(UPDATED) My take on recruiting thus far

This morning the surf sucked, I didn't have to work, and I had very little to do until later. So I will present my thoughts regarding the recruiting class thus far. Perhaps I will turn this into an ongoing series focusing on a particular position, state, etc...

Andre Yruretagoyena, 6'-5" 260lbs, Scottsdale AZ

Yruretagoyena is an extremely aggressive offensive lineman that hits with a mean streak and finishes his blocks strong. He plays with a nasty attitude and shows good athleticism when he is playing as well. This athleticism allows Yruretagoyena to get to the second level of the field and block off linebackers and even safeties. He seems to thrive off of pure aggression and anger more than anything else, and he looks like he has a linebackers mentality when playing. Yruretagoyena is said to block a little to high when engaging defensive linemen, and he also may need to work on his pass protection skills. He should have little trouble adding weight and finesse to his game. 

He brings an extremely nasty attitude (in a good way!) and plays like a "meanie" on the field, I personally think that he can provide the necessary big hit/block as a spark to fire up this team (Think TJ Ward hit in the Holiday Bowl). 

His Rivals profile, and his highlight reel (:55 seconds in is by far the most amusing block I have ever seen)

Guesstimated probability of commitment holding, 90%. Coach Greatwood has a stellar track record of developing and ultimately getting offensive linemen to the NFL, this has to be a big selling point for the coaching staff. Yruretagoyena has gone as far as cancelling future visits and claims that his only official visit he will take is to Oregon. He also reportedly called the head coaches of the major programs recruiting him (USC, Michigan etc...) to tell them that he committed to UO. 

Tyson Coleman, 6'-1" 200lbs, Lake Oswego OR

Coleman projects as a smaller OLB prospect or perhaps a large strong safety. He is a classic "tweener" prospect that brings a lot of defensive versatility to the table as a result. He is a great tackler and a big hitter, but he apparently lacks fluidity and finesse in coverage. Coleman is a great pass rusher, and possesses good speed and agility because of extensive playing time as starting runningback for his team. He seems to fit the mold of the new Oregon linebacker very well, he has speed with coverage skills to boot. It is clear what the Oregon staff is looking for in a linebacker, and this is seen through players like Boseko Lokombo and my personal favorite, Michael Clay. Coleman fits in with these players very well. Coleman committed to Oregon late last year, and was our first commit for the 2011 class.

If all goes well, we will see a lot of THIS (BAM!!!!!!) inflicted on players like Nick Montana and Matt Barkley.

Here is his Rivals profile, and his 2009 junior season defensive highlight video

Guesstimated probability of this commitment holding, 85%. Three potential starters at linebacker graduate this season (Littlejohn, Matthews, Payisnger), so Coleman should like the competition to earn playing time early. 

Sam Kamp, 6'-5" 250lbs, Mesa AZ

Kamp plays predominately DE in high school; however he projects as a DT in college. He seems to fit the Oregon Defense mold of classic "sleeper" that can succeed through sheer willpower and effort (I still love Nick Reed). He seems to possess skill at rushing the passer, so if he were to convert to DT, he would be more of a pocket pushing DT than a space-eater. In other words, he is more Brandon Bair than Haloti Ngata or Ricky Heimuli. He will provide immediate depth, and Coach Azzinaro will undoubtedly maximize the potential of Kamp.

His Rivals profile and a highlight video

Guesstimated probability of commitment holding, 95%. Kamp is a sleeper, and Oregon will be his finest offer by far. He has a great shot at contributing early, and a great position coach in Azzinaro. All of this adds up to a great opportunity for Kamp.

Marcus Mariota, 6'3" 180lbs, Honolulu HI

Details seem to be sketchy and unclear regarding the commitment status of Mariota. A few weeks ago, it was confidently stated by most sources that Mariota was a Duck commit. However, now few recruiting sites list Mariota as a commit. This may be because of the commitment of Jerrard Randall and the coaches hot pursuit of Brett Hundley. If I had to guess, I would say that Mariota is a very soft commit to UO.

He is a very athletic quarterback with well documented speed. He has a quick release and a fairly strong arm. An apparent lack of bulk is the obvious concern when looking at Mariota, it is tough to imagine a 180 pound player taking too many hits without an injury.

His Rivals profile and his highlight video from last season

Guesstimated probability of commitment holding, 35%. The commitment of Jerrard Randall could likely deter Mariota from committing, and not to mention the Ducks are in the race to land another stud quarterback in Brett Hundley. If the Ducks were to land Hundley, I find it impossible to imagine Mariota would commit to UO. 

Jerrard Randall, 6'-2" 200lbs, Hollywood FL

Randall is probably the most athletic QB in the 2011 class. He has the speed and size to play anything from safety to receiver. It is clear that Randall will not be moved to safety because of the depth established there already; however the gaping holes at receiver could lead to Randall being moved out wide. I think that Randall simply looks far too talented taking snaps to be moved to another position. He has a very fast, very clean, and a high release which Chip Kelly must ogle over-No Tim Tebow/Byron Leftwich slow-throw here. Randall has an absolute cannon of an arm, and has been documented throwing a football nearly the length of the field (Also covered in that article is that he matured greatly in the past season). I dream of watching a deep Randall to Josh Huff connection seventy yards downfield. Randall possesses great physical strength, and claims he can bench close to 350 pounds. I will take his word for this, because he goes all Masoli >:( up on the poor DB in the first play of his highlight video. He is said to have trouble making quick reads and progressions through his receivers down the field, and thus hangs onto the ball for a long time. But considering the magic that Coach Kelly has been known to work with quarterbacks, I cannot imagine this being a problem.

Oh, and I should mention that Florida already has a stellar QB committed for this years class. (And yes, I am still very bitter about Easley)

Amazing highlight video, Rivals profile

Guesstimated probability of commitment holding, 65%. As of now, he is all Duck. But based upon the distance to Eugene, and the amount of time until signing day, a lot could change. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this commitment holds. 

Marcus Davis, 6'-1" 190lbs, League City TX

Because of the well documented run in with the law that Davis encountered his freshman year, he will be transferring to UO from Texas this season. He will sit out and redshirt this season due to NCAA transfer rules, and will have three seasons of eligibility left after this season.

Davis hits like a safety but possesses cornerback speed. Because of this good size and great speed, he can play either corner or safety in college. He is a very sure tackler, and is very good at getting after the quarterback. However, he needs to work on coverage skills. In my opinion, he seems built for the rover position. Like other players, his versatility exemplifies the new breed of Oregon defense built around 4.40 caliber speed. 

A highlight video from his sophomore year in high school can be found here (awful quality), and his Rivals profile