Most important players for Duck fans to watch at All-American Bowl on Saturday
This past week has been filled with recruiting news in the world of college football, mostly for the opportunity to see some of the top prospects in the 2023 class actually get on the field and show what they can do.
Oregon Duck fans saw a handful of players get out and play at the Under Armour All-American Game early in the week, with guys like Ashton Cozart, Iapani Laloulu, and Ashton Porter turning some heads. Duck fans also got to see someone like 5-star ATH Nyckoles Harbor prove why he is such a massive target late in the recruiting game.
Now they will get another chance to see some of the top signees in the 2023 class showcase their abilities on Saturday morning at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
With guys like QB Austin Novosad, TE Jamari Johnson, and DL Johnny Bowens all taking the field, it will be a fun morning for Oregon fans who tune in on Saturday. Here’s how to watch, and some players — not only Oregon signees — to keep an eye on:
How to Watch Info
When: Saturday, Jan. 7 | 10 a.m. PT
Channel: NBC
5-star EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei
UPDATE: Matayo Uiagalelei is not on the All-American Bowl roster and will not play in Saturday’s game, despite being listed on the team website earlier in the week.
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. It is unclear whether or not he will actually be playing in the All-American Bowl with conflicting reports online, but he is listed on the game roster.
4-star QB Austin Novosad
Commitment: Oregon Ducks
National Ranking: 119
Position Ranking: 10
Connection to Oregon: There were higher-rated prospects to sign with Oregon in December, but Austin Novosad may have been the biggest win out of them all. After the loss of Dante Moore, getting Novosad to flip from Baylor to Oregon at the last minute was a huge get for the Ducks. It will be fun to watch him sling it around and envision the future on Saturday.
4-star CB Cole Martin
Photo Courtesy of Cole Martin
UPDATE: Cole Martin is not on the All-American Bowl roster and will not play in Saturday’s game, despite being listed on the team website earlier in the week.
Commitment: Oregon Ducks
National Ranking: 229
Position Ranking: 27
Connection to Oregon: Cole Martin was one of the first commitments in the 2023 class, and he was able to play a large role in recruiting other players to join him. As the son of defensive backs’ coach Demetrice Martin, it will be fun to watch what Martin can do in Eugene.
4-star DL Johnny Bowens
Photo Courtesy of Ashton Cozart
Commitment: Oregon Ducks
National Ranking:
Position Ranking:
Connection to Oregon:
5-star QB Dante Moore
Commitment: UCLA Bruins
National Ranking: 11
Position Ranking: 5
Connection to Oregon: Obviously, Dante Moore is the QB that got away for Oregon fans. He was committed to the Ducks for almost half a year but ended up flipping to the UCLA Bruins once offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham left to take the job at Arizona State. It will be fun to watch him sling it on Saturday.
5-star OT Kadyn Proctor
Commitment: Alabama Crimson Tide
National Ranking: 12
Position Ranking: 2
Connection to Oregon: Kadyn Proctor was expected to flip from the Iowa Hawkeyes, but it wasn’t always clear whether he would end up with the Oregon Ducks or Alabama Crimson Tide. He has a close relationship with Adrian Klemm and was long though to be a heavy Oregon lean. However, a late visit to Alabama sealed the deal for Nick Saban.
5-star OT Samson Okunlola
Commitment: Miami Hurricanes
National Ranking: 20
Position Ranking: 3
Connection to Oregon: Samson ‘Pancake Honcho’ Okunlola was a major target for Oregon, and there was said to be a lot of love between the two sides, but in the end the highly-rated OT ended up at Miami, with NIL expected to be a major factor in his commitment.
4-star EDGE Jayden Wayne
Photograph Courtesy of Jayden Wayne
Commitment: Miami Hurricanes
National Ranking: 72
Position Ranking: 11
Connection to Oregon: Jayden Wayne was formerly the No. 1 rated player in the state of Washington, and a lot of people were predicting that he would end up with the Ducks. However, his move down to IMG Academy in Florida seemed to signify a changing of the tides, and he ended up with Mario Cristobal in Miami.
4-star TE Walker Lyons
Folsom (Calif.) tight end Walker Lyons arrived in San Antonio for the 2023 @AABonNBC and he is closing in on a final decision https://t.co/qVqb8W21fa pic.twitter.com/t0a1eMmCrr
— Brandon Huffman (@BrandonHuffman) January 5, 2023
Commitment: None
National Ranking: 114
Position Ranking: 5
Connection to Oregon: Walker Lyons is one of the top remaining tight ends left on the board, and there have been some rumblings that the Ducks might be able to make a late move here after he decommitted from the Stanford Cardinal.
4-star OT Spencer Fano
Some more Faulk. This time getting done off the edge against Utah signee Spencer Fano. pic.twitter.com/mFb6apjBe8
— Cooper Petagna (@cpetagna247) January 4, 2023
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.
4-star CB Caleb Presley
Washington CB signee Caleb Presley goes through drills at @AABonNBC practice. @DanRaley1 pic.twitter.com/WBCVdwSH0y
— Max Torres (@mtorressports) January 5, 2023
Commitment: Washington Huskies
National Ranking: 166
Position Ranking: 19
Connection to Oregon: Caleb Presley was committed to Oregon for a long time, but he ended up flipping to the in-state Washington Huskies on the early signing day, staying home as the No. 1 ranked player in the state of Washington.
4-star LB Blake Nichelson
Florida State LB commit Blake Nichelson picks off a pass from Oregon signee Austin Novosad. pic.twitter.com/nQpZQ83sl9
— Max Torres (@mtorressports) January 5, 2023
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 believe 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 QB Aiden Chiles
Oregon State QB signee Aiden Chiles is one of the more physically impressive arms in San Antonio this week. Excited to see him coming off an excellent senior season. A lot to work with for Jonathan Smith. https://t.co/Jvs84GKJ1r pic.twitter.com/HJQ49hwplq
— Cooper Petagna (@cpetagna247) January 3, 2023
Commitment: Oregon State Beavers
National Ranking: 236
Position Ranking: 17
Connection to Oregon: Aiden Chiles doesn’t have a connection to the Ducks, per say, but as the next QB commit at Oregon State, there’s a good chance that Oregon sees this passer down the road, so fans should start to familiarize themselves with what he’s capable of now.
4-star TE Jamari Johnson
How about this throw and catch from Oregon signee Austin Novosad to TE Jamari Johnson https://t.co/XW65aB03jC @JHopkinsSD pic.twitter.com/VADqDir27V
— Sam Spiegelman (@samspiegs) January 5, 2023
Commitment: None
National Ranking: 421
Position Ranking: 26
Connection to Oregon: The Ducks have been recruiting ATH Jamari Johnson hard over the past few months, and he will announce his commitment on Saturday. There’s a good chance that he chooses Oregon. but also a chance that he sticks with Louisville as well.
