Big 12 quarterback but J.W. Walsh. Linebacker Michael Clay racked up 92 tackles and fellow backer Kiko Alonso led the team with 12 tackles for loss (two defensive linemen, Dion Jordan and Taylor Hart, combined for 20.5), but let's be honest: It's all about the offense on this squad.
Did you know? Because of expansion quirks, there have been six Big 12 teams to play in this game in the past five years. No Big 12 team won the game from 2001-08, but the league is 3-1 in the game in the past four seasons, including huge wins over No. 10 Ohio State and No. 4 Stanford over that stretch. (There were also rumors of a win over a five-loss team from somewhere in the Northeast, but I don't know anything about that.)
More on the Big 12 Bowls:
TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL
No. 5 Kansas State (11-1) vs. No. 4 Oregon (11-1)
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
When: Thursday, Jan. 3, 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
About Kansas State: Bill Snyder's boys proved they could get over a painful Baylor loss. With the Big 12 title in the balance, K-State thrashed Texas with a second-half surge to win the Big 12 title on its home field. K-State made the first 10 games of the season look pretty easy, even with close wins over Oklahoma and Iowa State on the road. The Wildcats largely controlled both games but blew out a whole bunch of 7-5 Big 12 teams like West Virginia, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. The Wildcats have a great case as the best K-State team ever, even though a painful loss to Baylor cost them what looked like a really likely shot at a national title after reaching No. 1 in the BCS for the first time ever after a win at TCU. This was K-State's first Big 12 title since 2003 but the first time it's truly been the Big 12's best team throughout the regular season since 1998.
About Oregon: The Ducks are all about go, go, go and this season's been no exception. The run-heavy offense didn't miss a beat without LaMichael James and Darron Thomas. We'll talk about the Ducks trio more a little later, but Oregon nearly reached the national title game for the second time in three years before a painful overtime loss to Oregon's super offense's kryptonite: Stanford. The Ducks hadn't scored fewer than 42 points all season. Stanford held them to just 14 in an overtime loss the same night K-State lost to Baylor. The teams were No. 1 and No. 2 in the BCS on Nov. 17, poised to block the SEC from playing for a seventh straight national title, but the loss also cost Oregon a bid to the Pac-12 championship and a second consecutive Rose Bowl berth. Instead, the Ducks are headed to the desert where they lost to Auburn in the title game two years ago. The Ducks are 4-1 against top 25 teams, but haven't played anyone ranked higher than No. 13, which was Stanford. Those four wins, though, came by an average of almost 29 points.
Wildcats to watch: In case you missed the second half of the Wildcats' win over Oklahoma State, Heisman finalist Collin Klein is K-State's offense. Receiver Chris Harper and running back John Hubert are fine talents in their own right, but Klein is the man who makes it all go. When he's out or plays poorly like he did against TCU and Baylor (performances that ultimately cost him the Heisman Trophy), K-State can look very, very average offensively. Linebacker and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Arthur Brown has led one of the Big 12's best defenses along with cornerback Nigel Malone and big-time pass-rusher Meshak Williams.
Ducks to watch: How many players on any team ever have had three different players earn legitimate Heisman hype at some point during the season? Scatback De'Anthony Thomas was an early-season splash before slowing with limited touches as the season moved forward, though Kenjon Barner emerged as the team's best back throughout the season. In the middle of the season, though, quarterback Marcus Mariota landed on a few ballots with some big games, too. Barner is the team's best player, ranking fifth nationally with 1,624 rushing yards, but Mariota's passer rating of 165.36 is higher than every Big 12 quarterback but J.W. Walsh. Linebacker Michael Clay racked up 92 tackles and fellow backer Kiko Alonso led the team with 12 tackles for loss (two defensive linemen, Dion Jordan and Taylor Hart, combined for 20.5), but let's be honest: It's all about the offense on this squad.
