ESPN West recruiting Blog

Posted by Greg Biggins

It didn't take long for Oregon to take advantage of its huge win over USC this weekend. The Ducks picked up a commitment from talented defensive end Tony Washington (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Los Osos) late Sunday night.

Washington took his official visit to Eugene in early October and said he nearly committed on the visit, but he wanted to take a few other visits first. He checked out Arizona last week and also tripped to UTEP back in September.

"I just felt like the time was right for me to do it now," Washington said. "I loved my visit there and really felt a connection with the players and coaches. I said going in to that trip that I was really looking forward to seeing how I connected with everyone and I was treated like part of the team when I was out there.

"They have a great thing going right now and I love watching them play. They work hard and it shows on the field. They play so hard and the more I thought about my experience on the visit, the more I realized it was the place for me. I was going to visit Oregon State, but I decided I was ready to make my decision and I'm thrilled to be an Oregon Duck right now."

Washington also said he liked how he fit in with Oregon's defensive scheme.

"They're all about putting pressure on the quarterback," Washington said. "They bring the heat and I love to rush the passer. I'll be coming in as a standup defensive end meaning sometimes I'll rush the passer and other times I'll drop back in to coverage. It's almost like a hybrid type position, but they like my size and athleticism to do it and I think it fits in well with what I'm good at.

"Oregon has a young team and will be good for a while. I think they're building something huge and the win over USC shows what they can do. It's exciting to be a part of that and I'm looking forward to doing my best to keeping Oregon at the top of the Pac-10."