Latest news with #Ponatoski
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oregon Ducks' QB commitment leads to recruiting dominoes falling in 2026 class
With the commitment of four-star QB Bryson Beaver to the Oregon Ducks earlier this afternoon, the dominoes are quickly falling for another Oregon QB target in the class of 2026. Matt Ponatoski, out of Archbishop Moeller in Cincinnati, Ohio, was among Oregon's top QB targets in the 2026 class and was considering them as a program within his top four choices. A Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Ohio for both football and baseball, Ponatoski stood in rare air for his accomplishments on both the gridiron and the diamond. Alongside Beaver at the Elite 11 Finals earlier this month in Los Angeles, Ponatoski received praise from The Athletic's Bruce Feldman for being the CFB analyst's biggest "pleasant surprise" as far as what the Ohio native could do with the ball in his hands. However, after Beaver's commitment, On3's Steve Wiltfong has logged the Kentucky Wildcats as an expert prediction as a landing spot for the No. 9-ranked signal-caller in the 2026 On300. This shift in Ponatoski's recruitment doesn't come as a surprise, seeing as the Ducks did not plan on taking a pair of quarterbacks in the 2026 class, and thus filled their need for a passer on Wednesday. Alongside Kentucky, the two-sport star will presumably also consider Alabama and Arkansas, as those two programs were in his previous top four. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What's next for Oregon Football at QB position after 5-star Ryder Lyons' announcement?
On Tuesday morning, the Oregon Ducks saw the second 5-star quarterback in the 2026 class list them as a finalist in their recruitment, and then chose another school in the end. Earlier this spring, it was 5-star Jared Curtis who chose the Georgia Bulldogs over the Ducks, while Tuesday saw 5-star Ryder Lyons choose the BYU Cougars over Oregon. While unfortunate and somewhat frustrating for fans, it's admittedly not the end of the world. Lyons may be in the 2026 class, but because of a post-high school LDS mission, he won't be enrolling until 2027. Still, losing Lyons means that the Ducks need to land another passer in the 2026 class to keep their QB room full and stocked with talent. There are a couple of names on the board, and a broader conversation to be had about what the future of recruiting for the position looks like. Let's start with some names to know in the immediate future. 4-star QB Bryson Beaver Oregon was in early on former Boise State Broncos commit Bryson Beaver, who opened up his recruitment a couple of weeks ago after receiving an Oregon offer, and has since seen his recruitment blow up. In that time, Beaver has received multiple offers from SEC schools like Ole Miss, LSU, and Auburn, and has been named one of the top players at the Elite 11 Finals. While Oregon may have been in on him early, it's looking like landing him may be more difficult than originally anticipated. The Ducks are still the leader in the clubhouse to get Beaver at the moment, but his recruitment could go on a couple more months and into the season, so it's one to keep tabs on. 4-star Matt Ponatoski Another name to know is Matt Ponatoski, a 4-star recruit out of Ohio who is just as good, if not better, at baseball than he is football. Earlier this year, Ponatoski accomplished a rare feat, winning the Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year for both football and baseball, which is something that has been done in two sports by only three players in the last 40 years: Ponatoski, Randy Moss, and Matt Bauer. While there is an expectation that Ponatoski will announce his commitment between Oregon and the Kentucky Wildcats later this week, questions remain about his future. As such a highly-touted baseball prospect, a future exists where he gets drafted highly in the MLB draft this year, and doesn't end up playing any college football, choosing to go straight to the minor leagues out of high school. Because of this he may be viewed as a riskier QB prospect than Beaver for the Ducks' case. The Future of Oregon QBs While it is currently up in the air who Oregon is going to get at QB in this class, there should be some confidence that Dan Lanning and Will Stein will secure somebody before all is said and done. Where they fit into the future plans is a different question. Either Dante Moore or Austin Novosad will be the starting QB in 2025, and it's fair to assume that the QB1 this season will stay on as the QB1 in 2026 as well. Then in 2027, the job is open once again for anyone to grab. So who will that be? Your answer depends entirely on your confidence level in the guys currently in the room. It could be Luke Moga or Akili Smith Jr., both of whom came to Oregon as solid recruits with a plan to develop in the system. It could be Beaver, Ponatoski, or an unnamed QB in the 2026 class who sits for a year in 2026 and then beats at the others for the starting job in 2027. It also could be that Oregon chooses to go back into the transfer portal for a year and get their passer that way, hoping that a QB they get in the 2027 class can develop behind them and take over down the road. No matter what happens, it's become entirely clear that the Ducks have a lot of talented individuals in the QB room, and a great track record of developing those players into stars. Whoever ends up stepping in as the QB1 in 2025, 2026, 2027, and beyond should garner the utmost confidence from the fanbase as Lanning and Stein build this program out into the future. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
20-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oregon QB Targets Bryson Beaver, Matt Ponatoski Turned Heads at Elite 11 Finals
