Oregon OC Will Stein breaks down every offensive signee in Ducks’ 2024 class

The Oregon Ducks put the final touches on the 2024 recruiting class on Wednesday morning, getting pen to paper for the final two members of a signing class that ranks as the best in school history.

With the addition of 5-star WR Gatlin Bair and kicker Gage Hurych, the Ducks’ 2024 class is now complete.

To celebrate this occasion, a group of Oregon coaches went on with Joey McMurry and Jerry Allen for the Ducks’ National Signing Day show on Oregon Sports Network. The guest list included head coach Dan Lanning, Chief of Staff Marshall Malchow, Offensive Coordinator Will Stein, and Defensive Coordinator Tosh Lupoi.

Both coordinators went through every signee on their side of the ball and broke down each individually while watching some film. Here’s what OC Will Stein had to say about his incoming players:

QB Luke Moga

Stein: “Another dream come true for Luke. He did a great job of last spring of making himself known by the way that he threw the football in workouts, and really the way he runs as well. This guy is a 10.4 in the 100 meters. Gatlin is sub-10.1. Luke isn’t far off from Gatlin and he plays quarterback. He’s truly a dual-threat, and not just with his legs. The kid can really throw the football. He’s got high IQ and character. He’s been running as fast as anyone on our team so far this spring. I’m really excited for Luke and his trajectory in our offense here. You can do a lot of things with him — power read game or zone read game — but then obviously his ability to fit the ball into tight windows and to anticipate and be accurate with the football is huge. He’s got great leadership and comes from a great family.

RB DaJaun Riggs

Stein: “Riggs from the DMV is smart, tough and dependable. Not only did he play running back for his team, but you saw him playing wildcat quarterback making passes. I do love double-passes. I know we didn’t see a lot of that this year, but I promise you there’s a double pass waiting for somebody. We practiced it about a million times this past year, I’ve just got to call the damn play. Dink can throw the football too. He’s got great vision, great acceleration through the holes. His play strength is extremely high. He’s got a thick lower build. He was Gatorade Player of the Year in that area. I’m really excited about Dink and his versatility for us from the backfield.

WR Gatlin Bair

Stein: “He’s not just a track kid, he’s a football player,” Stein said of Bair. “Not only is he super fast, but when you watch his tape, he’s a football player. When I first watched him I knew he was a track star, but how does that translate to the football field? He has every single movement, every single skillset that you want in a football player. He’ll probably play on the edge for us just because he can take the top off the defense,” Stein said. “He has elite hands, elite speed and toughness as well.

“And lives in basically the frozen tundra. We got stuck up there twice going to see him, but it was well worth it.”

WR Jeremiah McClellan

Stein: “J-Mac was a kid who committed to another school, and told us to keep recruiting him. That’s what we did. We flipped him late during the early signing period. Talk about a playmaker who will do anything for his team. He lined up as a wildcat quarterback. He was handing the ball off. He is what you want in a wideout. He has great size to him and obviously great speed. His ability to break tackles and run with the football is as special as anyone you’re going to see in the country. He understands space… and the ability to catch the ball and make those contested catches at the magical moment make good receivers into great receivers.”

WR Ryan Pellum

Stein: “Ryan is another kid we turned late. Marshall [Malchow] said it — dreams of coming to Oregon. This kid was committed to another local rival, it was a great addition to our class. He’s another playmaker, get the ball in his hands and let him go be great. This kid can create separation. He’s extremely quick. He’s not as big as Gatlin or J-Mac. He’s more in the Dillon Gresham size. But he creates separation. For receivers, it’s the ability to separate. You don’t see a lot of catches from Ryan where a guy is right on his back because he’s faster. At that spot, he’s able to create separation, then go make the catch and score touchdowns.”

WR Dillon Gresham

Stein: “He’s another DG on our team. When you think about Dillon, you think about speed and athleticism. This guy was extremely productive in high school. He scored a lot of touchdowns and caught a lot of footballs. He’s a playmaker. He was courted by a lot of people late, but stuck with the Ducks because he knew this was the right place for him. He’s a guy that you see on tape has the ability to make people miss in space. When you catch the ball as a receiver, you turn into a running back, and that’s what he does. He looks to score every time he touches the football.

