USC bolted to the Big Ten partly to escape Oregon. Reports have surfaced that the Trojans actively lobbied to keep the Ducks out of the Big Ten.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported, “...part of the allure of this move was that they can own the West coast. They can be the West coast destination. They can be the place that recruits want to go.”
It didn't work out that way. The first shot in the intensified rivalry was fired last night when Oregon flipped former USC commit Dakoda Fields, a four-star cornerback from Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, California.
Fields is a big steal, the #83 recruit in the 2024 class according to the 247Sports composite. He's 6-2, 185, fluid and tenacious, a superb athlete who runs the 200 meters in 22.1 and long jumps 22 feet.
He's the kind of pesky cover guy you need to be a top ten program. Now the Trojans are down one while the Ducks have made a statement about how real this rivalry is going to get.
Fields told Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports, “Oregon has been my dream school since I was a little kid, time to turn it into reality.” His commitment elevates Dan Lanning's 2024 class to number nine in the country while dropping USC to 16th.
It adds some extra juice to the two teams' last PAC-12 showdown, November 11th at Autzen Stadium.
The 2023 College Football Preseason Coaches Poll is here.
— 247Sports (@247Sports) August 7, 2023
Which team(s) are too high or too low? Which team(s) got left off?https://t.co/3HfnVBePez pic.twitter.com/hx3NG9JXXE
Washington should be lower
ReplyDeleteWashington should be lower
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