Oregon football recruiting: Five-star WR Gatlin Bair picks Ducks over Michigan

Oregon’s 2024 recruiting class received a major late addition Saturday, when five-star receiver Gatlin Bair announced his commitment to the Ducks. Bair’s commitment comes with a caveat, however. He plans to serve an LDS mission and won’t enroll until 2026, according to 247Sports.

Still, his commitment gives the Ducks a building block to plan around for the future as head coach Dan Lanning continues to impress on the recruiting trail entering his third season on the job. Bair is considered the No. 6 receiver in the class and No. 27 overall prospect by 247Sports.

The former Boise State pledge decommitted from the Broncos after they fired coach Andy Avalos. He was also heavily pursued by Michigan. Bair is the highest-rated prospect ever from the state of Idaho, according to 247Sports, and he just recently picked up his fifth star.

Here is the breakdown of his game from 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks:

Explosive multi-sport star with three-phase playmaking experience who projects as a dynamic receiver. Lean, athletic build with an enormous catch radius given 6-1+ height and elite length (34-inch arm). High-flying basketball context. Owner of rare track and field athleticism for a football prospect with a 10.15 100 and 20.47 200 (also long jumps). Acceleration and top-end speed show on the field. Mixes speed-changing nuance and route-leverage awareness with that volatile explosiveness. Shows impressive ball-tracking ability and adjustment acumen with mid-air body control and spatial awareness. Creative run-after-catch athlete who can stack cuts across the field or spin off tacklers. Faces significant jump in competition coming from lower-level high school football. However, performed well during All-American Bowl week, an event that often puts small-school athletes in a “deer in the headlights” situation. Not the case here. Will need to get stronger to beat press and calibrate athleticism to other elite athletes on a consistent basis, but projects as a high-major impact player with long-term NFL Draft early-round potential.

Bair also played basketball and competed in track at Burley High School. He began shining on the gridiron as a freshman, playing on both sides of the football throughout his high school career. But there’s little doubt over what position he’ll play at the next level as his 6-foot-1 frame, speed and athleticism make him a natural receiver prospect.