Coming out of the Elite 11 Finals this week in Los Angeles, a narrative was built that this is among the best crop of quarterbacks that the camp has seen in quite some time. So it bodes well that a pair of Oregon Ducks targets, Bryson Beaver and Matt Ponatoski, are receiving some high praise coming out of the camp. After the three-day camp, Beaver was named the No. 3 top performer, while Ponatoski came in at No. 7 on the list. In a story from The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, the CFB analyst's biggest "pleasant surprise" was seeing what Ponatoski could do with the ball in his hands. "The most pleasant surprise to me was Ohio's Matt Ponatoski," Feldman wrote. "The two-sport star has an electric arm, having been clocked at 97 mph as a pitcher. That arm wowed me Thursday morning in his 7-on-7 performance. The 6-1, 196-pounder, who is uncommitted, made two 'wow' throws to receivers who didn't look open at all, but he fired the ball into the only spot he could and completed the passes. It was impressive." Meanwhile, Beaver turned a lot of heads throughout the weekend, coming in as a relatively unknown prospect who has exploded onto the scene in the last week. "Bryson Beaver, a three-star recruit from Southern California (No. 54 QB in the class), turned a lot of heads as well this week. The 6-2, 200-pounder, who recently decommitted from Boise State, is getting a lot of interest from some Power 4 powers, including Oregon. It wasn't hard to see why. He has an excellent arm and good feet." In his "superlatives" for the Elite 11 Finals, Charles Power named Beaver the player from the week with the strongest arm, while Ponatoski was the most accurate of the bunch. Both Ponatoski and Beaver are expected to take their official visits to Oregon this week, with the Ducks likely getting a commitment from one of them. At the moment, there is a belief that Ponatoski could get selected in the MLB draft as a top high school prospect this summer, which might lead to him never taking a snap in college football. That may lead to the Ducks prioritizing Beaver, who is among the fastest-rising QB prospects in the nation. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
04-06-2025
- General
- USA Today
Oregon Football QB target Matt Ponatoski joins Randy Moss with rare accomplishment
Oregon Football QB target Matt Ponatoski joins Randy Moss with rare accomplishment Dan Lanning has demonstrated a trend of recruiting dual-sport athletes over the past few years and utilizing players who specialize in sports other than football for the Oregon Ducks. We've seen this most notably with linebacker Bryce Boettcher, who was drafted by the Houston Astros last year, and 5-star tight end commit Kendre Harrison is another example, excelling in both football and basketball. It appears that the Ducks are after another elite dual-sport athlete in 4-star QB Matt Ponatoski. On Tuesday, it was announced that Ponatoski accomplished a rare feat, winning the Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year for both football and baseball. According to WCPO's Mike Dyer, Ponatoski is one of only three players to ever accomplish this in the 40 years that Gatorade has been giving out the awards, joining Randy Moss (football and basketball) and Matt Bauer (football and baseball). Last week it was announced that Ponatoski — the No. 293 player and No. 22 QB in the class — will take an official visit to Oregon on June 20. That will be a massive weekend for the Ducks, with 5-star OT Immanuel Iheanacho, 5-star TE Mark Bowman, 5-star TE Kendre Harrison, and 5-star ATH Jalen Lott all in town as well. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Three Predictions: Brayden Parks, Ohio State, Alabama
Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Smith has predictions on a Rivals250 defensive tackle earning his fifth star, Ohio State landing a top offensive target and Alabama zeroing in on a Midwest quarterback. MORE MIDWEST: Rumor Mill | Wisconsin making a push with four-star EDGE McHale Blade NEW RIVALS250 RELEASED: Ranking | Top storylines | Ten prospects who could rise with a big June CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info BRAYDEN PARKS BECOMES A FIVE-STAR Even though Parks is already a top-150 prospect in the 2027 Rivals250 he is still on the rise. He just wrapped up a visit to Oregon where he camped and has the Ducks coaches impressed with him. He'll visit Notre Dame and Ohio State next. Advertisement His teammate, wide receiver Quentin Burrell, is also generating five-star buzz. It's tough for an interior defensive lineman to reach that status but if someone can do it, it'll be the 6-foot-3, 305-pounder out of Chicago. His blend of size, speed and power makes him a major force along the line. His recruitment is just heating up and will be hotly contested. FAVOUR AKIH JOINS THE BUCKEYES' CLASS AFTER HIS VISIT The long-awaited official visit to Ohio State is happening this weekend for the four-star running back from Ohio. Akih's recruitment has gotten quieter after a huge winter but he's one of the best backs in the country this cycle. Once Ohio State turned up the heat it became very difficult for Miami and others to continue pushing for his pledge. Advertisement After his visit back to Columbus this weekend, I'm predicting that he'll officially join the Buckeyes' 2026 class, which is in the hunt for the No. 1 ranking once again. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT ALABAMA SIGNS A QUARTERBACK FROM THE MIDWEST One of the more underrated storylines of this recruiting cycle has been Alabama quarterback recruiting. Previously under coach Nick Saban there was never a question if they'd get a top prospect. Coach Kalen DeBoer kept that rolling by landing last cycle's No. 1 player, Keelon Russell. It's incredibly hard to follow that up with another top prospect so the Tide staff has taken its time with a deep evaluation. Advertisement Now it looks like Alabama is strongly in the mix for a pair of signal-callers from the Midwest. Ohio's Matt Ponatoski and Nebraska's Jett Thomalla are both atop the board for Alabama's staff. Thomalla took an unofficial visit the weekend of May 30 and Ponatoski will take an official visit the weekend of June 6. I believe the Tide will either flip Thomalla from Iowa State or nab the dual-sport athlete Ponatoski, who also stars on the baseball diamond. Both players have enormous potential with some coaching by a noted QB guru in DeBoer. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ALABAMA FANS AT
