Oregon Football's roster under Dan Lanning has ONE glaring need for 2025 | Oregon Ducks Podcast

organs put together back-to-back top 10 recruiting classes do they have major needs in their recruiting cycle for 2025 I think just one here we go you are locked on Ducks your daily podcast on the Oregon Ducks part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day yes it is that time once again for lock on Ducks I'm your host Spencer mlin thank you so much for making this your first listen or your first of the day part of the lockdown podcast Network your team every day and your number one source to stay up to date with the Ducks if you have not already please like comment subscribe rate and review wherever you're listening to or watching this show which today is brought to you by our friends at Nissan are you the kind of driver that likes to push things a little further ever wonder what Adventure could be around the next Corner take the Nissan Rogue Nissan Pathfinder or Nissan Armada and go find your next big adventure check them all out today at nissanusa.com got my guy Max Torres you can read him at Duck Digest listen to and watch him over on the Ducks dish podcast let's talk recruiting here at Max cuz that is where you were tapped in and by the way Max and I both ready for opening day which is when we're recording the show uh we got our teams repping had to do it of course because I love baseball uh and Oregon baseball had a 54 come come from behind win on Wednesday night so not half bad anyway Max in 2025 I think the one glaring need for Oregon to add depth is the offensive line you're going to lose four starters from this this year's team that are that are going to be among the first five that you know play up front you got Cornelius will go to the NFL connly probably to the NFL maybe he stays another year Harper will be out of Eligibility and then Bedford will be out of Eligibility so that's the one position where I look at and go if you can find a high level impact freshman in there it'd be great but you also need to start restacking the depth because of the number of guys you're about to lose offensive Line's definitely in a good position Spencer for the Ducks to hit on and and focus on with a leak Terry here in the 2025 class uh which is now down to only four commitments but uh Chavez Sam man Thompson the O lineman out of Florida is one of those four guys um so I think yeah great point about the offensive line I think that's definitely a spot that the Ducks need to hit on um especially because you don't find a whole lot of offensive linemen that play right away so you got to just get those guys into your program and and get them developing and and up to speed on uh the college game I think another spot I would bring into the discussion is safety um just because the the two guys that they have right now are both GNA the two projected starters I should say Kobe Savage and um taim Johnson are going to be um you know moving on after the 2024 season so I think that you need to continue to build out the depth there um and just it seems like they haven't had a really really Top Flight Elite safety since Javon Holland but verone mcky was really good too I was going to say I I'd say I mean Veron McKinley led the country interceptions I think that's pretty Top Flight but I'm I'm completely with you on that front like NFL caliber is kind of what I'm what I'm thinking he is playing the NFL I think still um so definitely I mean I'm a huge verone fan he was one of my favorite guys to interview when he was at organ but he's not you know a Javon Holland type like he he he he could Bounce Around teams maybe every now and then but Holland is probably one of the best safeties Oregon had in the last 10 15 years yeah yeah no doubt about it so I think if you can continue to bring in elite elite safeties um I think you're going to set yourself up for Success I've heard really good early return on the pair that Oregon got from the high school ranks in 24 uh Aaron flowers I've gotten to see him myself but I've heard a really lot of really good things about Kingston lopa um just that he's kind of a freaky athlete and um I think that if you can have him maybe develop into like a Brian Addison 2.0 type of deal um when he was a regular of Oregon's defense I think you're you're in for uh you know good things so o line and safety sign me up yeah I I think th those are good positions to watch for I also wonder about running back because Jordan James is entering his third year with the Ducks he's doesn't have a red shirt or a CO year or anything like that so he could come back for a senior season I could also see him going to the NFL I don't remember off the top my head uh whether or not Whittington could have another year I don't think that he does Max is going to look that up right now but you look at the way that that position you know kind of plays for for the Ducks and it's been very good over the last couple of decades and Gary Campbell was a big part of that of course Carlos Lain now is one of the most respected running back coaches and uh recruiters of that position in the country and you've got Jane Lamar and you've got Jay Harris and you've got uh Dean rigs coming in in in the 2024 cycle as well I think if you were to lose both Whittington and James you'd probably seek a portal option at that point unless you