The surest sign of how far Oregon football recruiting has come is how many kids describe an offer from the Ducks as their dream come true.
That was the reaction yesterday from Morgan Mahalak, a 6-3, 190-lb. quarterback from Marin Catholic High of Kentfield, California, the third verbal commitment of Oregon’s 2014 recruiting class.
Along with athletic offensive tackle Tyrell Crosby, Mahalak has vowed to start working on “Autzen Army 2014,” a highly personal cell phone and Twitter campaign to get other top prospects to join him as a Duck.
Mahalak has drawn some early comparisons to Mariota in that he is tall and blessed with an accurate, strong arm, able to throw 25 to 30-yard routes on a string. He has good balance and footwork in the pocket, tutored extremely well at passing camps and in private coaching. He throws from a powerful base and uses his legs properly in the throwing motion, adding zip and power. He understands different concepts and tools a passer needs, seam routes, go routes, back shoulder fades, slipping away from backside pressure, taking something off the ball to a back in the flat. He runs strong, efficient in getting upfield and hard to tackle, even playing some wide receiver for his high school team as a sophomore and junior, but he doesn’t appear to have the rare suddenness of Mariota or Dennis Dixon.
His throwing ability and character made a strong impression on Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost, who reportedly offered him on the spot after a workout this week. Mahalak gets the ball out quickly on slants and bubble screens, reads his options well presnap. In his highlight tape you can see him working through progressions with a lot of poise.
Also like Mariota, Mahalak appears to be a late bloomer. As a junior he played behind a Division One prospect at Marin Catholic, on a team that made it it to the California Division III state championship game. This upcoming season, Morgan’s senior year, will be his first opportunity to be the full-time varsity starter. Even so his talent and work habits have already earned him offers to South Florida and Duke, and he was invited to attend the Cal Bears Spring Game and made another visit with Mike Riley at Oregon State. As a sophomore he started nine games as a JV, throwing for over 2000 yards and 22 tds.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
