ESPN 150 S McQuay set to decide Friday 
December, 30, 2012
12/30/12
2:33
PM PT
By
Derek Tyson | ESPN.com
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- ESPN 150 safety Leon McQuay III (Seffner, Fla./Armwood) will be making his college decision at the Under Armour All-America Game on Friday.
The four-star athlete has a top five of USC, Michigan, Oregon, Vanderbilt and FSU, but McQuay said he won't have all five hats for his selection on Friday.
"Yeah ... I don't know [if Michigan still in consideration]. I don't know how many hats I'll have up there," he said. "My dad said he wasn't paying for five hats. I'll probably only have three hats up there.
The four-star athlete has a top five of USC, Michigan, Oregon, Vanderbilt and FSU, but McQuay said he won't have all five hats for his selection on Friday.
"Yeah ... I don't know [if Michigan still in consideration]. I don't know how many hats I'll have up there," he said. "My dad said he wasn't paying for five hats. I'll probably only have three hats up there.
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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Four-star defensive end Quinton Powell (Daytona Beach, Fla./Mainland) has set his official visit to USC for Jan. 18. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound athlete said he will also visit South Carolina, Oregon and possibly Miami.
"I set up Jan. 18 for USC," Powell said today at Under Armour All-America Game registration at Disney's Yacht Club Resort. "South Carolina, I'm taking that around the 20th of January. Oregon, I'll have to set up something with them too. Miami, I really haven't talked to them but I'm going to, I'm going to after this game."
Powell said he talks to former high school teammate Leonard Williams, a freshman defensive tackle at USC, about his experience at USC.
"I set up Jan. 18 for USC," Powell said today at Under Armour All-America Game registration at Disney's Yacht Club Resort. "South Carolina, I'm taking that around the 20th of January. Oregon, I'll have to set up something with them too. Miami, I really haven't talked to them but I'm going to, I'm going to after this game."
Powell said he talks to former high school teammate Leonard Williams, a freshman defensive tackle at USC, about his experience at USC.
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Coming off a junior season in which he caught 76 passes for 1,236 yards and 11 touchdowns, returned a punt for a touchdown, and helped his team to a 15-0 record and AAAA state championship, ESPN Watch List wideout Demarre Kitt (Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek) has become one of the most sought-after Class of 2014 prospects in the Southeast.
As it stands now, two programs are on top for the 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior.
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McEvoy could replace a transferring QB
December, 29, 2012
12/29/12
5:54
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By
Brandon P. Oliver | ESPN.com
With four underclassmen at quarterback, the Oregon Ducks could lose a quarterback to transfer this offseason.
With a freshman starter, a sophomore backup and two other freshmen in reserve, the Oregon Ducks are stocked with young quarterbacks and could be faced with the departure of one of their backups in the near future. Marcus Mariota beat out expected starter Bryan Bennett last summer and is the unquestioned starter going forward, likely for multiple seasons.
There has been a steady flow of rumors surrounding Bennett's possible transfer since the day Mariota was named the starter. Redshirt freshman Jake Rodrigues or Jeff Lockie could also choose to leave with Mariota clearly in control of the position.
With a freshman starter, a sophomore backup and two other freshmen in reserve, the Oregon Ducks are stocked with young quarterbacks and could be faced with the departure of one of their backups in the near future. Marcus Mariota beat out expected starter Bryan Bennett last summer and is the unquestioned starter going forward, likely for multiple seasons.
There has been a steady flow of rumors surrounding Bennett's possible transfer since the day Mariota was named the starter. Redshirt freshman Jake Rodrigues or Jeff Lockie could also choose to leave with Mariota clearly in control of the position.
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The most interesting man in college football
December, 28, 2012
12/28/12
10:30
AM PT
By
Ted Miller | ESPN.com
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- There is a school of thought, now apparently subscribed to by a handful of desperate NFL teams, that if that uber-suave, hirsute gentleman from those wildly entertaining Dos Equis beer commercials revealed his true identity, he would rip off a bearded mask and reveal Chip Kelly.
