On the first day of the final signing period for the 2021 class, Oregon added another ESPN 300 commitment in cornerback Avante Dickerson.
The 6-foot, 170-pound corner from Westside High School in Omaha, Nebraska, is the No. 49-ranked prospect overall and was one of only four recruits left uncommitted in February inside the top 50 of the rankings.
He had been committed to Minnesota, and was the highest-ranked commit the Gophers have ever had, but he decommitted on Jan. 24 after not signing in December.
When he opened his recruitment back up, Dickerson was then considering Oregon, Nebraska and Minnesota, and ultimately chose the Ducks. His commitment adds to an already excellent recruiting class for Oregon, which was ranked No. 6 in the class rankings before his commitment.
Dickerson is now the highest-ranked commitment in the class for Oregon, 10 spots ahead of wide receiver Isaiah Brevard, who’s at No. 59. His commitment gives the Ducks 16 ESPN 300 recruits, three of whom are defensive backs.
The staff already has built a foundation of young defensive players on the roster, having added 13 defensive ESPN 300 prospects over the past three classes. In the 2021 cycle, seven of the top eight commitments are on offense.
That includes quarterback Ty Thompson, wide receivers Brevard, Troy Franklin and Dont’e Thornton and running back Seven McGee.
Oregon has steadily been on the rise in recruiting rankings over the past few cycles under head coach Mario Cristobal, and the 16 ESPN 300 commitments in this class are the most the program has signed since the ESPN 300 started in 2013.
No. 46 Davis commits to Trojans: USC also added a top-50 commitment to its class with linebacker Raesjon Davis, the No. 46 prospect overall.
Davis chose the Trojans over Ohio State, LSU, Oregon and Vanderbilt. USC now has commitments from three of the top four in-state recruits, including defensive end Korey Foreman, the No.-1 ranked prospect in California.
USC, which finished No. 54 overall last year, has made a major jump to a top-15 class this year. The staff made a concerted effort to keep the top recruits out west at USC.
USC had only one ESPN 300 commitment in the 2020 cycle. In 2021, the coaching staff has 10 with Davis in the class.
Receiver Hill chooses FSU: Florida State is still trying to rebuild the roster and got a boost to the offense on Wednesday when ESPN 300 wide receiver Destyn Hill announced his commitment to the Seminoles.
Hill is the No. 89 ranked recruit overall and is now the highest ranked commit in the class for coach Mike Norvell and his staff. Hill is a 6-foot, 170-pound receiver out of Edna Karr High School in New Orleans, and is the second ESPN 300 wide receiver commit in the class along with Malik McClain.
The staff now has six ESPN 300 commitments overall, but they have also focused heavily on the transfer portal in this cycle. Norvell has added eight transfers, including quarterback McKenzie Milton, safety Jammie Robinson and running back D.J. Williams.
Those transfers will help Norvell and his staff transform the roster quickly by adding in players who can help immediately while the high school recruits continue to develop.