Oregon already landed Prukop, fills out other spots

Feb 4, 2016 - 2:23 AM EUGENE, Ore. (AP) With graduate transfer Dakota Prukop set to take over at quarterback this fall for his final season of eligibility, Oregon added a few prospects at the position for the future.

Former Nebraska recruit Terry Wilson, who changed his mind and decided to go with the Ducks, and Justin Herbert, a local prospect from Sheldon High School, were among those who signed on Wednesday to play for Oregon. Four-star dual quarterback Tristan Wallace, who also signed, is likely to play at receiver.

Prukop, a standout at Montana State, announced he was headed to Eugene in December and is already on campus. It is expected that he'll take over for Vernon Adams, also a transfer who played for the Ducks last season.

Asked if he was confronted on the recruiting trail about using two straight graduate transfers at the position, coach Mark Helfrich said the only negative feedback he hears is from the media, and that recruits rarely mention transfers or attrition.

On the eve of signing day, quarterback Morgan Mahalak, who was on the scout team last season as a redshirt freshman, announced he would be leaving the Ducks.

Other things to consider about Oregon's 2016 recruiting class:

Top 25 Class: Yes. No. 23.

Best in class: Wallace, an athletic 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, hails from DeSoto, Texas. He could make an impact right away. Helfrich said Wallace wants to play at receiver, so the Ducks will go with that at the start, but he did not rule out moving him in the future. ''I don't know what he is, but he's great,'' Helfrich said, adding that the position coaches will likely fight for him.

Best of the rest: Dillon Mitchell, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound wide receiver out of Memphis, Tennessee, was wooed by many elite programs, including Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and Ohio State. Part of his appeal is that he also plays basketball, although it's not certain that he'll double-up at the college level. He's already enrolled in classes.

Late addition: Four-star linebacker Keith Simms of Maryland had offers from Stanford, Cal, Michigan State and Virginia Tech, among other schools, but over the weekend committed to the Ducks.

One that got away: Running back Vavae Malepeai verbally committed to Oregon but signed with USC. Malepeai holds the career prep rushing record for the state of Hawaii.

How they'll fit in: All eyes will be on the quarterback situation at Oregon and how it evolves over the next few years after two straight seasons of graduate transfers. But the Ducks got a solid recruiting class that included 17 high school players and a junior college transfer. While some fans grumbled that there were no five-star recruits and that most national class rankings put the Ducks in the 20s, Helfrich maintained the importance of signing players who will enroll at Oregon and play, as opposed to players who won't ultimately qualify.

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For the full list: http://www.goducks.com/