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Browse by City/ StateElite recruit Armstead says he will sign with Oregon
SACRAMENTO - Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove, Calif.) defensive end Arik Armstead, who is among the nation's top recruited high school football players, announced Sunday afternoon he will attend the University of Oregon.
Armstead, joined by many family, friends and media, made his announcement at The House Christian Church in Sacramento.
Armstead, who is 6-8 and 290 pounds, chose the Ducks over California, Washington, UCLA, Notre Dame, Auburn and even Southern California, where his brother Armond plays football.
"I feel like Oregon was the right place for me," Armstead said. "I see myself fitting in there and being able to going there right away and earn some playing time and be a productive player."
After an in-home visit with Oregon's coach Chip Kelly last Thursday, Armstead said he made his decision the next day do become a Duck. Previously he said he had narrowed the schools down to Oregon, Cal, and Washington prior to the visit.
Early last week, Kelly was close to heading to the NFL to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After Kelly declined the job to return to Oregon, he told Armstead that he couldn't guarantee he would remain his football coach for his whole college career as a Duck.
It was that honesty and candor by Kelly that won over Armstead and helped solidify his decision to choose Oregon.
Although he's most known as a stellar offensive lineman, Armstead will join the Ducks as a defensive end like his childhood idol Julius Peppers of the Chicago Bears — who was a two sport athlete if football and basketball at North Carolina.
Like Peppers, he plans to play football and basketball in college.
Armstead said he will enroll to Oregon in March and participate in the Spring football program.
Armstead is hoping Grant's Shaq Thompson will join him in Eugene. Thompson took a final visit to Washington this weekend and remains uncommitted after originally selecting Cal earlier in the month.
Thompson is expected to make his decision in the coming days.
