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Oregon hasn't been hitting the ground running in the new 2017 recruiting cycle. In fact they have been inching along and riding their two 4-star commits. Well now that number is cut in half after QB Ryan Kelley announced on twitter he will be taking a "step back" from his commitment. The Arizona product has asked for media silence during this tough decision.
All glory to God. pic.twitter.com/1DOwK3TZQV
— ⚡️RK⚡️ (@Ryankelley_14) May 4, 2016
Oregon is now put in a tough position, with only two blue chip recruits (4-star or 5-star) still on the market. Oregon had only one QB offer out there and that was to Kelley. Now the coaching staff will have to dig deep and look at who the next Oregon signal caller could be. Thankfully for them, I have a few ideas.
QB Tate Martel
Tate Martel is kind of committed to Texas A&M right now, but not really. He released this statement earlier last month saying he was still open to other schools, but he later deleted the tweet. The 5-star Bishop Gorman product has said he wants to visit Oregon, so he could be a viable option. He is even listed as a dual-threat quarterback, unlike Kelley who was the number five pro-style QB in the nation. Martell is the number one quarterback in this class and if Oregon could pull that off, it would be incredible.
Tua Tagovailoa
Although Tagovailoa just committed to Alabama, Oregon might be able to flip him. The number two dual-threat quarterback in the nation reigns from St. Louis High School in Hawaii. This is the same school former Heisman winner and Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota attended. Oregon would be a close to home option for him and he will be able to run the same kind of offense St. Louis does at Oregon. There wouldn't be much of a playbook change, it would be easier than transitioning to a heavy pro-style offense. Tagovailoa might be a long shot, but he makes the most sense.
These are just a couple of the quarterbacks Oregon could call on, but here are a few more to look out for:
Oregon is now in a frenzy to find a quarterback for their 2017 recruiting class. We are still not in panic mode, but as close as you can get. If Oregon's lone recruit, Langi Tuifua, decommits as well then all hell is going to break loose. Lets hope that doesn't happen and Oregon can power through this trying time.