Bryce Cottrell sticks with Oregon

Even after a visit to Texas on Friday, Plano, Texas native Bryce Cottrell says that he will remain committed to the Oregon Ducks. There was some fear that the three-star defensive end recruit would sign with the Longhorns, because Texas is his state. However, his soft verbal commitment has strengthened, and Ducks fans should expect Cottrell to officially sign with the team.

Cottrell is a top fifty defensive end who has the athleticism to succeed in college and has good size. He can play at either end or outside linebacker, and ESPN lists him as an OLB (Scout and Rivals have him as a DE).

The Plano West product is strong enough to be a solid player on run defense, but his main asset is his ability to cover. For this reason, some scouts project Bryce Cottrell as a linebacker. He seems better suited as a linebacker due to his ability to cover, but he would need to be in a 3-4 to succeed as an OLB. As a defensive end, look for him to be involved in zone blitzes with his ability to move back into coverage.

Cottrell is a solid addition for the Oregon Ducks, and he should be able to contribute to this team in 2013. He has a good shot at becoming a starter in Eugene, but the team needs to decide if he is a better fit at end or linebacker. It seems best if he is used in a hybrid role, and this suits the Ducks defense well. Cottrell is a solid addition to this team, and Texas wasn’t able to steal away this recruit.

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