As the Oregon Ducks prepare to push for a National Championship, one of the biggest keys is getting all the pieces to fall into place. While the stars like Dante Moore, A'Mauri Washington, and Matayo Uiagalelei all return, the Ducks need some of the new faces and underclassmen to step into bigger roles. The way Oregon recruits allows the Ducks to count on freshmen to fill roles each season as the staff continues to reel in elite playmakers.
While the Ducks have plenty of true freshmen coming in from the latest recruiting class, the Ducks also have a unique freshman in Gatlin Bair. After signing with the Ducks in the 2024 recruiting class as the 30th ranked player in the Country, Gatlin Bair wasn't with the team over the last two years, taking an LDS Mission.
Gatlin Bair's return to football earns praise from Evan Stewart and Dan Lanning
While Gatlin Bair is a 5-star talent, after spending the last two seasons on a Mission, and not with the team he's going to have to work back into form. Gatlin Bair is going to have to knock some rust off after being away from football, and if he's truly going to get back to that level, it'll likely take some game reps this season, which aren't always available.
The elder statesman of the wide receiver room Evan Stewart spoke to the media about what he's seen from Gatlin Bair, and the mental side of the game is what Stewart picked to praise.
"Gatlin's very smart. That's one thing that definitely helped him out getting back and knocking the rust off. The physicality for Gatlin, it was always gonna be there. So the mental that Gatlin got has definitely helped him, and he's definitely stepping up and making plays."Evan Stewart
When Dan Lanning spoke to the media on Wednesday, he was asked about Oregon's younger wide receivers where Gatlin Bair received his share of praise.
"Yeah, I mean, several of these guys are stepping up every single day. I mean, I think Messiah's [Hampton] really come on the last few days. You know Jalen's [Lott] certainly had some flash plays that stick out. Gatlin's [Bair] had those. I mean, there's several guys that have been able to do that. Iverson [Hooks], I mean, all in all, we've got a really good group of wideouts. It's going to be, okay, how do we figure out how to use these guys to their best ability and, you know, where do they fall in?"Dan Lanning
Hearing that both Gatlin Bair's teammates and coaches are seeing the flashes is great news for his chances to develop into an impactful player for the Ducks. There was always going to be some growing pains and rough stretches after two seasons off, but to hear that Bair is holding his own, and continuing to flash is a great sign.
The goal for the Ducks has to be finding a way to get Gatlin Bair into games this season, preventing three straight seasons away from football. Non-Conference play should provide the perfect opportunity for the staff, and Bair will need to use those games to prove he should continue playing well into Big Ten play.
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