Is Kelly the most interesting man in the world?
Pause for a moment before chortling over our potential hyperbole, for Kelly has packed a lot into his 52-game tenure at Oregon, including 45 victories.
He has run with the bulls in Pamplona. He has led the Ducks to three Pac-12 titles and four BCS bowl games. He has done humanitarian work in Africa. He has produced Oregon's first Rose Bowl victory in 95 years. He has visited U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Kelly, 49 and single, is also fiercely private. He has never cooperated with any truly in-depth "This is your life, Chip Kelly!" story, which is exceedingly rare for a high-profile coach. Nearly all his close friends are back in New Hampshire, where he's from and where he went to college.
Kelly doesn't like glad-handing boosters, something often viewed as a prerequisite for being a college coach. He particularly dislikes talking to reporters, and he goes to great lengths to make sure they understand.
The Dos Equis guy says, "Stay thirsty, my friends." Kelly would say, "Stay away, annoying hangers-on."
Yet the vast majority of Ducks fans not only love all the winning, they love Kelly for his wiseacre, smirking self. They chant "Big Balls Chip!" inside rocking Autzen Stadium to celebrate Kelly's penchant for going for it on fourth down, going for 2 and launching onside kicks at surprising times.
He tells fans, "Shut up!" for cheering behind him during an ESPN postgame interview, and they love him more. A Twitter page, Chipisms, celebrates not only Kelly's amusing or insightful wisdom -- “I saw the ‘Feel Sorry for Yourself’ train leaving the parking lot & none of our players were on it, so that was a good sign” -- but also for his snark.
Inquiries that Kelly doesn't like might get one-word answers, clichéd responses or snappy rejoinders that belittle his inquisitors. Questions that engage him, however, receive full and thoughtful treatment. Consider this response from an ESPN story on Kelly's trip to Africa, when he worked with adolescent girls who had no idea who he was.
"The real heroes are the little girls in Africa who are trying to better themselves so they can help their families," he said. "When I hear a coach say, 'We're grinding.' I'm like: You're sitting in a room with air conditioning watching videotape. That's not grinding."
There seem to be three facets to Kelly. His standoffish public face, the detail-obsessed coach and the Renaissance man determined to drink life to the lees away from the game. Even the hard-driving, "win the day" side of Kelly can loosen up behind closed doors; those who work with him frequently cite his sense of humor.
"He [jokes around] all the time," said offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, a leading candidate to replace Kelly should he bolt for an NFL job. "It's not: 'Aha, he smiled! Isn't that amazing?' It's daily. We have a lot of fun."
Further, while Kelly's offense almost always runs like a finely tuned machine, plenty of, er, interesting things have been interspersed with winning during Kelly's tenure. Drama has not been lacking over the past four seasons.
His first game as Oregon's head coach remains his worst: A 19-8 loss at Boise State. Not only did the Ducks gain an embarrassing 152 total yards, but Kelly's star running back LeGarrette Blount punched a Broncos player afterward, bringing the hot light of controversy to his team's feckless performance.
Some thought Kelly was in over his head. He answered that by becoming the first Pac-10 coach to lead a team to an outright conference championship his first season.
Oh, and in a sign of interesting things to come, when a season-ticket holder wrote Kelly demanding a refund for his expenses incurred after attending that disastrous trip to Boise, Kelly quickly fired off a note with a personal check for $439.
Heading into 2010, starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was suspended after he was involved in the burglary of an Oregon fraternity house. Losing a star quarterback typically would damage a team's chances, but all Kelly's team did was finish undefeated and play for the national championship, losing 22-19 when Auburn kicked a last-second field goal.
The NCAA came calling during the 2011 offseason, wanting to know details of Kelly's and the program's dealings with street agent Willie Lyles. A distraction? Nope. Oregon won the conference a third consecutive year and the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin.