really felt Jaye Lamar was ready but that's another one where if you lose two two your five scholarship guys you you're probably going to want to bring in a a scholarship running back or two from the high school ranks for developmental purposes based on some of the conversations that I've been able to have Spencer I think the expectation is that the Ducks take another two running backs in the 2025 recruiting class I think that uh to answer your question I believe Noah Wedington has two more years of eligibility he left because the site says he was including including this one yes so the site says that he was a junior in 2023 but he utilized a red shirt so in my mind gets that back plus one more but will he even need another year after that I I don't know um I think that's a good question to bring to the table because I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that Jordan James and Noah wited would both come back in 2025 um I almost feel like it's probably more realistic that you lose both of them just because I think that they're really really talented guys and are going to have huge years in this offense yeah I I think that both have got NFL capabilities I don't think either is you know a a second or third round running back which is kind of the highest most running backs are going to get drafted in the NFL nowadays and I'm curious to see where Bucky Irving gets selected but I think that you know they're they're all different styles and types of Runners and you got to see what kind of production they they can put out for the course of a year but you know I I I don't I think the most likely out come with those two is that one comes back and one goes NFL because if one goes NFL the other one knows well I'm the number one back right unless someone crazy good becomes available in the portal you'd have to be really really talented to be able to come in and just supersede either of those guys on on the depth chart but I I want to go back to the offensive line for just a sec here Max because you know you think about the prospect of losing up to four guys from from this year's unit and you know last year there was a true freshman who played the year before there was a true freshman who played along the offensive line I think next year you you look at a guy like Jain mccroy and certainly presume that's going to be someone that that is a starting tackle or at least has that sort of potential for the ducks in 2025 but you know you'll lock Poncho in probably at Center uh once again but I don't know if mcroy is a left or or right tackle um what what do you think about about Oregon's chances of getting you know one of the highly coveted tackles in the 2025 class I think there's a chance we're we're at a really important part of the recruiting calendar right now Spencer where it's been like so so dead that's why like I wasn't happy that NE necessarily that Adrien Wilson decommitted but it gave me something to talk about um which was which was fun and um Oregon's in a lot of really really good tackles uh early on in this class whether it's Josh Petty out of the state of Georgia Andrew babalola out of a loaded state of Kansas this cycle he's one of three guys that Oregon's pretty high on uh out of the state this uh this cycle this time around Michael fusi also out of Texas Aaron Dunn out of Utah Spanish Fork he's expected to be on campus I believe um before too long maybe for an official visit so I think Oregon has a very good chance to get at least one uh top rated tackle in this class and um I think that you got to trust in the that El Terry's done um whether it's recruiting or developing because he's been a absolutely massive success in Eugene even though it's only been one year but he's a guy who has a ton of familiarity with the program because he was a ga uh under Mario Christal when when um Marcus Harper one of the old linemen for this year's team was was just kind of getting to Eugene so I'm a huge leak Terry fan and I think he's going to continue to uh acquire Elite Talent and put together great offensive line lines yeah Devin Brooks and Trent Ferguson are the two instate offensive line prospects both three star guys that Oregon's got for the 2024 class Fox crater uh you know was a guy that you know generated a little bit of buzz after committing to Oregon there were rumors that LSU really wanted him but he ended up staying committed to the Ducks so there are some options there I just think as you build it out more guys graduate might have a couple guys transfer here and there the that that's something that that Oregon has to have as as a priority and you know they've really loaded up with defensive players over the last couple of classes it feels like defensive players and and receivers so I I'm am more than a little interested to see how this all shakes out and it should start picking up in the coming weeks especially after the spring game which is a time when you want to get guys to campus have them on for a visit and give them a taste of of that oon atmosphere and whatnot but the wide receiver position is really loaded but could it get even more loaded come 2025 Max thinks the answer is yes so we'll talk to him about that after we talk of course by the spring cleaning Champions at manscape this season make sure to groom your carpets and the drapes with the leaders in below the waist grooming