Recruiting is about the future, but it helps to have success and credibility in your recent past.
Oregon’s developed a superb tradition at tight end, sending a long line of them to the NFL including David Paulson, Ed Dickson, Dante Rosario, Tim Day, George Wrighster, Justin Peele, Josh Wilcox and Blake Spence. Johnny Mundt, last week’s star and Mackey Award Tight End of the Week, shows how thorough and effective Tom Osborne is at coaching and evaluating athletes at the position: Mundt was a three star recruit.
The Ducks other tight end, junior Colt Lyerla is draft eligible this year and could be headed for the NFL Combine, where his freakish athletic ability will have Mel Kiper raving about him. Lyerla can jump out of a swimming pool. He has a vertical leap of 40 inches, and at 6-5, 250 he’s strong and fast. Most mock drafts have him going in the first round.
Leather helmet big dog: Bryce Dixon, shown here in 7-on-7 competition this summer, is one of the top tight end prospects in the country. He visits Oregon October 18th for the Washington State game (Carmen Smyth photo, vcstar.com).
The Ducks have three good athletes stockpiled at TE in addition to the new Johnny Football. Pharaoh Brown was Oregon’s #2 tight end before he got injured. Evan Baylis out of Colorado was a four-star recruit, and Koa Ka’ai was one of the top athletes in Hawaii when he signed with the team.
Even so, the Webfoot coaching staff is always looking for good athletes with speed and size, and they have their eye on another exceptional prospect. Bryce Dixon, a 6-4, 220-lb. big receiver from St. Bonaventure High of Ventura, California, is one of the most gifted and versatile inside receivers in prep football.
Watch Dixon in his highlight film go up and get the ball among three defenders. Watch him streak down the sideline, shed a defender, keep his balance and go 90+ yards for a touchdown. He’s the most confident athlete on the field in these highlights, with size, good speed and agility.
A consensus four-star recruit, Dixon has offers from 18 schools, including USC, UCLA, Washington, Florida, Miami, Texas A&M and Ohio State. As a junior he caught 25 passes for 349 yards and 5 touchdowns even though his season was shortened by a high ankle sprain and broken thumb.
Dixon has been able to dunk a basketball since the 8th grade. His former high school coach, Todd Therrien told Eric Sondheimer of the L.A. Times, “He may be an NFL guy one day. It’s actually fun watching him develop from wanting to be an outside receiver to moving in and blocking. If he keeps developing, he could have a really bright future.”
The senior Duck target has terrific body control and like Lyerla, freakish athletic ability. Coming into high school basketball was his sport, so he’s still learning the game and still filling out, just 6-foot, 185 as a freshman. He’s grown now to the point that he creates a mismatch wherever he lines up.
In choosing a school he’s said he’s interested in how they use the tight end and he’s expressed an interest in Kinesiology. He prefers warm weather schools, which gives UCLA and USC an inside track, also indicating he’s more likely to remain on the West Cost. Oregon appeals to him for their offense and explosiveness. He doesn’t expect to start as a first-year player but wants to compete for early playing time. So far Oregon is his only scheduled official visit, although he intends to take others. The Ducks two tight end sets, with Lyerla and Mundt making some big plays, would make a nice impression.
Dixon has the ability and flexibility to move around in the offensive formation, much in the way the Ducks have used Colt Lyerla and used to use Ed Dickson.
St. Bonaventure is one of the powers of high school football in Southern California. Last season they finished 11-2 with a victory of Oaks Christian. Therrien was dismissed this summer over a personnel matter. The Seraph’s quarterback, Ricky Town, is a five-star recruit as a drop-back passer. Town gave a verbal commiitment to Nick Saban and Alabama in August.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
