The Tennessee Volunteers are off to a blistering start to the 2024 college football season. But that momentum briefly halted on Thursday. A Big Ten title contender swooped in and flipped a future Vols commit their way. That team was none other than the Oregon Ducks.
Class of 2025 offensive lineman Douglas Utu announced Thursday that he would flip from Tennessee to the Oregon Ducks. Utu announced his decision on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.
“I am excited to announce my commitment to the University of Oregon to further my academic and athletic career,” Utu said.
I am excited to announce my commitment to the University of Oregon to further my academic and athletic career. Thank you to my family, coaches, teammates, and most importantly the the man above who supported me throughout this journey. Go Ducks! 🦆@BGOLcoach @wilson_utu @AneUtu pic.twitter.com/RHTvkeCb1R
— Douglas Utu (@DouglasUtu56) September 26, 2024
“Thank you to my family, coaches, teammates, and most importantly the the man above who supported me throughout this journey. Go Ducks!” he added.
The move improves Oregon’s recruiting class, which has already been heralded as one of the program’s best in history. He joins a loaded group that will go to Eugene next fall and hope to continue upward in the Big Ten. The Ducks are out to a 3-0 start and begin their first Big Ten season against a familiar opponent this weekend. Oregon will play UCLA, fittingly at the Rose Bowl, on late Saturday night.
They’ll do so knowing they just flipped a blue-chip recruit away from an SEC squad that’s also just as optimistic. Tennessee did pull away Dont’e Thornton Jr. from the Ducks in the portal, so it’s fair to say they’re even now.
