Oregon Football Recruiting: Top 10 Duck Recruits During the Internet Era

Oregon continues our 12-part series where we are ranking the best recruits to sign with each Pac-12 school since the advent of serious recruiting coverage on the Internet (2002 serving as the furthest year back that you can find rankings for players online). Our rankings are put together by combining players' rankings from recruiting sites, offers and the amount of hype that surrounded their singings.

Please note that these are taking only into account how highly-rated players were coming out of high school, not their college careers. So please, no angry, insult-laden comments about how only a child murderer wouldn't realize that LaMichael James (Or any player who had a great college career, but was an under-the-radar recruit) should be number three on the list.

1. De'Anthony Thomas - Class of 2011 - CB, Los Angeles, CA - Crenshaw

The "Black Mamba" was one of the most exciting recruits to ever come out of the West Coast because of his world class speed, quickness and entertainment value. He was listed by many as a cornerback prospect, but he had the body and skill set coming out of high school to play just about any skill position. Everyone knows the story that Thomas was committed to USC for a very long time, but then switched to Oregon during the end of his recruitment. Thomas instantly became the most exciting player in the Pac-12 since his first game at Oregon and looks like a serious Heisman contender going into his junior season.

2. Haloti Ngata - Class of 2002 - DT, Salt Lake City, UT - Highland

You could almost tell that Ngata was going to be a future All-Pro when you saw him in high school as he was just so big, so strong and such a force that you knew he was a can't miss prospect. Ngata was committed to BYU at one point, but the Ducks pried him away late in the recruiting process in what was probably their first huge recruiting score as a program. Ngata was simply a rock his entire at Oregon and left after his junior year to go onto the future Hall of Fame career he has put together with the Ravens.

3. Thomas Tyner - Class of 2013 - RB, Beaverton, OR - Aloha

This is a very fresh one with Tyner just signing a handful of months ago, so everyone pretty much knows about his story. Still, Tyner was one of the top running backs in his class and with his Olympic-level speed and prolific numbers he has as much potential as any running back who has ever signed with the Ducks or anyone in the Pac-12 really. Tyner committed to the Ducks very, very early and that fact, combined with his nearby locale might of downplayed how big of a signing he was, but regardless, he is the most anticipated Pac-12 signee from 2013.

4. Jonathan Stewart - Class of 2005 - RB, Olympia, WA - Timberline

Stewart had an NFL body coming out of high school at 5'10 220 and was one of the top-rated running backs in the Class of 2005 because of it. He was big, strong, had freakish balance and could run people over or past them. Stewart committed to the Ducks without visiting anywhere else and like Ngata, was another milestone signing for the Ducks, as it showed they could continue to reel in five-star players. Stewart had three good years at Oregon where he was banged up a bit before heading the NFL and having a solid career thus far with the Panthers.

5. Arik Armstead - Class of 2012 - T, Elk Grove, CA - Pleasant Grove

Armstead was once considered the best overall prospect of 2012 and though that wavered a bit, he was still regarded as a huge prospect with a sky-high ceiling as a 6'9 lineman with great athleticism and size. Armstead committed to USC at one point, but opened up his recruitment again after his older brother decided to transfer from the Trojans and ended up signing with the Ducks right before signing day. Armstead played extensively on the defensive line for the Ducks in 2012 and though he is still a bit raw, has huge amounts of potential.

6. Lache Seastrunk - Class of 2010 - RB, Temple, TX

Eh, I'm sure Duck fans are tired of hearing about this guy, but long story short, he was one of the top recruits in the country in 2010 as a home run threat running back and he chose the Ducks over a bevy of big time Midwest and Southern schools including Texas. Seatstrunk never ended up playing for the Ducks, but tripped up a seemingly never ending NCAA investigation and he is now an emerging star at Baylor.

7. Cameron Colvin - Class of 2004 - WR, Concord, CA - De La Salle

Colvin wasn't prolific at De La Salle but was a speed freak that ran a 4.3 40 at 6'1 195, making him a deadly deep threat and five-star recruit. Colvin was another milestone recruit for the Ducks as he picked Oregon over schools like USC, Florida State, Miami and Michigan. Unfortunately, Colvin was plagued with injuries for almost all of his career and just when he was starting to break out as a senior, he went down with a career ending injury.

8. Curtis White - Class of 2010 - DE, Eugene, OR - Sheldon

White might have been the top-rated recruit to ever come out of the city of Eugene, as he was given five stars by Scout and was a deadly pass rusher who had great athleticism for his size. A hometown kid, it was no surprise that White committed to the Ducks and didn't really have much of a recruitment at all. Unfortunately, White struggled with injuries during his short career and had to eventually retire from football.

9. Anthony Wallace - Class of 2011 - LB, Dallas, TX - Skyline

Wallace was a picture-perfect middle linebacker that was big, strong and a big hitter at Dallas powerhouse Skyline and one of the top recruits out of Texas in the Class of 2011. Wallace continued to show that the Ducks could really recruit in Texas as they pulled him away from Texas and USC and up to the Northwest.

10. Colt Lyerla - Class of 2011 - LB, Hillsboro, OR

One of the best pure athletes to ever come out of the state of Oregon, Lyerla had freakish athleticism and drive for a player of his size and could have been a high school star at just about every position on the field. Lyerla didn't really have a recruitment, as he was another local guy who knew he was going to play for the Ducks early, but he assuredly would have had a lot of attention had he kept it open as he was a high school All-American.

Others considered

Dennis Dixon - Class of 2003 - QB, San Leandro, CA

Willie Glasper - Class of 2004 - CB, Concord, CA - De La Salle

Nick Rowland - Class of 2011 - G, Peoria, AZ - Centennial

Chris Solomona - Class of 2002 - DT, Torrance, CA - El Camino Junior College

Justin Thompson - Class of 2008 - DT, Torrance, CA - El Camino Junior College