With the end of college football’s longest dead period ever, and the introduction of Name, Image and Likeness legislation, programs across the country have experienced a busier offseason than usual.
As a result, the past two weeks have been chaotic on the recruiting trail.
Mario Cristobal and his Oregon Football staff signed a flurry of new recruits recently—including five-star offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, who is the highest-rated offensive line commit ever at Oregon.
Kelvin Banks – Five-star offensive tackle
Standing at 6-foot-5, 300 lbs, Banks fits the bill of Cristobal’s focus on larger, more physical players. 2019 Outland Trophy winner Penei Sewell is the poster child of Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal’s recent success in developing Oregon’s offensive line.
Banks, who committed to the Ducks on Independence Day, hails from Summer Creek High School in Humble, Texas. He chose Oregon over a pair of home state powerhouses: Texas and Texas A&M.
Banks’ skill level and home state make his commitment a huge deal for the Ducks. Winning recruiting battles over established Texas programs shows that Oregon truly does have a lot to offer.
Banks is the first five-star caliber recruit of Oregon’s class of 2022 recruiting cycle — which currently includes 15 hard commitments — and he is the fifth of the class to commit from the Lone Star State.
Nicholas Anderson – Four-star wide receiver
Four-star wide receiver Nicholas Anderson, from Katy, Texas, was one of three Oregon commitments on July 1. He was joined by three-stars Cameron Williams (Duncanville, TX) and Michael Wooten (Chatsworth, CA) earlier in the day.
Anderson’s size (6-foot-4, 195 lbs.) and speed (as a 110-meter hurdler) are akin to recent Oregon pickups like Troy Franklin and Devon Williams. The Ducks have relied on scheming smaller receivers open in the past, but getting bigger is part of Cristobal’s long-term game plan.
Isaiah Sategna – Four-star wide receiver
Anderson was joined by another four-star football and track athlete, Isaiah Sategna, on Sunday, July 11. Sategna is from Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he graded out as the consensus top-ranked player from his home state. Sategna was originally committed to Texas A&M before flipping to Oregon after an official visit to Eugene.
In the past, Oregon’s best recruiting cycles relied heavily on talent from other western states, particularly California and Arizona. This type of national scale recruiting is somewhat unprecedented, but represents the drastic shift in recruiting focus since Cristobal took the helm in Eugene.
T.J. Dudley – Four-star inside linebacker
T.J. “Bull” Dudley, a four-star linebacker from Montgomery, Alabama, committed to Oregon on June 28, turning down offers from Alabama, Texas and others.
Dudley, who lives up to his nickname, continues the trend of high-rated linebackers committing to the Ducks, following 2020 five-stars Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell, as well as 2021 four-stars Keith Brown and Jonathan Flowe.
Michael Wooten – Three-star offensive tackle
Michael Wooten committed to the Ducks on July 1 and is one of four current offensive linemen committed to Oregon in the class of 2022.
At 6-foot-6, 290 lbs, Wooten will have a lot of opportunity to grow into an even bigger body in Cristobal’s program.
Cameron Williams – Three-star offensive tackle
Cameron Williams is another July 1 offensive line recruit. He chose Oregon after visiting campus on June 4, turning down offers from Miami, Oklahoma and Texas in the process.
Williams, who fills all of his 6-foot-5, 360 lb frame, calls Duncanville, Texas home — continuing the migration of Texas talent to the Pacific Northwest.
What’s next?
After a record setting class of 2021 –– which graded out as the best in the Pac-12 and sixth best in the nation –– Oregon is expected to take around 20 commitments from the class of 2022. They are currently on track for another top-10 finish, which would be just their third ever.
Of Oregon’s 15 current commitments, Banks is the lone five-star, with seven four-stars and seven three-stars rounding out the current list.
Some possible future additions to the 2022 class include four-stars Tetairoa McMillan (WR), Dave Iuli (OL), Cyrus Moss (DE) and Jalil Tucker (ATH). The Ducks are also in the mix for five-star receiver Kevin Coleman from St. Louis, Missouri.
Consecutive strong recruiting classes are key to on-field success at the national stage. Under Chip Kelly, Oregon was the exception to this rule, using lower-rated recruits that played to the strengths of Kelly’s scheme.
But Mario Cristobal’s recruiting juggernaut has already produced record-breaking results. While his teams have not yet reached the heights of the Kelly Era, an undeniably strong foundation is being laid.
To keep up with the entire Oregon football roster, check out this scholarship chart. All ratings were taken from the 247 Sports Composite.
