Profiles for Oregon Commits Morgan Mahalak and Jordan Hoiem

For different reasons I was unable to provide profiles on Jordan Hoiem and Morgan Mahalak at the time of their commitments but I wanted to mention a few things on each as both players are key pieces to Oregon's recruiting class.

Both have a high ceiling but are somewhat under the radar nationally due to lack of playing time and injury during their Junior seasons. Nonetheless, they are highly thought of by the Oregon coaching staff, which has been as good as any staff in the country at identifying high school talent.

Jordan Hoiem

Hoiem was Oregon's first commitment in the 2013-14 class. He is a 3* recruit according to the 247Sports composite ranking, but the number one player in the state of Hawaii. As a Junior, Hoiem played in only 4 of 10 games due to injury, which likely impacts his current star ranking. Bud Elliott, the National recruiting editor for SBNation, had this to say about Hoiem back in March:

Hoiem shows well against the run, taking on blocks, controlling, shedding and finding the ball carrier...Hoiem is a violent tackler and should create some fumbles on the college level. As with many elite pass rushers, teams elect to run away from Hoiem. When placed in the middle, Hoiem does a decent enough job of pursuing laterally.

At the time of his commitment, Hoiem himself confirmed that he could play inside or outside as a linebacker:

"[Oregon] said I would play outside, because I'm good in space. But I'm hopeful that if I can gain more weight that maybe I could inside, because I really love playing inside linebacker. It will all depend on how I perform when I get up there."

At 6'4, 207 lbs Hoiem has the frame to add more weight. He is highly athletic and can also drop back and play in pass coverage. If Hoiem can stay healthy for his senior season, expect his stock to rise and his star ranking too.

Morgan Mahalak

Mahalak is a consensus 3* recruit at quarterback but the first thing to know is that he served as a backup to 2012 4* recruit Jared Goff, who is now at Cal. Consequently, the only real game film on Mahalak as a QB is from his sophomore year when he was playing on the Junior Varsity team. Mahalak has a big arm and runs well, mirroring Marcus Mariota in more than just initials. After his commitment Mahalak had this to say to DuckTerritory:

"I'm going to be the biggest recruiter from here on out. I plan to lead the campaign for 'Autzen Army 2014' and get the right guys up to Oregon with me."

Mahalak is reportedly Oregon's only offer at QB, which tells you how high the coaching staff is on his ability.

Personally, I don't think it's a done deal that Mahalak is the only QB in this class. If Marcus Mariota has another season like last year there will be a lot of buzz about him going in the first round of the NFL draft in 2014. But like signing day, the draft is a long ways off and anything can happen over the next year. In the meantime, look for Mahalak's stock to rise as he takes the reins as a starter in his senior season at Marin Catholic high school.