Did you know? Because of expansion quirks, there have been six Big 12 teams to play in this game in the past five years. No Big 12 team won the game from 2001-08, but the league is 3-1 in the game in the past four seasons, including huge wins over No. 10 Ohio State and No. 4 Stanford over that stretch. (There were also rumors of a win over a five-loss team from somewhere in the Northeast, but I don't know anything about that.)
More on the Big 12 Bowls:
Smythe talks Stanford, visit plans
December, 26, 2012
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Sam Khan Jr. | ESPN.com
HOUSTON -- The decision to decommit from Texas wasn't an easy one for Belton (Texas) High School tight end Durham Smythe. But for him, it was the right decision.
Now, as the weeks pass and national signing day approaches, Smythe is weighing all the options in front of him. He has plenty, but he's still in the process of trying to decide where he'll take his remaining official visits. After checking in for the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl -- set for Sunday at Reliant Stadium -- on Wednesday, he discussed all that has been going on since he made his decision.
"The week that I decommitted it was pretty crazy because the dead period was about to start at that point, so toward the end of that week, a lot of coaches and a lot of schools tried to get in contact with me to schedule home visits and stuff like that," Smythe said. "Over the dead period I've been in contact with coaches once a week on Facebook and stuff like that. It's been busy and right now I'm just in a period where I'm evaluating things and I'm trying to pick a couple favorites so I can take official visits there and have a base to compare."
Now, as the weeks pass and national signing day approaches, Smythe is weighing all the options in front of him. He has plenty, but he's still in the process of trying to decide where he'll take his remaining official visits. After checking in for the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl -- set for Sunday at Reliant Stadium -- on Wednesday, he discussed all that has been going on since he made his decision.
"The week that I decommitted it was pretty crazy because the dead period was about to start at that point, so toward the end of that week, a lot of coaches and a lot of schools tried to get in contact with me to schedule home visits and stuff like that," Smythe said. "Over the dead period I've been in contact with coaches once a week on Facebook and stuff like that. It's been busy and right now I'm just in a period where I'm evaluating things and I'm trying to pick a couple favorites so I can take official visits there and have a base to compare."
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Oregon recruiting: Quick hitters
December, 24, 2012
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Brandon P. Oliver | ESPN.com
After a long drought in which Oregon went almost the entire season without gaining any new commits, the Ducks have been busy doling out new offers, two of which resulted in immediate commitments.
Once junior-college LB Joe Walker (Los Angeles, Calif./Harbor College) took his official visit to Eugene, an offer was made and Walker jumped at the opportunity. Last week, the Ducks found the ultimate diamond in the rough when they offered -- and received an immediate commitment from -- OL Jake Pisarcik (Medford, N.J./Shawnee).
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#BlueChipBattles: Dec. 21
December, 21, 2012
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By RecruitingNation staff | ESPN.com
ESPN.comReuben Foster (center) is torn between good friends Dee Liner (left) and Tray Matthews (right).No. 1 ILB Reuben Foster has voiced his desire to play with at least one of his SEC-bound friends next season. But will he follow Tray Matthews to Georgia or hook up with Dee Liner wherever the ESPN 150 DL settles? It remains to be seen, but the mystery surrounding his recruitment keeps Foster at the top of our #BlueChipBattles.
Each week, RecruitingNation summons its writers from around the country to compile a list of the top 10 battles for elite football recruits leading up to February's signing day.
Here are this week's top battles
, and you can take a shot at ranking the top 10 recruiting battles on SportsNation.LB Myles Jack to visit Oregon
December, 11, 2012
12/11/12
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Brandon P. Oliver | ESPN.com
Despite a being a long-time commit to UCLA, one of the top players in the Northwest has been open to other schools continuing to recruit him. LB Myles Jack (Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue) recently helped Bellevue -- one of the nation's top teams -- to another state title. Now that his senior season is complete, Jack appears to be turning all of his attention to the recruiting process.