Kelly then nearly left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His quarterback, two-year starter Darron Thomas, had already opted to leave the program, which again threw into question the Ducks' prospects. But Kelly returned and so did the winning, with redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors while leading the Ducks to a No. 4 ranking and a Fiesta Bowl berth opposite Kansas State.
Yet he arrives at the Fiesta Bowl amid swirling rumors that he's about to leave for his pick of available NFL jobs. Asked about his NFL ambitions this week, he gave a 235-word answer that essentially said "no comment."
"My heart is to win the day, and that’s it," he concluded. "I know everybody wants to hear a different answer, and I know at times when I don’t give you guys the answer you guys want, then I’m being evasive. I’m not being evasive. My job is to coach the University of Oregon football team, and I love doing it. And that’s what I’m going to do.”
So the question will linger for a coach who at the very least is currently the most interesting man in college football: Will the Fiesta Bowl be his last day to win for Oregon?
Is Kelly the most interesting man in the world?
Pause for a moment before chortling over our potential hyperbole, for Kelly has packed a lot into his 52-game tenure at Oregon, including 45 victories.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Don RyanChip Kelly doesn't often discuss his life with writers, but when he does, his answers are revealing.
AP Photo/Don RyanChip Kelly doesn't often discuss his life with writers, but when he does, his answers are revealing.Kelly, 49 and single, is also fiercely private. He has never cooperated with any truly in-depth "This is your life, Chip Kelly!" story, which is exceedingly rare for a high-profile coach. Nearly all his close friends are back in New Hampshire, where he's from and where he went to college.
Kelly doesn't like glad-handing boosters, something often viewed as a prerequisite for being a college coach. He particularly dislikes talking to reporters, and he goes to great lengths to make sure they understand.
The Dos Equis guy says, "Stay thirsty, my friends." Kelly would say, "Stay away, annoying hangers-on."
Yet the vast majority of Ducks fans not only love all the winning, they love Kelly for his wiseacre, smirking self. They chant "Big Balls Chip!" inside rocking Autzen Stadium to celebrate Kelly's penchant for going for it on fourth down, going for 2 and launching onside kicks at surprising times.
He tells fans, "Shut up!" for cheering behind him during an ESPN postgame interview, and they love him more. A Twitter page, Chipisms, celebrates not only Kelly's amusing or insightful wisdom -- “I saw the ‘Feel Sorry for Yourself’ train leaving the parking lot & none of our players were on it, so that was a good sign” -- but also for his snark.
Inquiries that Kelly doesn't like might get one-word answers, clichéd responses or snappy rejoinders that belittle his inquisitors. Questions that engage him, however, receive full and thoughtful treatment. Consider this response from an ESPN story on Kelly's trip to Africa, when he worked with adolescent girls who had no idea who he was.
"The real heroes are the little girls in Africa who are trying to better themselves so they can help their families," he said. "When I hear a coach say, 'We're grinding.' I'm like: You're sitting in a room with air conditioning watching videotape. That's not grinding."
There seem to be three facets to Kelly. His standoffish public face, the detail-obsessed coach and the Renaissance man determined to drink life to the lees away from the game. Even the hard-driving, "win the day" side of Kelly can loosen up behind closed doors; those who work with him frequently cite his sense of humor.
"He [jokes around] all the time," said offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, a leading candidate to replace Kelly should he bolt for an NFL job. "It's not: 'Aha, he smiled! Isn't that amazing?' It's daily. We have a lot of fun."
Further, while Kelly's offense almost always runs like a finely tuned machine, plenty of, er, interesting things have been interspersed with winning during Kelly's tenure. Drama has not been lacking over the past four seasons.
His first game as Oregon's head coach remains his worst: A 19-8 loss at Boise State. Not only did the Ducks gain an embarrassing 152 total yards, but Kelly's star running back LeGarrette Blount punched a Broncos player afterward, bringing the hot light of controversy to his team's feckless performance.
Some thought Kelly was in over his head. He answered that by becoming the first Pac-10 coach to lead a team to an outright conference championship his first season.
