Linebacker U? Ducks land heralded defenders

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Two five-star linebackers highlight the class of 20 players who signed letters of intent Wednesday with the Oregon football program.

Justin Flowe, considered the best non-committed player in the nation heading into Wednesday, chose Oregon after reportedly taking a late look at USC. The Ducks beat out Clemson for the stud from Upland, Calif.

Flowe joins Noah Sewell, the brother of Oregon left tackle and Outland Trophy winner Penei Sewell, giving Oregon the top two inside linebackers in the country in the class of 2020.

Oregon coach Mario Cristobal touted the class as a group that fits the culture at Oregon while bringing the ability to compete at a high level to the program.

In addition to the two five-star linebackers, the class currently includes six players rated as four-star prospects.

Cristobal said about a dozen of the 19 players signed on Wednesday are expected to enroll either in January or in March.

Positional breakdown: In addition to four celebrated linebackers, Oregon went heavy in the trenches. The Ducks signed five offensive linemen, including one from junior college, and four defensive linemen. They signed three defensive backs and are believed to be in the mix for two other high-end DBs who have not yet committed.

On offense, 6-6 quarterback Jay Butterfield is among the higher-ranked pro style QBs in the nation is expected to enroll in January and compete for the starting job next season.

As Cristobal was meeting with the media, Oregon received a letter of intent from Robby Ashford, a 4-star dual-threat quarterback considered one of the 20 best QB prospects in the nation.

Kris Hutson is a four-star wide receiver. Running back Trey Benson is a three-star recruit but at 6-1, 204 seems to fit the power running style the Ducks have moved toward under Cristobal.

Reaction: Washington and Oregon are 1-2 in the Pac-12 in terms of recruiting according to most outlets that ranks classes. ESPN had Washington 14 and Oregon 15 late Wednesday. 247Sports.com had the Huskies 14 and the Ducks 16.

Not on the list: Devon Williams, one of the top receivers in the class of 2018, who transferred to Oregon and will be a sophomore in 2020.

Changed minds: Wide receiver Johnny Wilson (to Arizona State) and safety Myles Slucher (to Arkansas) are notable Ducks verbal commits who signed elsewhere.

More to come? In his Wednesday press conference, Cristobal said the 2020 class isn’t finished — in fact Ashford’s tweet about his commitment happened as Cristobal was meeting with the media. The coach noted that he prefers to keep a scholarship or two open for flexibility.

Oregon signees (as of Wednesday evening)

Offense

QB Robby Ashford, 6-2, 204, Hoover, Ala., 4-star, dual-threat quarterback considered one of the best QB prospects in the nation.

QB Jay Butterfield, 6-6, 202, Brentwood, Calif. Consensus 4-star, considered one of the top pro-style QBs in the nation.

RB Trey Benson, 6-1, 204, Greenville, Miss. Consensus 3-star recruit.

WR Kris Hutson, 5-11, 175, Compton, Calif. 4-star recruit, Rivals.com 18th-ranked WR in the nation.

OL T.J. Bass, 6-5, 334, Deming, Wash. The top-rated JC guard nationally will be expected to compete for a starting spot next season.

OL Jonathan Denis, 6-3, 279, Homestead, Fla.. 4-star recruit considered one of the top high school guards in the country.

OL Marcus Harper II, 6-3, 302, Chicago Heights, Ill. 3-star recruit considered the top high school guard from Illinois.

OL Jaylan Heffers, 6-5, 261, Phoenix, Ariz., 3-star recruit considered the No. 2 tackle out of Arizona.

OL Faaope Laloulu, 6-7, 390, Kalihi Hawaii. 3-star recruit, ranked 46th tackle in nation by 247Sports.

Defense

LB Justin Flowe, 6-2, 226, Upland, Calif. 5-star recruit is the top high school linebacker in the nation as the 2019 high school Butkus Award winner and the top undecided prospect nationally who announced his commitment on Wednesday.

LB Jackson LaDuke, 6-2, 217, Sparks, Nevada. 4-star recruit is considered a top-25 outside LB in the country.

LB Jaden Navarrette, 6-3, 223, Norco, Calif. 4-star recruit is considered one of the 20 best prep athletes in the country.

LB Noah Sewell, 6-2, 226, Malaeimi, American Samoa/Orem, Utah. Brother of Outland Trophy winner Penei Sewell is a 4-star recruit who was a 2019 high school Butkus Award semifinalist.

DL Maceal Afaese, 6-5, 257, Kapolei, Hawaii. 3-star recruit is the top DT and a Hawaii top-10 prep recruit.

DL Jake Shipley, 6-5, 271, Indio, Calif. 3-star recruit is considered among the top 100 prospects in California.

DL Jaylen Smith, 6-5, 266, Ahoskie, N.C. 3-star defensive tackle was a top-20 prospect this season in the state of North Carolina.

DL Bradyn Swinson, 6-4, 257, Douglasville, Ga. One of the top-5 DE in Georgia and a top-25 at the position nationally .

DB JJ Greenfield, 5-11, 177, Crenshaw, Calif. A top-40 high school safety nationally and a 3/4-star recruit and a consensus top-60 player in Californa.

DB Luke Hill, 5-11, 180, Temple Hills, Md. 4-star recruit and a consensus top-10 cornerback. One of the top 15 recruits out of Maryland.

DB Bennett Williams, 6-0, 200, Campbell, Calif. A top-50 junior college recruit was a JC All-American at Fresno City. Was a 2018 ESPN freshman All-American playing at Illinois. Will be a junior.