Brandon Baker, nation's No. 2 offensive tackle in 2024, high on Oregon, USC, hopes to visit Washington

Mater Dei High School offensive tackle Brandon Baker has quickly established himself as one of the most coveted 2024 prospects in the state of California.

The 6-foot-5 285-pound lineman has already generated scholarship offers from Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC and Washington.

But it wasn’t until Wednesday, the day 247Sports announced its expanded Top247 for the class of 2024, that Baker’s recruitment fully came into focus.

The Mater Dei star was named the nation’s No. 65 overall prospect and the No. 2 offensive tackle.

“I checked my Twitter and someone congratulated me on my ranking, so I checked and it said, “Number two.’ I was like, ‘Wow.’ It’s mind-blowing,” Baker said. “But there’s always more to achieve and I’m not satisfied with number two. I want to be the number one player in the country.”

So far, Baker has taken unofficial visits to USC and Oregon and was on hand for Lincoln Riley’s first padded practice in Los Angeles.

“Personally, I think he’s doing a great job over there,” Baker said. “I was able to watch the first padded practice. Everyone, the whole practice, was fast-paced. Everything felt fresh. It was just a great vibe, especially coach Riley. He’s a great dude and I definitely loved his mentality on winning and in the next three-to-five years getting a national championship.”

Given that Baker’s older brother, Gary Baker, played for the Ducks and graduated from Oregon in 2020, he’s got a strong connection to the program.

But with Dan Lanning leading the charge, he recently took a visit to see what the program is all about under a new head coach.

“I really liked Oregon a lot,” Baker said. “I like their energy, the vibe there. It’s different from USC. Coach Lanning is a great guy. I got to talk to him and feel his energy - a lot of energy, definitely. The coaches there are great and have shown a lot of interest in me.”

Even with new leadership and his brother having graduated, Baker said Oregon has the inside track on his recruitment.

“I’d say so, yeah definitely. With (Gary) going there, I could definitely see myself going there as well,” he said. “That’s a key factor in why I like Oregon so much.”

Still, Baker was hesitant to call the Ducks a clear leader this early in his recruitment.

“I’d say they are in the top two, if not one,” he said. “Definitely top two. USC and Oregon are both up there. I’d say leaning a little bit toward Oregon, but USC, I love those guys down there as well.”

Washington is another school that has impressed Baker early, and he’s eager to get a first-hand look with a trip up to Seattle, particularly with coach Kalen DeBoer at the helm.

“There’s great vibes there and it’s a beautiful place,” he said. “I’ve talked to the head coach, the offensive line coach… they show a lot of love. They really want me. I want to get to these schools, get to these campuses and get a vibe for it.”

Expect Baker’s recruitment to continue to ramp up with his new ranking, and for the Mater Dei star to generate interest from coast-to-coast.