By Pigskin Pete

        University of Oregon football coaches have done a nationally noted sales job on the 2004 class of recruits.  Allen Wallace, publisher of SuperPrep which covers the natonal recruiting scene, rates the new Duck catches as “one of the top 10 classes in the country.”  Greg Biggins, director of the Student Sports recruiting service, reports the Ducks “have one of the top 15 classes in the country.”  Both gurus rank the Webfoot newcomers as the Pac10’s second best, with both touting USC recruits as not only tops in their conference, but #1 nationally.  

Oregon’s football facilities have made a winning impression on visiting prep prospects.  This is the first class to be  recruited since the spectacular $3.2 million football locker room was created with Nike boss Phil Knight’s dollars.  Duck recruiters have successfully focused on their team’s most critical needs.  Tailback, a noted weakness this past season, should benefit from the signing of Corona, California’s Terrell Jackson, ranked by one service as the no. 2 prep running back in the nation.  The swift and stocky (5-feet-nine, 190 pounds) prospect was named MVP of the preps attending the Nike-sponsored Southern California grid camp last summer.

De La Salle high school, a Bay Area powerhouse ranked first among California Division I football squads, has delivered a pair of defensive secondary stars, Willie Glasper and Terrance Kelly, to the Ducks.  Oregon put an emphasis on attracting linemen and garnered all-Americans in this category as well.  David Faaeteete of Medford and Cole Linehan of Banks were high ranking defensive line performers by national standards, and Aaron Klovas of the Tacoma area, 6-6 & 300 lbs., tops a group of offensive line recruits.  Jason Williams, of Culver City, CA earned plaudits as one of the nation’s top prep wide receivers and made his choice between Michigan and Oregon.

Log Jam @ QB

The Ducks finally solved a lack of quarterback consistency late last season by giving young Kellen Clemens sole starting responsibility.  He’ll be backed by the 2003 signing of nationally ranked Tacoma area recruit Johnny DuRocher and the delayed entry of DennisDixon, expected to demonstrate why this Californian was ranked the best prospect on the West coast in 2002.  Then there’s red shirt Brady Leaf of Montana, 6-5 cousin of Washington State and NFL signal caller Ryan.

University of Washington has also earned national attention for recruiting success, with an incoming group rated among the nation’s top 25.  This is a surprising achievment following the 13-12 record over the past two seasons and the sacking of head coach Rick Neuheisel just orior to this past season’s opening.  Neuheisel’s replacement, Keith Gilbertson, emphasized recruitment of state of Washington players (22 in this class vs. 8 each the past two years).  Gilberston, himself a Washington prep star, must have taken note that Washington’s Pac10 supremacy in recent decades began with the home state recruiting emphasis of former Husky coach Jim Owens, an Oklahoma grad who followed the precepts of his college mentor Bud Wilkinson, who earned national titles by concentrating his recruiting efforts close to home.
Washington’s Tuiasosopo legacy continues with the signing of quarterback Matt, brother of current fullback Zach and the NFL’s Marcus.

Cougar Recruiting Also Touted

Washington State is also considered potentially among the nation’s top 25 recruiting efforts by one of the national reporting groups.  Randy Estes, a prep all-American safety from southern California is the Cougar class leader.  Oregon State reportedly has not equaled the recruiting successes of its Pacific Northwest Pac10 brethren, but has signed several standout Californians, led by running back Patrick Fuller of Covina.

Based on recruiting results, it looks like a bright football future is in store for Northwest college fans, a welcome change from the losing doldrums that only recently dominated programs among the firs, with the exception of Washington.

Roses & Raspberries…Lemon and green posies should bedeck the halls of Nike, whose financial backing of Duck athletics has created one of the nation’s consistent major college successes in both football and basketball…a full measure of raspberries is more than well deserved for the Portland city administration’s continuing PGE Park disaster (no city of this size should fail to take advantage of a prime central city site)…roses are warranted for fans whose repeated absence sends a message to Trailblazer management…a chorus of boos can never be loud enough to express our opinion of the ineptitude of the Katz-led Portland city council   

©2004 Oregon Magazine