Brandon Finney commits to Oregon Ducks
On Tuesday morning, McDonogh (Maryland) star Brandon Finney, the nation's No. 5 athlete, announced he would be making his college commitment next week.
Turns out, he couldn't wait that long.
Just hours later, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound future cornerback announced his commitment to the Oregon Ducks:
WE OUTSIDE #GODUCKS pic.twitter.com/45zKMzgaoB
— BRANDON FINNEY (@BrandonnFinney) June 25, 2024
For Finney, the decision was a small surprise.
Long thought to be a Penn State Nittany Lions lean, Finney was part of Oregon's impressive official visitor list last weekend, a group that featured six five-star prospects.
Clearly, he liked what he saw.
Finney chose Oregon over earlier offers from Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Wisconsin and others.
Considered a bit on the raw side, the Maryland product has tremendous upside and Oregon's recent development of cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Khyree Jackson may have been a significant factor.
As for what Oregon is getting, 247Sports provided an in-depth scouting report:
"Ascending cornerback prospect verified hovering around 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with elite athleticism for the position highlighted by a nearly 11-foot broad jump. ...Ideal combination of physical and athletic traits allows him to bully receivers of all shapes and sizes as a press-man corner but has also flashed the technical nuance to play off-man and zone coverage at a high level. Consistently gets to the catch point and times his breaks well. Excellent at turning his head and locating the football in the deeper third, and has the bounce to make plays on the ball. ... Spirited tackler at this stage who appears to have plus-football instincts when deciding whether to lay the boom or opt for a more secure form tackle. ...Projects as a multi-year impact player and special teams contributor for a Top 25 program, with significant NFL upside."
Overall, Oregon's 2025 recruiting class consists of 10 verbal commitments, highlighted by Tampa Bay Tech (Florida) five-star wide receiver Dallas Wilson and Mater Dei (California) elite edge-rusher Nasir Wyatt.
ANDREW NEMEC