Oregon Ducks becoming overwhelming favorite for nation's top uncommitted football prospect
The Oregon Ducks or Michigan Wolverines?
That's been the question for weeks now regarding the future of Burley (Idaho) five-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair, the nation's top uncommitted prospect in the class of 2024.
But that battle received significant clarity recently when Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh departed for the NFL and accepted the Los Angeles Chargers head coaching job.
For any recruit, the loss of a potential head coach can be a recruiting game-changer.
But in the case of Bair, it was arguably his biggest factor.
"I think the biggest thing right now is coach (Jim) Harbaugh's contract," he told SBLive Sports in December. "That's kind of why I'm stuck in the middle right now, just because i don't know what's happening there. I think, from what Coach Lanning has told me, he's going to be there for a long time. That's something i'm looking for... stability. it's hard to go to a program and have coaching changes."
So, it is unsurprising that "Bair to Oregon" has become a trendy pick.
This week, 247Sports logged two crucial predictions in favor of Dan Lanning's program earning Bair's commitment.
On3 has followed suit, giving the Ducks an 88.8 percent chance (and rising) of coming out on top in the recruiting battle.
While Bair, the nation's No. 27 overall prospect and No. 6 wide receiver, has yet to set a commitment date, a decision could come imminently.
Still, it will be some time before Bair arrives in Eugene.
The dynamic speedster is set to begin a two-year LDS mission soon, and would potentially re-join Oregon as a class of 2026 addition.
Overall, Oregon's 2024 class is ranked No. 3 nationally, the highest finish in program history.
And even with Bair, the Ducks will climb no higher.
According to On3, both No. 1 Georgia (5 5-star prospects, 18 4-star prospects) and No. 2 Alabama (5 5-star prospects, 17 4-star prospects) have significantly more bluechip firepower than Oregon (0 5-star prospects, 18 4-star prospects).
