For Oregon Football, the “late” or “traditional” National Signing Day has been relatively uneventful. That’s largely because Dan Lanning and the Ducks signed practically their entire 2024 recruiting class during the early signing period in December. But Wednesday wasn’t without a headline for the Ducks, as Oregon officially announced the signing of 2024 5-Star Burley (Idaho) wide receiver Gatlin Bair.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pass catcher is one of three All-American wide receivers Junior Adams signed this cycle, as he joins Ryan Pellum (Long Beach, CA) and Jeremiah McClellan (St. Louis, MO). Bair won’t join Oregon until the 2026 season, as he’s set to begin a two-year mission in Dallas, Texas next week with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein spoke about the pass catcher and what he brings to the table during the National Sign Day show on GoDucks.com. “This kid runs sub 10.1 in the 100 meter. Not only is he super fast, but when you watch his tape he’s a football player. That’s one thing, when I first watched him I know he’s a track star, but how does that translate to the football field? And he has every single movement, every single skill set that you want in a football player. He’s not just a track kid he is a football player.” Bair chose the Ducks over the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines in what was one of the most intriguing recruitments in the country. Michigan was widely viewed as the leader during the back half of his recruitment, and the departure of head coach Jim Harbaugh certainly helped Oregon land a player that was the top uncommitted recruit in the country for the 2024 class.
The newest Duck was recently bumped up to 5-Star status on both 247Sports and On3 following a strong performance in San Antonio against some of the best players in the country for the Adidas All-American Bowl. He was already the highest-rated recruit to come out of Idaho in the modern recruiting era, but the bump to five-star status is certainly a nice cherry on top. Oregon will have to wait to turn him loose in the Will Stein offense, but his speed, playmaking ability and character make him well worth the wait
