According to Rivals.com and The Oregonian Sports section, the University of Oregon’s 2011 recruiting class is rank sixth in the nation. Oregon’s recent rise to national prominence in football and Phil Knight’s deep pockets have been a huge factor in top recruits selecting Oregon over other prominent schools. Phil Knight is responsible for building state of the art training facilities at Oregon, and Oregon has recently played in two BCS games. Although both BCS games were losses (Rose Bowl last year, BCS title game this year) they have played well in both.
High school football in Oregon (and the PACNW in general) does not produce blue chip (5-star) recruits in abundance. But occasionally a player will rise into Rivals Top 100. Because Oregon (and Oregon State) have not had success until recently most of the state’s top recruits go elsewhere to play football, most often to UW or down California. In recent years that has begun changed. Jonathon Stewart, a 5-star from the Olympia area, selected Oregon over UW and a host of other schools. He had spectacular career at Oregon, and he had decided to stay one more year, he would have been the odds on favorite to win the Heisman in his senior year.
Colt Lyerla from Hillsboro (#26 according to rivals.com), OR is the type of player the Oregon schools would have lost 10-15 years ago. He had offers from some of the biggest programs in the nation, including Nebraska, Oklahoma, and USC. UW also offered and 10 years ago he probably would have gone there.
All in all, Oregon has a great class coming in for 2011 and should contend not only for the championship of the newly formed PAC-12, but for a National Championship as well (again).
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