Oh, and in a sign of interesting things to come, when a season-ticket holder wrote Kelly demanding a refund for his expenses incurred after attending that disastrous trip to Boise, Kelly quickly fired off a note with a personal check for $439.
Heading into 2010, starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was suspended after he was involved in the burglary of an Oregon fraternity house. Losing a star quarterback typically would damage a team's chances, but all Kelly's team did was finish undefeated and play for the national championship, losing 22-19 when Auburn kicked a last-second field goal.
The NCAA came calling during the 2011 offseason, wanting to know details of Kelly's and the program's dealings with street agent Willie Lyles. A distraction? Nope. Oregon won the conference a third consecutive year and the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin.
Kelly then nearly left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His quarterback, two-year starter Darron Thomas, had already opted to leave the program, which again threw into question the Ducks' prospects. But Kelly returned and so did the winning, with redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors while leading the Ducks to a No. 4 ranking and a Fiesta Bowl berth opposite Kansas State.
Yet he arrives at the Fiesta Bowl amid swirling rumors that he's about to leave for his pick of available NFL jobs. Asked about his NFL ambitions this week, he gave a 235-word answer that essentially said "no comment."
"My heart is to win the day, and that’s it," he concluded. "I know everybody wants to hear a different answer, and I know at times when I don’t give you guys the answer you guys want, then I’m being evasive. I’m not being evasive. My job is to coach the University of Oregon football team, and I love doing it. And that’s what I’m going to do.”
So the question will linger for a coach who at the very least is currently the most interesting man in college football: Will the Fiesta Bowl be his last day to win for Oregon?
Ducks thrive off surprise recruiting gifts
December, 28, 2012
12/28/12
8:00
AM PT
By
Brandon P. Oliver | ESPN.com
In an effort to extend holiday gift-giving for a little bit longer, DuckNation has decided to take a look back at the best recruiting gifts the Oregon Ducks have received during the Chip Kelly era. There have been almost too many to count, but we have narrowed it down to five of the most noteworthy gifts that have exceeded expectations over the past few years.
The culture that Chip Kelly has created around the program has attracted some elite players, but the Ducks have built their program by going out and find the best hidden gems on the market. Some of the best recruiting gifts over the years have come in the form of players that no one else seemed to want.
We all get a gift or two that initially doesn't do much for us, but turns out to be quite valuable. It was tough to narrow this list to just five, but the first one should come as no surprise.
The culture that Chip Kelly has created around the program has attracted some elite players, but the Ducks have built their program by going out and find the best hidden gems on the market. Some of the best recruiting gifts over the years have come in the form of players that no one else seemed to want.
We all get a gift or two that initially doesn't do much for us, but turns out to be quite valuable. It was tough to narrow this list to just five, but the first one should come as no surprise.
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Watch: Under Armour game approaching
December, 28, 2012
12/28/12
6:17
AM PT
By RecruitingNation staff | ESPN.com
Tom Luginbill and Craig Haubert discuss what the Under Armour All-America Game -- and preceding week of practice -- will teach fans about the top recruits.
With the holidays mostly in the rearview mirror, the mail has started flowing again all across RecruitingNation. The Oregon Ducks will finally hit the field again next week when they face off against the Kansas State Wildcats in the Tostito's Fiesta Bowl.
Ronald M. (Hawthorne, Calif.): When the dead period ends next week, who will the Ducks make a big push for? Do they have any plans to host any recruits on campus in the next couple of weeks?
DuckNation: The Ducks are still in search of another offensive lineman, another running back, another linebacker and another defensive back. The potential remains that the Ducks could add a signal-caller in junior college QB Tanner McEvoy (Yuma, Ariz./Arizona Western CC).
Ronald M. (Hawthorne, Calif.): When the dead period ends next week, who will the Ducks make a big push for? Do they have any plans to host any recruits on campus in the next couple of weeks?
