Oregon Ducks impress nation's No. 1 athlete on official visit
The Oregon Ducks hosted six five-star prospects on official visits last weekend.
And the early buzz was loud - even if the full meaning behind the "we outside" social media blitz by the Oregon football coaching staff remains a mystery.
One of those big visitors was Alamo Heights (Texas) playmaker Michael Terry III, the nation's No. 1 athlete and No. 20 overall prospect.
"It was great," he said. "Everything about Oregon stands out. It’s the University of Oregon."
More specifically, the 6-foot-2 1/2, 211-pound Swiss Army Knife was blown away by Oregon's presentation of Terry as a possible De'Anthony Thomas-like weapon in the offense.
That message was hammered home by the star himself.
"Not only did they talk to me about it, I was surprised that (Thomas) hung out with me for the whole day on and off campus," Terry said. "I really felt blessed that they compare me to him knowing how explosive he was."
The Texas product, thought to be a Texas Longhorns lean, said he doesn't publicly rank schools, but that Oregon made a lasting impression.
"et’s just say I like them (and) my family likes them," he said.
Overall, Terry indicated he is extremely blessed to be in the position he's in, weighing the opportunity to play for many of the nation's top college football programs.
"I can’t believe how blessed I am to be recruited by Oregon and even other top schools," he said. "So, it’s a blessing and I can’t thank the coaches enough for giving me the opportunity to even consider me going there."
A decision, Terry said, could be coming shortly, but he is still weighing his options.
"I’m planning on making my decision soon, but if not... at the end of the season," he said. "I’m not going to rush because when I commit I’m committing for life, so I'm going to make sure I check all my boxes."
Of note, Terry took official visits to Nebraska, Texas, Texas A&M and Oregon.
Who will get the prized recruit? That remains to seen, but they'll be getting an explosive playmaker, according to 247Sports.
"Fascinating prospect with a ton of positional versatility. Productive at running back and receiver and could even grow into a hybrid tight end. ...Looked good in limited snaps on defense and would be intriguing as a safety or even off-ball linebacker. Just a rare prospect who could literally play and excel at 4-5 different positions at the next level. At 6-3, he’s tall for a running back but runs with good pad level, has some shake and then the speed to run away from a defense. Some players are more quick than fast, Terry is probably more fast than quick but still shows good short area burst and once he gets rolling, you won’t catch him from behind. As a pass catcher, looks comfortable catching the ball over a defender and making plays down the field in the passing game. Can continue to improve his polish as a route runner and being more natural with his hands..."
As a junior, Terry rushed for 995 yards and 20 touchdowns with an additional 564 yards and 10 scores as a receiver.
ANDREW NEMEC