For Ashton Porter and many other new Ducks, it's about family

 

Cypress, Texas Edge Rusher Ashton Porter visited Texas, Michigan State, Clemson, Arkansas and many others, but in January on national television at the UnderArmour All-American Game, he chose the Oregon Ducks.

One reason stood out over all the others: family. His family trusted the Oregon coaches, he said, and Oregon itself felt like family. In a press conference at the All-American Game he told a group of reporters, “Probably the best community they have, my family,” Porter said. “My parents love them, love all the coaches. It’s one of the best decisions I could make.”

He'd visited Eugene on November 19th, the night the Ducks upended Utah 21-17. “It was an amazing game,” Porter said. “They’re always up, not really sitting down. During pregame, Oregon (fans were) like, ‘Ash-ton Por-ter. Come to Oregon.’ That was a great chant. I really liked that.”

The students made him feel at home.

NIL, he insisted, wasn't a big factor. “It doesn’t play a role at all,” Porter said. “… The money’s gonna be there, but I would just say I want to go to the league. That’s what I want to do. I want to go to the league. The money part (doesn’t) really mean (anything). I’m gonna make money in the NFL. I just want to have a coach that could develop me as a man, as a player.”

For his parents, the priorities were slightly different. Porter was a 3.85 student at Cy Ranch High. In an interview with Richard Davenport of the Arkansas-Democrat Herald he said, “My parents always talk about grades first.” 

On the football field, Ashton is a pass rusher with awesome potential. As a senior for the Mustangs he earned District 16-6A defensive MVP and a first-team all-district pick at defensive line, finishing the season with 63 tackles, 24.0 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, a pick-6, a fumble recovery and a pass deflection.

National football scout Tom Lemming told Davenport, “He’s got size, he’s got an exceptional first step, work ethic and terrific leadership ability.”

6-3, 255, Porter is one of six new Ducks in the 2023 class that hail from Texas. Those young men have already bonded. They call it "The Texas Takeover." He and Terrance Green, Johnny Bowens and Tyler Turner could comprise the heart of the Oregon defense in a season or two.