Monday's are terrible. But there is one benefit, a lot of quack left over from the weekend.
- With signing day on Wednesday, the Ducks had one last weekend to host official visitors, and they made the most of it, getting a visit from the top athlete in the country, De'Anthony Thomas (as well as Michigan OT Jake Fisher). While apparently Thomas had a great visit, it sounds like reports of a commitment are premature. If the Ducks could somehow get Thomas on signing day, this would be an astounding coup. There have been no reports that Thomas has even been interested in Oregon throughout the entire recruiting process, in fact, Rivals doesn't even list Oregon under "College Choices." I find it hard to believe that a switch this late in the game is even possible. But hey, we can always hope, and watch his highlight tape.
- Even without a commitment of Thomas, the Ducks will almost definitely sign the best class in school history. Leading the way is Colt Lyerla, and Adam Jude has a piece on him today, and whether he will play on offense or defense. Lyerla's preference is to play offense, and that was a big reason the Ducks got his commitment.
- Lindsay Schnell at OregonLive has a few more recruit profiles up. First is Tyler Johnstone, a big OT out of Arizona, who is close friends with Oregon commit Andre Yruretagoyena. Tyler has played only on the offensive side of the ball, so he's been honing his craft for a few years. Next is Devon Blackmon, one of the top WR prospects in the nation. He has great instincts, and is electric with the ball in his hands. He'll need to work on learning the WR position at the college level. But after playing QB in high school, he has a great knowledge of defenses that will give him a big advantage at his position. Last is lake Koa-Ka'ai, DE out of Hawaii. Don't expect to see him for a couple years, but he has an incredible amount of potential. He has the size and speed to fit perfectly into Oregon's defensive scheme.
- The latest class of Oregon recruits will see some pretty significant upgrades to the athletic facilities they'll be using as Phil Knight builds the University a new football operations center. The Register Guard has some new information on the project. There will be some increased costs to the University from the project, but they expect to say financially solvent. With football being the money-maker for the athletic department, Athletic Director Rob Mullens called the building a good investment, despite the increased costs.
- Oregon basketball couldn't pull out a sweep in the Bay Area, but it was still a very successful week for the Oregon men. After winning 2 of 3 on the road, the Ducks will now play 5 of their next 7 at their new home. But hosting the Washington schools will not be easy, even if the Ducks seem to be making progress.
- Lastly, with all the talk about recruiting, many (especially in Oregon) seem to question if recruiting rankings matter. I've long held that they do, but the two biggest outliers for exceptions are from Oregon, with the Ducks the most overachieving team in the nation. Mike Bellotti and Chip Kelly have brought a lot of talent to the school, but the Ducks still don't come close to USC, Texas, Florida, and many other schools. And yet, they have been a national player over the past few years. It will be exciting to see what the coaching staff can do with a couple top 10 classes. For fun, here are the most underachieving teams.
There's sure to be a lot of quack, and a few rumors, floating around today, so share it in the comments below. GO DUCKS!