Rivals mailbag on Ducks southern recruiting....

[pdxduck]

Looks like Chip and company are making quite an effort down south (especially Florida).

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/co ... CID=931358

Q - Who else besides Rivals250 running back Ethan Grant do you see Oregon pulling out of Florida this year? It seems like the Ducks are in the top group for a lot of quality prospects down there and in other Southern states.

A - By my count, Oregon already has offered two dozen Southern prospects, including 10 from south Florida alone, and has a commitment from speedy running back Ethan Grant from Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Broward Prep.

Defensive end David Perry (Fort Lauderdale University School) and wide receivers Ted Meline (Miami Booker T. Washington) and Ivan McCartney (Miramar High) are south Florida standouts showing great interest in Oregon. I would expect that this trio will at least visit Oregon, and don't be surprised if the Ducks land Perry.

Meanwhile, offensive tackle prospect Jawuan James of Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett recently visited Oregon and said the Ducks definitely are in the mix.

The Ducks' current roster has four players from the Southeast, though one – running back LeGarrette Blount – is a Floridian who signed out of junior college. So, why the sudden interest in recruiting the Southeast? New coach Chip Kelly believes Oregon can recruit nationally. I, too, think Oregon should have a national presence, and with the backing of Nike, outstanding facilities, a solid coaching staff and playing in the wide-open Pac-10, you would think that this will be a successful recruiting formula for Oregon.

[dthomas=ddixon]

That's awesome to hear about Perry. Offensive players are one thing but if we can snag a defensive player out of SEC country...that's something special.