clear out that winter brush with manscapes lawnmower 5.0 and watch your confidence Bloom like the springtime flowers embrace the season and join the 10 million men worldwide who trust manscape with our special offer go to manscape.com use code locked on for 20% off plus free shipping that's a pretty good Elite tandem right there like a great quarterback back receiver condo you get TW combo rather you get 20% off and free shipping with that code locked on at manscape.com that's 20% off and free shipping with the code locked on manscape.com they've got all sorts of products everything you could possibly want or need nothing like a little spring cleaning go check out manscape this episode also brought to you by our friends at Better Together let let me just ask you something do you have a bracket that's busted but you want to stay in the game Better Together is place for you introducing better are together the first Cooperative daily fantasy platform where teamwork tries talent and you can play with your friends not against them pick more or less on real-time player stats strategize with your partner to boost your odds and climb the leaderboard together so grab a friend and join the social DFS movement I play golf with my friends all the time and a lot of times we play matches against one 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with the Adrien Wilson decommitment that you feel like could you know once again deliver a strong wide receiver recruiting class for the Ducks because 2024's was really quite excellent 202 24s was insane Spencer and I think what made that so fun to watch and to cover was how quickly it came together at the very end with Ryan pelum flipping from USC and Jeremiah mcleen flipping from Ohio State and then Junior Adams just while he was there he's like I might as well add Gatlin Barry you know whatever another another five star white out um with blazing speed so he he certainly knows what he's doing when it comes to recruiting the position and then developing it with a guy like Troy Franklin set to go in this year's draft so some other names to watch in the 2025 class at white out I think two are kind of at the Forefront for me and then you have a couple of other ones that are um you know firmly on Oregon's board but maybe don't know quite as much about them or just where they ultimately lie I think the first one that I want to talk about is Cooper Perry out of Scottsdale Arizona Notre Dame Prep he's a wide receiver that has been very closely linked to the Ducks for a long time he has two trips lined up to get back to Eugene in the month of April ail and then he's going to take his official visit in June so um when you're looking at Cooper Perry and his recruitment I think he's saying all the right things but he's also doing all the right things when it comes to getting back to campus and um I think just being a guy who always has great things to say about Oregon two other schools to watch there I think you really have to look at Arizona State Kenny Dillingham and the sundevils are really doing what they can to kind of go all out when it comes to keeping some of these top players in state and um it seems like they're trying to get you know their athletic department together and kind of get things on board activate the valley as he always is putting out there on social media so Cooper Perry is a big one and then the other one that I was talking to you about is Isaiah mosy out of Lee Summit Missouri really really talented guy great playmaker got a lot of twitch ball skills yards after the catch I mean you name it I think this guy can do it um he's someone that I think Oregon could have an inside track on seeing that he um his dad I should say coached with Dan Lanning before Dan Lanning became uh the big shote head coach that he is today running things at Oregon and I think even more so with that I think Dan Lanning recruiting his home state just takes on a little bit more meaning but I think that Cooper Perry and Isaiah mosy are the two big names that you want to watch at wide out for Oregon moving forward I got some more but I'll I'll let you say your piece yeah I I think Arizona and and Missouri are a couple of states that have really started to increase the the volume of Blue Chip prospects that they've turned out year after year and I think Oregon's done a very good job recruiting those particular States you know they weren't able to get Williams moner the number one defensive tackle who went to Missouri and Eli drinkwitz but Oregon was very much in the mix there and Landing has you know got some guys on uh on staff one or two I think that have ties to that state Beyond just himself and so I I think that you know being able to go out there is a testament to where Oregon is at in the recruiting sense and they're in a very good spot but there was a photo correct me if I'm wrong of Cooper Perry and Luke Moga who is Oregon's true freshman quarterback in the 20124 cycle what what if anything should Oregon fans make of that do you think I don't think there's that much to make that isn't already out there um I mean they're they're really really good friends um you know MGA and the rest of the football team they're back home on spring break right now before practice gets rolling and you know pedal to the medal next month so uh I think it's just another good development I