Most important players for Duck fans to watch at Polynesian Bowl on Saturday

As we continue to hurtle toward the end of the 2023 recruiting cycle, the last major high school showcase will be taking place this weekend in Hawaii.

The Polynesian Bowl will take place on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. PT and be broadcast on NFL Network. Some of the top athletes in the 2023 class will play in the game, including eight 5-star players and a total of six Oregon Ducks.

While it will be fun for Oregon fans to tune in and check out their next class of players coming to Eugene, there are also a ton of other guys that the Ducks should be interested in keeping an eye on, for numerous reasons. Maybe it’s a 5-star who strongly considered signing with Oregon and could be a player in the transfer portal down the road, should they reconsider their options. Maybe it’s a highly-touted player who signed with another Pac-12 school and could be going up against the Ducks a few times in the coming years.

No matter the reasoning, the Poly Bowl will be a fun spectacle with college football’s next-best players on display. Here are some guys to keep an eye on as an Oregon fan.

How to Watch Info

When: Friday, Jan. 20, 4 p.m. PT
Channel: NFL Network

5-star EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei

Commitment: Oregon Ducks

National Ranking: 31

Position Ranking: 5

Connection to Oregon: Matayo Uiagalelei was one of the highest-rated players to sign with the Ducks in the 2023 class, and he will come to Eugene as one of the marquee players to watch this spring. After not playing in the All-American Bowl earlier this month, Uiagalelei is down in Hawaii for this game and set to see the field.

4-star RB Jayden Limar

Photo Courtesy of Jayden Limar

Commitment: Oregon Ducks

National Ranking: 276

Position Ranking: 7

Connection to Oregon: Jayden Limar was one of the latest additions to Oregon’s 2023 class, flipping from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on signing day. He is the second-highest rated player in the state of Washington and should be a major addition to the Ducks’ backfield next year.

4-star EDGE Teitum Tuioti

Commitment: Oregon Ducks

National Ranking: 211

Position Ranking: 22

Connection to Oregon: Teitum Tuioti was always expected to be a Duck once his dad, Tony Tuioti, took over as the defensive line coach for Oregon last year. Tuioti joined the team ahead of bowl practice to get in some extra work, so it will be fun to see what he can do in the Poly bowl.

4-star S Kodi DeCambra

Photo Courtesy of Kodi DeCambra

Commitment: Oregon Ducks

National Ranking: 317

Position Ranking: 28

Connection to Oregon: DeCambra has been a frequent visitor to Eugene and a long-time commit to the Ducks. He comes to Oregon as one of the top defenders in the Ducks’ 2023 class and will likely be a really solid piece in the class.

4-star IOL Iapani Laloulu

Commitment: Oregon Ducks

National Ranking: 333

Position Ranking: 15

Connection to Oregon: Laloulu committed to Oregon earlier this year, and will come to Eugene as the younger brother of current Ducks’ lineman, Faaope Laloulu.

3-star DL Tevita Pome'e

Commitment: Oregon Ducks

National Ranking: 583

Position Ranking: 51

Connection to Oregon: Though he is one of the lower-rated prospects in Oregon’s 2023 class, at 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, it’s clear that the coaching staff sees something that they like in this kid who is the No. 5 player from the state of Utah. It will be fun to see what he can do against elite competition on Friday.

5-star TE Duce Robinson

Commitment: None

National Ranking: 17

Position Ranking: 1

Connection to Oregon: As arguably the top-remaining prospect left in the 2023 class, Robinson has several schools under consideration. He has talked about taking a visit to Eugene this month before he signs. We will see if that happens, but the Ducks aren’t out of his recruitment just yet.

4-star CB Rodrick Pleasant

Commitment: None

National Ranking: 86

Position Ranking: 9

Connection to Oregon: Pleasant is one of the top-uncommitted players left on the board, and he is strongly considering the Oregon Ducks. The USC Trojans are also recruiting him hard down the stretch.

5-star DL David Hicks Jr.

Commitment: Texas A&M Aggies

National Ranking: 9

Position Ranking: 1

Connection to Oregon: David Hicks Jr. strongly considered committing to Oregon down the stretch, but it seemed family pressure might have led him to Texas A&M in the end. Hicks may be at the top of the list of players who, if they end up in the transfer portal, could be coming to Oregon down the road.

5-star QB Nico Iamaleava

Commitment: Tennessee Volunteers

National Ranking: 4

Position Ranking: 3

Connection to Oregon: Before committing to Tennessee, Nico Iamaleava was strongly considering the Ducks and had taken a couple of visits to Eugene. At one point, Oregon was favored to land him as well. It will be fun to see him sling it on Friday.

4-star QB Jaden Rashada

[Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]

Commitment: Florida Gators

National Ranking: 56

Position Ranking: 7

Connection to Oregon: Rashada was recruited hard by the Ducks before he committed to the Miami Hurricanes. Of course, the QB then flipped his commitment to the Florida Gators. With all of the news that’s currently been circling Rashada and his commitment to Florida, it’s going to be intriguing what we see and hear from him this week.

4-star LB Blake Nichelson

Commitment: Florida State

National Ranking: 175

Position Ranking: 15

Connection to Oregon: Blake Nichelson was high on the Ducks for most of his recruitment, and there was a belief that he would end up in Eugene at one point. In the end, he decided to go cross-country down to Florida State.

4-star DE Hunter Clegg

4-star OT Spencer Fano

Commitment: Utah Utes

National Ranking: 149

Position Ranking: 13

Connection to Oregon: Spencer Fano was expected to sign with the Ducks until the very end, but a late transfer from his brother to the Utah Utes swung the tide, and he ended up elsewhere in the Pac-12.

5-star QB Malachi Nelson

Commitment: USC Trojans

National Ranking: 3

Position Ranking: 2

Connection to Oregon: Nelson doesn’t have a direct connection to the Ducks, but he has signed with the USC Trojans, so there’s a chance Oregon could see him up close in 2023 should he need to step in for Heisman winner Caleb Williams. He won’t play in the game on Friday, but he is down at the Polynesian Bowl.

5-star WR Zachariah Branch

Commitment: USC Trojans

National Ranking: 5

Position Ranking: 1

Connection to Oregon: Much like Malachai Nelson, there’s no guarantee Duck fans see Branch play in person before the Trojans head to the Big Ten in 2024, but if he’s as good as his rankings say, this five-star might be on the field against Oregon in 2023.

5-star WR Makai Lemon

Commitment: USC Trojans

National Ranking: 34

Position Ranking: 5

Connection to Oregon: Copy and paste from Zachariah Branch. Lemon is a highly-rated WR in the 2023 class and could get on the field against Oregon this season.

Story originally appeared on Ducks Wire