Redfield is looking at a couple of schools after decommitting from the USC Trojans to open things up, and he currently has Notre Dame in the lead. However, Oregon is also heavily in the mix. The Ohio State Buckeyes have entered the foray, while the Washington Huskies are somewhat involved after hosting a solid official visit last week. USC is obviously still in the mix, but it looks like Notre Dame is going to be a difficult team to unseat.

Scott Olmos-US PRESSWIRE

The Ducks will have their chance to impress the top 50 recruit on an official trip at some point in the future, and they will need to put forth their best effort when going up against Notre Dame. It sounds like Redfield has his eyes fixed on ND, but Oregon definitely at least has a shot at getting a commitment from the top five safety recruit.

LSU is also involved in his recruitment and will reportedly receive a visit from Redfield in the future.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

While Washington isn’t a major player in Redfield’s recruitment yet, it will be interesting to see if UW can do anything to change things in his recruitment. At this point, it seems like bitter rivals USC and ND are the two most likely destination points. Oregon definitely has a shot at landing the top five safety, and the fact that he decommitted is a big clue. Recruits committed to other teams are almost never allowed to take visits to Eugene, so Redfield’s decision to decommit likely means that he is weighing the Oregon offer heavily.

Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

One of the top 40 recruits in the 2013 class, Redfield is the third-ranked recruit in the state of California. Where he decides to go could very well shape the landing spot for Leon McQuay III, who is ranked just one spot ahead of Redfield in the safety rankings. McQuay will be officially visiting USC next month after taking an official trip to Oregon last week, so the recruitments of both elite safeties are closely intertwined.

The 6’3″, 195 pound Mission Viejo standout has elite speed and ball skills at the safety position. Redfield could also go to LSU, but USC and Notre Dame are viewed as the two teams in the best position to land him. Both LSU and Washington have outside chances, while Oregon is the third serious contender to land the heavily contested prospect.

2013 kicker/punter Jonathan King is on an unofficial visit to the South Carolina Gamecocks, and he has traveled to South Carolina before back in June whilst camping there. King has also camped at Alabama and Tennessee, and the Knoxville recruit has received plenty of SEC interest. The Oregon Ducks showed interest in King, but they already have Matt Wogan in the 2013 class.

Kentucky, Auburn, Notre Dame, UCLA, and Ohio State have also shown interest in King, who is still searching for his first offer.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

Could LSU bypass Oregon even if the Ducks go undefeated? Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-US PRESSWIRE

Still, zero first place votes were given to the Ducks. Granted, nearly all of them are going to Alabama, but LSU still picked up one in both polls. With how the SEC is perceived by much of the country, can Oregon hold on to the second spot or could LSU jump them?

Raymond: I do believe if Oregon goes undefeated they will play in the BCS Championship game.  The SEC teams will beat up on each other giving Oregon a clear path in.  At least I hope that is what happens after last year’s championship game.

Brian: Worst case scenario for the Ducks is Alabama losing a close game to LSU. The Crimson Tide are considered the best team in the nation and it’s not even close – they finished 102 points better than Oregon. If LSU and Alabama look impressive the rest of the way and Oregon looks sloppy toward the end of the season, but still going undefeated, I actually could see voters putting Alabama and LSU against each other in a rematch. Should it happen? Of course not, but it wouldn’t surprise me after last year.

Joe: Oregon controls their own destiny. If they win out, they’ll get to the national championship, and they have a better chance of doing that in the Pac-12 than in the SEC. No losses and their in. One loss, and they better hope LSU loses two because there is an SEC bias these days; for better of for worse. For Ducks fans and fans of teams in other conferences, it’s definitely for worse.

Mike: As of today I think that Oregon is the second best team in the nation. With the Ducks entering conference play, more and more people will get to see them and respect their wins. Of course, the Ducks control their own destiny and will face Southern Cal, Stanford, plus Oregon State who are all ranked, so wins over them will help. Should Oregon keep winning they’ll stay in front of the winner of Alabama/LSU and play in Miami for the national title.

The Autzen Zoo staff includes lead editor Brian Spaen along with staff writers Joe Soriano, Mike Vamosi, Raymond Mencke, Jr., and Ricky Widmer.