know that MGA is someone that uh would love to to have one of his buddies um continue that desert Ducks movement from Arizona to Eugene um Cooper is playing lacrosse right now so he's just a really gifted athlete that is you love I love it when Oregon recruits guys that play multiple Sports because it just makes them more fun to cover and um you know the upside is is is that much higher so um I think that that's a positive development for Oregon um you know you just got to keep uh keep keep on keeping on and keep getting these big-time recruits to campus I think that with spring practice starting next week um I think it's going to make these visits that much more impactful Spencer because you can come on a visit during the off season and you know see the facilities and this that and the third see Eugene but I think that when these Co when these players are actually able to see these coaches in their element doing their thing like oh that's what I'm getting myself into if I come here I think that is uh is invaluable so not only are Dan lady the Ducks trying to make the absolute most of these remaining 13 spring practices on the field with their team they're trying to get everything they can out of the recruiting potential as well yeah and all eyeses of course are on that spring game on April 27th we're less than a month away from that now the next time I bring you all an episode of lock on Ducks it will be the same month as when the spring game occurs tragically I will not be able to attend are you going to go to the spring game Max yeah Max be there so if you're going to go to going to go to the game which you absolutely should cuz as we've talked about there's recruiting value there and you know being able to put 30 40,000 people in the stands does not hurt to give people you know or to give kids a sense of you know what it's like to play at Oregon and be at Oregon and feel the energy and and everything like that but make sure you check out Max at that game if you're planning to go but uh there there are plenty of answers I think for this Oregon team going into that spring game but I think there are some questions as well what what are kind of your two big picture questions as Oregon you know gets back into Spring football next week and you know builds up to that spring game oh um so this is just anywhere on the team I was anywhere on the team your two big questions you can have a question about a kick returner quarterback running back defensive line wherever you like I think um my first one just to kind of as a big picture one I guess but on some specific guys just how do Evan Stewart and Jabar Muhammad look um those are two guys that weren't in Eugene at the start of spring practice but because orgon's on the quarter system it looks like they'll be joining the team once things resume here in April and those are I'd say those are probably the two highest transfers that that the Ducks got or two of the highly two of the most highly anticipated guys that fans are just you know I want to hear something about these guys um so I think that Evan Stewart obviously is incredibly gifted at the wide receiver spot and just injects that room with a whole lot more talent and to think that he's going to be able to push the corners that much more as well like we could be getting that good on good Jabar Muhammad versus Evan Stewart like that just sounds like a story in end of itself um but uh Jabar Muhammad comes over from Washington I think he kind of slots in as your pretty clear-cut CB1 um so I want to see how things kind of shake out behind him so how do those two guys look is my first question um and then I guess staying on defense I'm just more interested to see how the the cornerback room shakes out because that is um one with so so much talent maybe too much talent I mean you can only put so many guys on the field at one Spencer but I'd say those are my two big questions now as we eye this return and we're g to dive deeper into those questions with Max after we dive into Nissan with this week's March Madness bracket highlight brought to you by our friends at Nissan each week we're picking one team that stands out a team that's pushed it further than the rest just like any of the allnew 2024 Nissan SUVs these guys were able to take it to the next level the North Carolina Tar Hills are the Nissan Armada this one seed is as hardcore as it gets and it's no wonder they've secured a spot in the sweet 16 against Alabama which has already taken place by the time you're listening to or watching this show I think North Carolina wins we'll see if I'm right Iowa State they play Illinois in the sweet 16 they are the Nissan Pathfinder they've created a lane for themselves and they are one of the hottest teams in the country coming into this tournament we'll see if they can get it going again we'll just know after the fact or you will know I will not know yet but later tonight I will of course the NC State wolf pack are this week's Nissan Rogue the team absolutely surprised us all with a powerful performance in their first two games in the tournament wins over Texas Tech and Oakland have set them up to play Marquette I'm excited to watch it all and you should be excited about the opportunity to go check out Nissan take the Nissan Rogue Nissan Pathfinder or Nissan Armada and go find your next big adventure shop at