DuckNation: The Ducks are still in search of another offensive lineman, another running back, another linebacker and another defensive back. The potential remains that the Ducks could add a signal-caller in junior college QB Tanner McEvoy (Yuma, Ariz./Arizona Western CC).
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A closer look: Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
December, 27, 2012
12/27/12
10:00
AM PT
By
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
12/26/12
7:44
PM PT
By
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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ESPN 300 OL Hunt will be busy
December, 26, 2012
12/26/12
6:36
PM PT
By
Brandon P. Oliver | ESPN.com
Until a couple of weeks ago, the Oregon Ducks had been looking at three offensive linemen in order to round out their class with one or two more players at that position. Then two new recruits came into the picture and received offers almost immediately.
Both of the new offers were big, as one led to a commitment and the other has one of the top players in the West seriously considering the Ducks.
California commit and Under Armour All-American OL Cameron Hunt (Corona, Calif./Centennial) recently began to explore other options after Cal had a coaching change. Hunt remains committed to the Bears but is giving a good look to three other programs. Nebraska, Michigan and Oregon all offered the ESPN 300 prospect within days of Jeff Tedford being let go. Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer also stopped by the week before Hunt and his Centennial squad took on Concord (Calif.) De La Salle in the state championship game.
Both of the new offers were big, as one led to a commitment and the other has one of the top players in the West seriously considering the Ducks.
California commit and Under Armour All-American OL Cameron Hunt (Corona, Calif./Centennial) recently began to explore other options after Cal had a coaching change. Hunt remains committed to the Bears but is giving a good look to three other programs. Nebraska, Michigan and Oregon all offered the ESPN 300 prospect within days of Jeff Tedford being let go. Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer also stopped by the week before Hunt and his Centennial squad took on Concord (Calif.) De La Salle in the state championship game.
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Oregon recruiting: Quick hitters
December, 24, 2012
12/24/12
10:00
AM PT
By
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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Watch: Under Armour game preview
December, 24, 2012
12/24/12
6:07
AM PT
By RecruitingNation staff | ESPN.com
Tom Luginbill and Hakem Dermish discuss the value of dual-threat quarterbacks in recruiting and they preview the Under Armour All-America Game.
Trouble looming or right on track?
December, 23, 2012
12/23/12
6:58
AM PT
By
Brandon P. Oliver | ESPN.com
Some say the end is near.
Some love to say the NCAA is going to destroy Oregon.
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LB Mattingly makes Saturday decision
December, 22, 2012
12/22/12
10:46
PM PT
By
Mason Kelley | ESPN.com
As soon as Danny Mattingly (Spokane, Wash./Mead) arrived at Oregon for his official visit, he got sick.
“I got really bad strep throat,” the four-star recruit said. “My throat just got really swollen. I didn’t do very much more than just kind of lay around. I got to see a practice, but I just got really sick the day I got down there.”
The 6-foot-5, 218-pound inside linebacker had already made the trek to Eugene, Ore. over the summer. He felt like that unofficial visit provided a good understanding of what the university had to offer.
So, even though he wasn’t able to get the full experience of an official visit, he saw enough to know he wanted to give a verbal commitment to the Ducks.
“I got really bad strep throat,” the four-star recruit said. “My throat just got really swollen. I didn’t do very much more than just kind of lay around. I got to see a practice, but I just got really sick the day I got down there.”
The 6-foot-5, 218-pound inside linebacker had already made the trek to Eugene, Ore. over the summer. He felt like that unofficial visit provided a good understanding of what the university had to offer.
So, even though he wasn’t able to get the full experience of an official visit, he saw enough to know he wanted to give a verbal commitment to the Ducks.
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ABOUT DUCK NATION
Brandon Oliver
Brandon Oliver joined ESPN in 2012. In recent years, Oliver has been involved in the Nike Football Tour with both ESPNHS and Nike. He has covered West Coast recruiting for various online outlets since 2008, with an emphasis on Oregon football. Email him at boliverespn@gmail.com.