This week Oregon got a verbal commitment from defensive tackle Stetzon Bair, and in doing so they said good-bye to Faith Ekakitie.
Ekakitie is a 6-2, 255-lb, defensive tackle from Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois, rated the 15th-best defensive tackle in the country by scout.com.
photo left: Did the Ducks miss out in passing on Faith Ekakitie? Coaches and athletes face these difficult decisions every recruiting season (faithflex.com photo).
Active, agile and aggressive Ekakitie visited Oregon in November, listing UO as one of the five finalists for his services. The talented high schooler has kept a blog during his recruitment, and he described his experience this way:
This past week and a half was probably the most stressing/unhappy week of recruiting for me at least. I can’t really speak for everyone else that was involved lol. But I know that it was definitely not a walk in the park for me. As some of you may know, my final list of five schools were; Oregon, Boston College, Northwestern, Iowa, and Georgia Tech. All five great schools in their own ways.
So here I am, thinking of different ways to eliminate a couple of these schools after I had taken my fifth official visit to Oregon. The visit to Oregon definitely had its effects on me, and at one point I thought that there may actually be a strong possibility of me committing there. The players and atmosphere really had me captivated. However, while I was on my visit to Oregon, coach Azz had let me know there was only one spot left on the dline in regards to scholarships. Basically, if I wanted the spot, it was all mine, otherwise if someone else committed first, they would have to take that prospects commitment. And of course the worst happened after about a week and I got a call saying that the spot was no longer available. Buh Bye Oregon.
Last Friday, Ekakitie committed to Iowa.
Both recruits and coaches are making decisions of a lifetime over the next six weeks, and in many cases it becomes a game of dominoes. A stud defensive tackle chooses Cal and another has problems with his homework. A third breaks up with his girlfriend. Coaches are flying across the country to meet families and sell their program, trying to evaluate a young man’s character, getting a read on which way the high school coach is influencing them, trying to project the 17-year-old manchild into the 22 year old All-American. One coach used to study the player’s shoes, trying to decide if he was likely to keep growing. Kids choose schools and schools choose kids, and the rounds of emails, text messages, phone calls, visits and film evaluations are tremendously demanding. All the while, the team back home is preparing for a bowl game.
Lives are changed forever in a high stakes poker game, exhilarating and nerve-wracking for everyone involved. It’s a game all unto itself, and in the process, young men choose their path in life, a road taken or a plane flight booked, one that will make all the difference.
Ekakitie chooses Iowa, and the Ducks select a diamond in the rough, 6-9, 265-lb. Stetzon Bair from Iowa Western Community College. Were the decisions correct? Ask them again in five years, or fifty.
Hat tip: reader Bill Tubbs, who sent along the Ekakitie blog link in an email.
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