nissanusa.com all right Max so I I like where you started with the two big transfers and weren't even mentioning Dylan Gabriel in there and you know as as you and I were joking about over Tex we don't work for ESPN so we're not going to pretend there's a quarterback battle here is there hey man sometimes when you know more you don't know very much but I think that for for Oregon to bring in Stewart and muhamad yeah the battles and practice can be great but they also need to produce at a high level going into next year because you lose Troy Franklin you lose Kyrie Jackson those are your wide receiver ones and cornerback ones from a a year ago and I think this is using the transfer portal at its best if you're the Ducks you bring in two guys who are proven starters at the power five level and you anticipate to come in and and have the chance to you know be High Caliber allconference Caliber guys that's definitely the expectation I think for for both of them um yeah and I didn't talk about Gabriel just because well he was already there but um the first two practices but but yeah I think I think the expectations are obviously very high for both of them and I think the good thing for organ is that you have a lot of players some of them have just gotten there some of them have been there for a minute that they're not necessarily just gonna what do you think like they come in like oh man like there goes my job like they're going to keep pushing those guys each and every day in practice I don't think anything's given that's certainly uh what the case has been under Dan Lanning just competition uh breeds excellence and I think that we're going to see that in a big way throughout the spring I mean I don't think we're necessarily going to see it um in person because you know we just don't get a whole lot of access so maybe it'll be the spring game or even that first game against Idaho when we actually get to see it but these are those important months where you you instill the culture uh you enforce the standard you get everyone to live up to that standard and um you just kind of got to build your team to hopefully you know get to that point that you want once the the year starts so kind of had a little bit of brain fart there but we're navigating it um and I think that uh there's just so much talent at both of those positions that the the potential is just so so intriguing I think that the cornerback potential is is more intriguing I would say than the receiver potential just because you have some more known Commodities at receiver um and will Stein has just been an absolute uh drawing up these offenses so I think that corner maybe I'll put it this way Corner needs to take a bigger step forward this year than the wide receiver room I think that's where I would probably put it yeah I think I agree and you you have you know three or four leading wide outs from a year ago plus your other leading receiver and Terence Ferguson at tight end I think that receiver room is very set and they're one of the best in the country The Corner Room I I fully expect Muhammad to be cornerback one and I fully expect Kobe Savage to start at safety I don't know that any other defensive back position is 100% set like taiim Johnson did some nice things last year but he played a lot in nickel and they brought in Brandon Johnson from duke who was also a two time or I guess you know taim was honorable mention once in the Pack 12 last year but he was two time ACC honorable mention over there I don't think that he was brought in to you know just serve in a reserve role I I think the secondary is just such a fascin room because you've got this this High mix of like everybody there there are three categories of players you're either a returner you are a new high school kid or you're a transfer and you've got all of that in in this in this defensive back room because you've got like rodri Pleasant and dalen Austin for instance highly touted 2023 recruits are they just not going to be able to see the field this year you bring in transfers like Jabar muhammd you bring in Alexander from UTSA who was All-American conference over there so I think there are just so many guys and then youve got returners like taim and Dante Manning and Nico Reed a as well I think this is one of the biggest questions and and something that when the spring game rolls around on April 27th I'm going to be highly highly dialed in to who plays well who stands out and who's playing who's playing where and whatnot cuz I think there are a lot of different ways it can go and I think the competition hopefully does breed uh the the Excellence for the secondary cuz you know it was it was very good last year for the most part but could still still could have been better I like that you mentioned Nico Reed Spencer um I'm gonna I'm gonna bring something to the table here with him I think um it's early in the spring obviously but it was something that kind of caught my attention in one of my recent conversations talking with someone close to the program um it sounds like Nico Reed's kind of making some noise in in Spring um which I think is interesting because um you know I don't feel like he's somebody that I've talked about very much and I think he's somebody that is probably getting um I was I don't know what the word I would say like you know just kind of look swept under the rug