No repeat is evident of the Oregon Ducks'
all-time stellar class of last year, but UO, OSU and PSU
have each some recruiting boasts to make this time around
(and a winning result of the Ducks' last recruiting largesse
is yet to be seen).
 
Best catch recorded is the Ducks' snaring of Jonathan
Stewart, 225-pounds, quick and rated the best prep
senior running back in the nation by two recruiting rating
services (he's also a stellar student!).  Stewart piled up
7,755 yards rushing for an Olympia WA school, a state
record.  
 
Despite both Duck and Beaver success in filling their most
obvious needs, their respective hauls are not outstanding
when compared to signups by their Pac10 brethren. 
National champion USC threatens to continue its
dominance with blue chip signees from Tennessee,
Minnesota and Georgia in addition to maintaining its
momentum in garnering the best in California.  
 
Arizona, a conference doormat in recent seasons, came
close to SC's prep signing success, as did the Cal Bears,
who came up with a pair of arguably rated
best-in-America quarterbacks attracted by Bear head
coach Jeff Tedford's proven reputation for turning out
NFL caliber signal callers while an assistant at Oregoin
and Fresno State before taking the top post at Cal.
 
Pac 10 classes rated
 
A survey of national prep rating services leads to this
ranking of current conference signings: (1) USC, (2) Cal,
(3) Arizona, (4) Oregon, (5) UCLA, (6) Arizona State,
(7) Stanford, (8) Washington State, (9) Oregon State,
(10) Washington.  The latter, until Rick Neuheisel messed
up the Husky scene, was a perennial contender for
national honors, but new coach Tyrone Willingham inherits
a bare cupboard and had little time to recrut, handicaps
shared by new Stanford head man Walt Harris.
 
The best of state of Oregon prepsters headed away from
home, with lineman Ndamukong Suh of Portland's Grant
high and QB Nick Lomax of Lake Oswego
signing with Nebraska and Boise State, respectively. 
Lomax chose no to follow his All-American father Neil's
signal-calling credentials at Portland State.  However, the
PSU Vikings garnered seven all-Oregon prepsters
included in a class coach Tim Walsh rates "outstanding."
 
Viking transfers highly rated
 
A pair of Viking wide receiver transfers from Division I
programs should be stars in Big Sky ranks.  Jordan Carey
of Olympia was touted as perhaps the finest receiver in
Washington prep history when he signed with Oregon two
years ago.  

Carey  is now considered cured from a substance abuse
hangup that expelled him from Duckdom.  Nic Costa from
Aloha in Oregon, was a star recruit lured to play
quarterback at Arizona.  His passing skills proved
inadequate for Pac 10 play, and he was demoted. 
However, Costa is a superb athlete and a speedburner
who has opted to try pass-catching stardom at PSU.
 
Our analysis of high school recruiting by the trio of top
Oregon programs indicates that enough sterling talent has
been signed to elevate all to solid status.  However,
only the Ducks have enough returning veterans to assure
national notice in 2005, led by QB Kellen Clemens.  

© 2005 Oregon Magazine