Trigger warning. I haven't read this yet. I literally saw it, cut-and-pasted, and poasted.
So I've spent the weekend thinking about this column specifically. It actually is one I don't like writing, much to the surprise of many.
To be honest, with as much negativity as I've seen on DuckTerritory of late, I really regretted saying I'd write this update. Because my fear is it will further perpetuate what's already spiraling out of control.
Am I concerned about Oregon signing a 28th ranked recruiting class? Am I concerned about Oregon going 9-4 last season? Coaching turnover, questionable depth chart issues and just a number of... let's call them yellow flags, not red flags.
Yes, I'm concerned. Probably not in the way some of you are slamming the 'panic button' but my eyebrows are raised at the very least. I don't see anything that can't be fixed. In fact, I think if the ship is righted, it's very easy to get things back on track from my perspective.
But a culmination of unfortunate events got Oregon to 9-4. It also led Oregon to one of the biggest losses in Bowl game history. And then followed Oregon on the recruiting trail with the 2016 class.
One of my favorite quotes is: 'Luck is the residue of hard work by design.'
Chip's debut as head coach wasn't exactly ideal. I'm not suggesting this staff isn't working hard. But what I am suggesting is there are some reasons to be concerned, but not enough to justify full-on meltdown mode at every little tidbit of bad news.
There's been a lot of 'bad luck' that has come Oregon's way in the last two years.
It's pretty fortunate for most of you cooler heads are in charge or else would Chip Kelly have even made it to his second game as Oregon's head coach? But when do you have to analyze where things are going and is it working? Oregon can't afford a massive slide. It's taken too long to come this far and every step backwards is monumental for Oregon.
Without further ado, here's a little bit of 'dirt' for the 2016 recruiting cycle.
The Dirt Let's start with the 'over-signing' statement by Helfrich. On signing day he announced the class and said Oregon was '1 over.' Which I'm sure is probably sort of true.
Conveniently enough Tyner announced his retirement the next day, something we'd been saying was coming since he didn't enroll last Fall.
What I don't like is the fact Helfrich seems to suggest they were full and wouldn't take any more recruits in the class. Or that Oregon didn't miss on any remaining targets. Well, the staff would have taken Caleb Kelly, Calvin Bundage and Prince Sammons if they wanted to jump on board. So if that would have put them two or three over, they would have figured it out.
Malepeai didn't even let the coaches know he would be signing with USC. (Photo: 247Sports) The only issue I have is the amount of 'spin control' that seems to be flowing from a lot of these press conferences these days.
Speaking of over signing, Vavae Malepeai might be a sore subject. Most of you read my report indicating he took the trip to USC and didn't tell the coaches. Which is 100-percent true. But Oregon still would have taken him even after the secret trip. Additionally when he committed to USC on National Signing Day, he didn't even bother to call the Oregon coaches to tell them, or decommit or anything of that nature.
Now before we all go piling on a 17 year old kid stuck making his biggest choice. I'll agree it probably wasn't handled to perfection, which ultimately isn't on the kid alone. But secondly and more importantly, how did Oregon let it get that far? Remember when I told you all Oregon would miss Chinander. Guess who was Malepeai's primary recruiter? Who pounded his chest trying to get Helfrich to offer Malepeai in the first place?
Well, it wasn't Campbell.
Did Oregon forget to make one of its prized commits a priority in the late stretches?
I'm willing to assign some blame to both sides, but one source told me "I don't know how it happened, that thing was all done but the ink drying."
So there is one decommit. Oregon also lost Theo Howard, Jared Mayden, Troy Warner and Eddie McDoom in this recruiting cycle. That's about 19 stars in total from that group counting Malepeai. That group would have pushed Oregon into the top 20 around No. 19 overall.
Technically they lost Nigel Knott, Dylan Crawford and Seth Green as well. We all know the story on Green and Oregon picking McDoom over Crawford. Oregon had no issue passing over on Crawford on multiple occasions, whether it be for McDoom or simply holding the spot. McDoom slit his own throat when he said he wanted to visit Michigan. Being as he was not a huge need in this class, Oregon was happy to let him walk.
Jordan Parker's room was filled with Oregon posters. (Photo: 247Sports) Although a source told me on McDoom, "That kid was so hot for Oregon I have no idea how that even happened."
Did Harbaugh get the best of Oregon as some suggest? Not really. He signed two players Oregon wasn't wild about.
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