Oregon vs. Stanford
Oregon football recruit Dillon Mitchell stands on the sideline before the Duck's game against Stanford. Bruce Ely/The Oregonian
(Bruce Ely)
Heading into his unofficial visit to Eugene last weekend, Class of 2016 four-star football and basketball recruit Dillon Mitchell, out of Memphis (Tenn.), said he wanted Oregon to impress and come out on top after his trip.
Turns out, the Ducks hoped so too.
Oregon officially offered Mitchell a scholarship over the weekend – just days before he was expected to make a decision – and the 6-foot-1, 180-pound wide receiver jumped at it, announcing his commitment to the Ducks on Tuesday over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and many others.
Primarily a football recruit, Mitchell was one of the hottest junior prospects in the country over the past few weeks, receiving offers from Alabama, Auburn and Oregon. By the time the dust settled, the two-way standout held scholarships from five of the current top six in the latest AP poll.
What made Oregon stand out to the big-time playmaker from SEC Country was the Ducks' offense, which gave Mitchell pause as he was flipping through channels at home.
"I'm looking forward to a great time. At the game, I'm just looking for them to be Oregon – what I see on TV," he told The Oregonian before his visit. "Just pretty much looking forward to having a great time while I'm down there."
After the trip, however, Mitchell was also impressed with the relationship he had built with the coaching staff.
"It was good experience for me and my family," he said. "We had a good time. I didn't expect to leave here and have a good relationship like I do with the coaches now. I have a good relationship with all of the coaches."
As far as basketball is concerned, Mitchell said Tuesday afternoon that a future in the sport is "still up in the air."
He has had no such trouble choosing a future college destination, announcing that he made his college decision Sunday, but he did express nervousness about letting other schools down.
"It's going to be very hard, because they've been recruiting me hard and wanting me to come to their school, telling me I'm one of the bigger prospect they need for my team," he said. 'I need to do what's best for me, and I need to do what's best for them. Telling them will give them more opportunity to recruit someone else."
But in the end, his desire to be an Oregon Duck was strong enough to announce his decision.
"No second thoughts," he said prior to making his choice public.
Mitchell is the third known commitment for Oregon in the Class of 2016, joining four-star quarterback Seth Green and four-star athlete Brady Breeze.
-- Andrew Nemec | @AndrewNemec