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Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin celebrates a touchdown as the No. 6 Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 11 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
The future of the Oregon football team looks safe, secure and on the rise after coach Dan Lanning signed the top-rated recruiting class in program history this past week.
Twenty-six overall recruits, 21 four-star players and a transfer class that includes two of the top quarterbacks available in former Oklahoma star Dillon Gabriel and former five-star UCLA freshman Dante Moore.
The Ducks’ class is No. 5 nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings, beating their previous high of No. 6 in 2021, a class signed by former coach Mario Cristobal.
But what of that class from three seasons ago, which featured Ty Thompson — the highest-rated quarterback to ever sign with Oregon — five-star tackle Kingsley Suamataia, four-star center Jackson Powers-Johnson, and four-star receivers Troy Franklin and Dont’e Thornton?
That group was expected to transform the Oregon offense just as Justin Herbert and Co. were off to the NFL.
The 23 members of the 2021 class could be playing in their senior seasons next fall, just as the Ducks join the Big Ten. Instead, only two players are expected to suit up in the Fiesta Bowl against Liberty on Jan. 1 — linebacker Jeffrey Bassa and tight end Terrance Ferguson.
Georgia Bulldogs running back Kenny McIntosh (6) runs against Oregon Ducks linebacker Jeffrey Bassa (33) during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, in September 2022.
Though several players have had or are having standout careers as a Duck, the 2021 class serves as a cautionary tale for how the era of the transfer portal and a coaching change can impact a once highly regarded recruiting class.
Here’s a look back at how Oregon’s previous “best class ever” turned…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/look-back-oregon-ducks-highly-120333641.html
Author : The Register-Guard
Publish date : 2023-12-23 12:03:33
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