Victory Vaka, 4-star DT and key Oregon Ducks target, sets decision date

Victory Vaka

Class of 2021 4-star defensive tackle Victory Vaka poses for a photo. (Courtesy of Victory Vaka)

The Oregon Ducks have placed a priority at the defensive tackle position, and it seems to have developed into the program’s primary theme on the recruiting trail of late.

This weekend, Oregon is hosting Alabama commit and 6-foot-6 1/2, 340-pound defensive tackle Jayson Jones on an official visit, hoping to address its need at the position in the 2020 class.

In the class of 2021, key Ducks target and 247Sports four-star defensive tackle Victory Vaka set his commitment date for early this summer:

The 6-foot-3, 314-pound defensive lineman, out of Westlake High School (Westlake Village, California), is rated the nation’s No. 15 defensive tackle and holds offers from Arizona State, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, Texas A&M, Utah and others.

Vaka, who previously eliminated Oregon from his top 5 in November, came out with an updated list in December that included the Ducks.

Here’s what Sports Illustrated had to say about Vaka in a recent evaluation of his skillset:

“The humble Vaka has plus strength and plus lateral movement for a player his size. He demonstrates solid block recognition, a product of time and energy dedicated to his craft. Most of his wins are the result of his lighting fast first two steps, which are the key to success for any great lineman on either side of the ball. Vaka can push the pocket with authority, even when he’s out-leveraged by his opponent. His punch and extension remind me of former Stanford standout David Perry’s and the way he locked out Pac-12 offensive lineman in his collegiate days."

“Combine the get-off with his polished eyes and great extension, Vaka seldom lets offensive linemen in on his chest. If I were to be nit-picky, he does have a tendency to leave his feet too early after disengaging and going for a tackle. This is an improvement to watch for during his senior season at Westlake.”

Oregon’s 2021 recruiting class, which consists of five four-star commitments and one three-star pledge, is ranked No. 1 in the Pac-12 Conference and No. 6 nationally by 247Sports.

Nemec’s Analysis

There’s still a long way to go before Vaka announces his commitment, and a lot could change between now and June.

But if he were picking today, I think he would choose Oregon.

The Ducks have made up a lot of ground - not just re-entering the top five - but also establishing themselves as his likely favorite, and Vaka has solid connections to recruits in the 2021 class.

-- Andrew Nemec | anemec@oregonian.com | @AndrewNemec

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