Star Oregon distance runner recruit Drew Hunter signs 10-year deal with Adidas

Drew Hunter was one of the most exciting high school runners to commit to the Ducks in years, but he’ll never put on the Oregon singlet. It was reported yesterday that Hunter has turned professional and signed a 10-year deal with Adidas, foregoing his college eligibility.

Back in February, Hunter ran a 3:58.25 indoor mile at the Armory Track Invitational in Manhattan, breaking Alan Webb’s high school record of 3:59.86, a record that had stood since 2001.

While the terms of the deal were not revealed, Sports Illustrated reported that Adidas will pay for Hunter’s education at the college of his choice. The report also says that Hunter is the first ever male distance runner to turn professional straight out of high school. Other high school stars who went onto successful pro careers competed in school before turning pro, even if it was just for a brief period. For example, Alan Webb didn’t turn pro out of high school, but only spent one season at Michigan.

From the sounds of it, Hunter will no longer attend the University of Oregon. Instead, he will train in Virginia while weighing the options of where to train and attend school. His coach, Tom Schwartz, is based out of Idaho.