“He was actually a kid who worked with us during bowl prep. So he’s experienced practice already and film study with us, and a work week. I’m really excited about Dillon and what he’s going to bring to us.

“When you recruit wideouts, you obviously look for toughness, catchability and the ability to create separation, but this is something we cannot teach. We can work it as much as we want, but this kid was born with natural speed and he’s going to help us for sure.”

WR Jack Ressler

Stein: “He’s from an extremely well-known program at Mater Dei High School in Southern California. This is a kid who is extremely tough over the middle. He’s more of a slot receiver for us than anything. He’s got a bigger, thicker build. He can block on the perimeter. He can make contested catches. He has a high football IQ and a will to win. He’s really unlike anybody else. I’m excited about Jack and what he’s going to do for our offense, and also potentially in the return game as a punt return.

TE Roger Saleapaga

Stein: “When you think about Roger, this kid is an excellent ball catcher. He really is. He’s another guy who’s gained probably 15 pounds since he’s been here. He’s got a thick lower build and a big upper frame, and I think he has the potential to be one of the greats here. I really believe that. I guess I just put some high standards on Roger for everybody. This kid is really really talented. I’m excited about him. He comes from a great family and is really working his tail off so far.”

TE AJ Pugliano

Stein: “He’s another local kid. We’re excited to have him on our team and to see where he can go with this offense. He’s really tough. When you watch him play football, he plays the game the right way with physicality and violence. He can play in-line and he can play on the edge. Whenever you can keep the local kids who can play here at home, you know that we’re in good shape.

OT JacQawn McRoy

Stein:

“He goes by Shaq for a reason. I said Trent is the biggest. I mispoke. Shaq is the largest human being I’ve seen in my entire life. He’s all of 6-foot-8 and 370 pounds. You see that size and you think of someone not very athletic, but you see Shaq can bend and Shaq can move. Going into the Big 10, it takes large human beings to go win that conference, and to be able to run the football in our biggest games. We added great size with Shaq. Another kid from Pinson, and another kid who always dreamed of being an Oregon Duck. Our ability to make that happen for him, bring him all the way out here on the west coast, and have his mom trust in us with her large baby boy, was big for us. I’m excited about Shaq.

“He’s like the sweetest kid ever, but when he goes on to the football field, he turns into a different human.”

OT Fox Crader

Stein: “I love that name. It’s an awesome name. He’s a guy just north of us in Washington. He plays with an edge and violence at tackle. Another guy, who when you look at who we signed, it’s versatile players up front, who can play guard or tackle. He has athleticism. He played in what was formally known as the Army All-American Game. A really talented player and another PNW kid.”

OL Devin Brooks

Stein:

“Devin is a great in-state kid here from Clackamas in Oregon. He’s big and physical. He’s really a guy who can play all three spots we think. He has large human beings in his family and you can see that he plays the game of football with violence and an edge up front. Whenever you look at O-Linemen, you want to look at guys who can bend, guys who are athletic and guys who can multiple positions. I think he can play tackle, guard and potentially center for us. I’m really excited about Devin and all the qualities he’s shown so far on tape.

“I think when Oregon Ducks football is at its best, it’s when we’re dominating the PNW in recruiting. This is a kid who had multiple offers from this side of the country — a lot of former Pac-12 offers. He’s a great kid No. 1, and a really special talent in this state. We’re excited he’s on our team.”

OT Trent Ferguson

Stein: “This is probably the largest human being on this entire offensive roster. This kid id all of 6-foot-7 and flirting around 300 pounds. He was actually a lacrosse player before he played football. So he’s got really light feet and great athleticism. He’s a kid we believe can develop into a starting left tackle one day for us. He’s not here yet, but he will be here soon, and another in-state kid at West Salem High School — a great program. I’m excited about his development and where he’s going to be for us in the future.”

Story originally appeared on Ducks Wire