Former Alabama cornerback Khyree Jackson has committed to the Oregon Ducks after entering the transfer portal on Dec. 5. He announced his commitment on social media Sunday morning.
That makes it three transfer portal commits for Lanning's Ducks, with former Iowa linebacker Jestin Jacobs and former Alabama wide receiver Traeshon Holden migrating west to Oregon.
The Ducks' recruiting squad has been in overdrive this week. They got Jackson on campus with his family last weekend, the same time former Crimson Tide teammate Holden was in town.
It's been a long road to Eugene for Jackson. Coming out of Dr. Henry Wise High School in Upper Marlboro, MD, he took his talents to two separate junior colleges in Texas and then Mississippi.
At his second JUCO stop with East Mississippi Community College in 2020, Jackson put himself on the map and earned a four-star prospect ranking. Oregon, along with college football blue-bloods like LSU, Georgia, and Florida extended offers to the cornerback before Jackson committed to Alabama.
But, as is the case with many top prospects at top programs, Jackson couldn't find the field consistently. Over his two seasons with the Crimson Tide, Jackson contributed 14 tackles and two passes defended. His best game on the Tide was last year's Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff Semifinal, where he registered three tackles and a pass defended.
At six-foot-three, 198 pounds, Jackson has the height to stand up to jump-ball receivers and the speed to keep up with the quickest playmakers. And his addition to the Oregon cornerback room couldn't have come at a better time.
Oregon's top cornerback this season Christian Gonzalez has announced his intentions to enter the 2023 NFL Draft. And despite Gonzalez's excellent single season in Eugene, Oregon still ranked near the bottom of the Pac-12 ceding more than 260 passing yards per game.
Big passing plays killed the Ducks in games, especially in the loss against Washington. Jackson would be a huge help to the secondary, but it will take more than that to right the ship.
The Ducks should start by locking down the talent they already have on the roster. True freshman cornerback Jahlil Florence said he isn't going anywhere next season.
Dontae Manning and Trikweze Bridges have gone back-and-forth between being the second and third best corners on the Ducks over the past two seasons.
Cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin will have to stay active on the recruiting trail as well. The top of the corner recruiting list is three-star athlete Solomon Davis, who took an official visit to Eugene recently.
PREDICTION: Oregon to land key 2023 recruit
Along with getting new recruits, Oregon needs to make sure its 2023 cornerback commits are secure. That includes a pair of four-stars in Cole Martin and Caleb Pressley, who have both received plenty of interest from Power Five schools despite their commitments to Oregon.
The Ducks have a lot of work to do to shore up the secondary, but Jackson's commitment is a step in the right direction.
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