yeah in in this conversation for Oregon secondary going into 2024 and he's someone that obviously had an interesting journey to Oregon started at Colorado U but Demetrius Martin knew him super well and then he he got him out of the portal to come over to Oregon didn't have a huge year with the Ducks but I think did carve out I'd say at least a decent role you know it's not like we never saw the guy yeah I I mean I I definitely would classify his role as a starting role it's not like one of the high-end starters maybe not top of the depth chart but when I think about starters you know I I'm also kind of putting into the mix highle rotation players if you'd rather refer to it that in that way and get semantical with it I I think that that is what ni Reed definitely was and then when injuries occurred you know there were times when both Florence and Jackson were hurt niik Reed was one of the two starters on on the outside at times yeah and we saw a bunch of him in the pack tot title game um I know he had I think he had one of those big sacks against penck he had the sack on uh on fourth down after the bonick interception yeah yeah cuz I think after that happened like we were just freaking out in the Press Box like wow I feel like that completely neutralized um the the interception so um yeah Reed I think tends to get overlooked when you're looking at the corners but I think it also kind of makes sense to a degree just because of the guys that they brought in Jabar Muhammad cam Alexander um but you also have to look at this seon laa Dakota Fields ifob bedu there there's so many guys in that room rodri Pleasant dalen Austin and what what's their year one to year two leap ultimately look like so I think it's a good development especially because I think you can have him for two more seasons after this year because he was a young guy when he committed to Oregon he spent only one season at Colorado so keep an eye on on Nico Reed um I'm not saying I'm expecting huge things necessarily but just wanted to kind of drop that little nugget out there um and I'm excited to see what he can do along with those uh young guys Dakota Fields And ifob bedu as well and C laa the the Jo guy yeah so his freshman year was 2021 at Colorado so this will be his last year at college football Nico Reed but you know what one thing that I have thought about on more than one occasion with the secondary and the questions is someone going to change positions because how many corners do you have versus how many safeties do you have like let's just list every every corner that Oregon has who is either who who is either a returning rotation player or starter or a fourstar recruit or transfer you've got Jabar mohamd Nico Reed Jalil Florence Dante Manning cam Alexander Brandon Johnson at nickel does that count as a corner I mean doesn't play on the outside I think that's more of a safety to to me but then you have rodri pleasant you have dalen Austin you have ifyo bedu you have Dakota Fields coming in that's not even every corner yeah you got Solomon Davis Colin Gil you know who are in the mix as well former three star guys and you know stars are just stars at that point once once you get like if you're good enough you're old enough and what not but that's like 11 guys that's that's like 11 guy whereas safety you you go Kobe Savage you've got taim Johnson I think Brandon Johnson is you know essentially a safety in there Tyler Turner Cody de camra and and and uh Aaron flowers The Freshman Kingston lopa Kingston L isn't isn't L kind of in between playing linebacker and safety see that's kind of what some of the discussion was um coming out of signing day but Landon got asked about him and they say they see him more as a hybrid safety like more of a so I think Brian Addison 2.0 is kind of what they're hoping for from he starts yeah I'm totally here for it when he was when he was you know around and had a big role um he was arguably their most productive safety um so I think that getting something out of lopa would be great um and then Colin Gil is another guy that I think people a lot of people have forgotten about I'm not saying I expect him to make a lot of noise necessarily but they have options it's just a matter of some of these guys just need reps Spencer and that's why think some but it's just it's going to be hard to get reps because when you bring in all those transfers like cam Alexander was All-American conference election last year he's not coming to Oregan if he doesn't have some assumption or guarantee that that he's going to play at least a little bit right yeah I think so I mean that's generally how things go especially this is his third school so I think that you know he's going to be heavily involved there um but I don't know you got to see the cream Rises to the top after all this uh competition spring and then fall Camp is is really where it's going to um we're going to get some more clear answers heading into the season opener Max Torres read him at Ducks digest listen to and watch him on the Ducks dish podcast always a great time is there a better way to end the weekend no I I I think or end the week and go into the weekend and rather I think not Max thanks as always thanks for having me on Spencer appreciate it appreciate everyone listening I'll see you next time have a wonderful rest of your day and as always go Ducks