2018 Oregon Ducks ESP Review

The Early Signing Period that dominated much of college football discussion over the past few days is over. How did the Ducks do in terms of national and conference rankings? Did the Ducks retain most of their previous commitments after a coaching change?

What is the Early Signing Period?

The ESP was instituted by the NCAA earlier this year to help programs and recruits that are just ready to make a decision final instead of waiting for the traditional signing period that begins on the first Wednesday of February and lasts until late April.

Keep in mind that the ESP doesn't affect early enrollees as they have a different set of guidelines to follow. EE's may have just signed their National Letters of Intent as a ceremonial thing during this period. All their documentation should be taken care of before the winter / spring quarter / semester is supposed to begin.

Who are the Ducks 2018 signees?

(ranked by 247 prospect rankings)

1. Steve Stephens 6'0 185 S Edison HS (Fresno, CA)

Stars: 4

Rank (Position / State / National): 11 /16 / 117

- Stephens had offers from basically every program in the country. He committed to the Ducks on 4/30/2017 and stuck with the commitment despite the many offers. Early Enrollee.

2. Tyler Shough 6'4.5 187 QB Hamilton HS (Chandler, AZ)

Stars: 4

Rank: 6 (Pro Style) / 1 / 129

- There was some minor speculation that Shough would look elsewhere after former HC Willie Taggart left for Florida State but he quickly shut that down and became the bellcow of the '18 class. Committed to the Ducks on 10/7/2017 after switching from UNC on the same day. Held offers from 24 different programs but is an early enrollee for Oregon. He's arguably the most talented and highest ranked QB to sign with Oregon.

3. Jevon Holland 6'1 182 S Bishop O'Dowd HS (Oakland, CA)

Stars: 4

Rank: 14 / 22 / 155

- Holland had a total of 14 offers on hand but committed to the Ducks on 5/1/2017 and signed on 12/20/2017. Another Early Enrollee.

4. Adrian Jackson 6'2 210 OLB Mullen HS (Denver, CO)

Stars: 4

Rank: 11 / 1 / 180

- Jackson is rated as the top recruit from the state of Colorado. He committed on 4/29/2017 and signed on 12/20/2017. EE.

5. Dawson Jaramillo 6'5 295 OT Lake Oswego Senior HS (Lake Oswego, OR)

Stars: 4

Rank: 15 / 4 / 223

- The fourth ranked recruit in the state of Oregon committed to the Ducks on 4/29/2017 holding 8 offers and signed 12/20/2017. His main recruiter was obviously Mario Cristobal, who now is the head coach. Early Enrollee.

6. Steven Jones 6'5 340 OG Chaparral HS (Temecula, CA)

Stars: 4

Rank: 9 / 31 / 237

- Ranked 31st best overall prospect in the state of California and ninth at his position. Committed 8/2/2017 and signed 12/20/2017. Held 13 offers before signing with the Ducks. Early Enrollee.

7. Jamal Elliot 5'10 180 RB Hillside HS (Durham, NC)

Stars: 4

Rank: 13 / 11 / 268

- The 13th best running back in the entire class committed to the Ducks on 4/30/2017 and signed on 12/20/2017. He held a total of 23 offers. Interesting note: Elliott's main recruiter was Donte Pimpleton, who left for Florida State recently. Early Enrollee.

8. Verone McKinley III 5'10 170 CB Hebron HS (Carrollton, TX)

Stars: 3

Rank: 41 / 56 / 425

- VM3 had a whopping 34 offers as a three star recruit but ultimately committed to the Ducks on 7/29/2017 and signed on 12/21/2017. Main recruiter was current Ducks assistant Marcus Arroyo. We will see if he was worthy of having more offers than both of his secondary mates that signed.

9. MJ Cunningham 6'3 230 ATH Madison HS (Portland, OR)

Stars: 3

Rank: 36 / 8 / 509

- The home state kid had eight offers from as the state's eighth best recruit (symmetry FTW). It will be worth watching what position he ultimately ends up in Eugene. Primary recruiter was another Ducks assistant reportedly on his way to join Florida State in Raymond Woodie. Committed on 6/25/2017 and signed on 12/20/2017.

10. Christopher Randazzo 6'7 325 OT Don Lugo HS (Chino, CA)

Stars: 3

Rank: 57 / 74 / 729

- Who? Evidently Mario Cristobal saw something in this three star prospect to offer him a scholarship. He held five offers from four other Pac-12 schools so there's that. Committed on 6/18/2017 and signed 12/20/2017. Early Enrollee.

11. Haki Woods 6'3 192 CB Pima Community College (Yuma, AZ)

Stars: 3

Rank: 8 / 12 / 72

- Woods was a busy man visiting numerous Pac-12 schools during the fall. He was offered on 10/27/17. Visited campus on 12/18/2017 and signed for the Ducks on 12/20/2017. Kind of a whirlwind last minute decision here. Early Enrollee.

12. Travis Dye 5'9 170 RB Norco HS (Norco, CA)

Stars: 3

Rank: 68 / 116 / Unranked

- Claim to fame: Travis Dye is the younger brother of the Ducks' stud linebacker Troy Dye. Had only one offer that came from Oregon. Recruited by the aforementioned Donte Pimpleton. It will be interesting to see if he can develop into something other than being Troy Dye's younger brother. Early Enrollee.

13. Andrew Faoliu 6'3 255 DE Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, CA)

Stars: 3

Rank: 85 / 168 / Unranked

- Faoliu is a very late add to the class as the Ducks didn't offer until November / December. He basically committed and signed on the same day. Another Ducks signee with a sibling already on the roster. Older brother Austin is a defensive end. Early Enrollee.

14. Sione Vea Kava 6'6 270 DT East Los Angeles College (Monterey Park, CA)

Stars: 2

Rank: 35 / 49 / 240 (JUCO)

- Another junior college addition to the Ducks late in the process. DL coach Joe S apparently found him according to Mario Cristobal. It bears watching how much development that Joe S. can get out of him. Early Enrollee.

15. Karsten Battles 6'1 240 LS Claudia Taylor Johnson HS (San Antonio, TX)

Stars: 2

Rank: N/A

- Well, this guy did not have an offer but he signed with the Ducks on 12/22. A complete surprise signing. He's pretty good at the long snapping thing, garnering Army All-America honors. Long snapping is a lost art and obviously a key component. It's not like you can stick a random backup offensive lineman either. Good get for the Ducks.

Where do the Ducks go from here?

The Ducks are in contention with several key prospects including several four stars and a five star receiver in Devon Williams. It will be an interesting ride until the first Wednesday in February, that's for sure. As of this writing, The Ducks are ranked 15th overall in the country and third in the conference behind USC and Washington