Oregon scores prediction to land top-75 recruit

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Here come the Oregon Ducks down the recruiting trail.

Rivals recruiting experts Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons both logged predictions on Thursday morning for the Ducks to land four-star athlete Tae Walden Jr., which would be somewhat of an upset. Walden, whom the Ducks are pursuing as a cornerback, has been linked closely to Auburn and several other SEC programs throughout his process.

Walden is the No. 3 athlete and No. 69 overall recruit in the class. He is set to commit on July 1 live during the Rivals Summer Signing Day recruiting special, alongside fellow Oregon target and five-star corner Hayden Stepp.

The 6-foot-2, 165-pound athlete, who can play both wide receiver and corner, will choose between Oregon, Auburn, Ole Miss, LSU and Georgia. As a junior, Walden was a star two-way player at Collierville High School. He racked up 42 catches for 912 yards and 10 touchdowns on offense, with five interceptions and 17 pass breakups on defense. Walden’s long frame and speed make him an excellent fit on either side of the ball for the Ducks.

In a battle against several SEC programs for the Tennessee product, Oregon is the outlier on the West Coast in the recruitment. After getting the last word during his final official visit, the Ducks appear to have done enough to swing the recruitment out west.

“The visit to Eugene was everything I expected and more,” Walden told Rivals in the spring. “I had a great time out there! What stands out to me about playing for Coach Lanning is definitely the way he runs his program and I can definitely see myself being a part of that defense for sure!”

A prediction is great, but the Ducks will find out if it will come true on July 1, which is shaping up to be a busy day on the recruiting trail for the program.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks predicted to add blue-chip target to 2027 recruiting class

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