The US Army All-American LB is happy with everything about UCLA but wants to explore what other programs have to offer. After earlier flirting with the Oregon Ducks, the two seemingly parted ways over the past couple of months. Ducks' LB coach Don Pellum visited Jack last week, and the two realized that both sides deserve another look.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound three-star prospect recently set four official visits that will all be taken after his trip to San Antonio, Texas, for the U.S. Army All-American Game. Jack has settled on official visits to Arizona State, UCLA, Washington and Oregon.
The US Army All-American LB is happy with everything about UCLA but wants to explore what other programs have to offer. After earlier flirting with the Oregon Ducks, the two seemingly parted ways over the past couple of months. Ducks' LB coach Don Pellum visited Jack last week, and the two realized that both sides deserve another look.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound three-star prospect recently set four official visits that will all be taken after his trip to San Antonio, Texas, for the U.S. Army All-American Game. Jack has settled on official visits to Arizona State, UCLA, Washington and Oregon.
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Ducks check in with 2014 recruits
December, 10, 2012
12/10/12
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By
Brandon P. Oliver | ESPN.com
When college coaches were allowed to hit the road to visit recruits, the Oregon Ducks' coaching staff spread out all over the country to visit commits, 2013 targets and a number of 2014 prospects. With two new offers out to 2013 linebackers, the Ducks are getting aggressive as signing day approaches.
It remains to be seen if their aggressive recruiting of late will carry over to the Class of 2014, or whether the Ducks will continue their recent pattern of taking the process extremely slowly. Ducks' assistant coaches Don Pellum, Scott Frost, John Neal, Gary Campbell, Jerry Azzinaro, Tom Osborne and Mark Helfrich were all on the road checking in with rising juniors last week. They might not be handing out many offers just yet, but they are certainly doing a great job of initiating relationships. Below are some of the 2014 recruits that confirmed they were visited by members of the Oregon staff in recent weeks.
OL Kaleb McGary (Fife, Wash./Fife)
It remains to be seen if their aggressive recruiting of late will carry over to the Class of 2014, or whether the Ducks will continue their recent pattern of taking the process extremely slowly. Ducks' assistant coaches Don Pellum, Scott Frost, John Neal, Gary Campbell, Jerry Azzinaro, Tom Osborne and Mark Helfrich were all on the road checking in with rising juniors last week. They might not be handing out many offers just yet, but they are certainly doing a great job of initiating relationships. Below are some of the 2014 recruits that confirmed they were visited by members of the Oregon staff in recent weeks.
OL Kaleb McGary (Fife, Wash./Fife)
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Mike Mitchell's OSU visit was 'awesome'
December, 9, 2012
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By
Brad Bournival | ESPN.com
Ken Mitchell didn’t hear anything about a commitment to Ohio State from his son, ESPN 150 outside linebacker Mike Mitchell (Plano, Texas/Prestonwood Christian), following an official visit to Columbus, Ohio, over the weekend.
What he did hear was how much fun the 6-foot-4, 216-pound senior had this weekend.
“His first two words were 'crazy' and 'awesome,' ” Ken Mitchell said. “The first thing he did when he got there was spend time with Coach [Urban] Meyer. Then he went to the OSU basketball game. He said it was a great time.”
What he did hear was how much fun the 6-foot-4, 216-pound senior had this weekend.
“His first two words were 'crazy' and 'awesome,' ” Ken Mitchell said. “The first thing he did when he got there was spend time with Coach [Urban] Meyer. Then he went to the OSU basketball game. He said it was a great time.”
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Ducks shift LB focus with new offers
December, 6, 2012
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Brandon P. Oliver | ESPN.com
The impending departure of seniors Michael Clay and Kiko Alonso have made linebackers the biggest area of need for the Oregon in the class of 2013. As the countdown to signing day hit the two-month mark this week, the Ducks took their linebacker recruiting in a whole new direction.
The Ducks are still recruiting ESPN 300 members OLB Mike Mitchell (Plano, Texas/Prestonwood) and OLB Peter Kalambayi (Matthews, NC/Butler), but they also issued two new offers this week while the coaches have been visiting dozens of targets on the recruiting trail.
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