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          Ducks land commitment from QB Ryan Kelley

          • Erik McKinney, ESPN Staff WriterNov 12, 2015, 05:41 PM
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            • Covers recruiting in the Pac-12
            • Joined ESPN in 2009
            • Graduated from USC
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          Oregon made a significant statement in the 2017 recruiting class Thursday, as junior quarterback Ryan Kelley announced his commitment to the Ducks over finalists Arizona State, Cal, Michigan State and UCLA.

          Kelly is rated as the No. 35 prospect in the ESPN 300.

          After the Ducks struck gold with Marcus Mariota in the 2011 class, they haven't been able to find a follow-up answer at QB in any of the subsequent classes, leaving them to rely heavily on graduate transfer Vernon Adams this season. But recruiting at the position took a sharp upturn in the 2016 class, as the Ducks have commitments from ESPN 300 prospects Terry Wilson and Seth Green -- though there is a possibility Green could look elsewhere after Kelley's commitment -- as well as local signal-caller Justin Herbert.

          Kelley, meanwhile, already represents the highest-ranked quarterback commit for the Ducks since ESPN started ranking recruits. The 6-foot-3, 178-pounder, of Chandler, Arizona, was the top uncommitted quarterback in his class. While he's listed as the nation's No. 2 pocket passer, he has enough athleticism to challenge defenses with his legs.

          As a junior, Kelley has passed for 2,606 yards with 20 touchdowns and has rushed for 459 yards and four scores.

          While Oregon's quarterback recruiting for 2017 was interesting for Ducks fans, it appeared far more straightforward for the team's coaches. Recruiting fans saw fellow 2017 quarterbacks Tate Martell and Tua Tagovailoa as obvious Oregon targets because of their dual-threat ability. In addition, Martell showed interest in Oregon, and Tagovailoa, of Hawaii, is a Mariota disciple. But those offers never materialized, and Kelley's, which came in early September, was the only one the Ducks extended to a junior quarterback.

          Kelley is the second commitment for Oregon in the 2017 class, joining ESPN Junior 300 defensive end Langi Tuifua.