The weekend was rough, but the start of the new week brought good news for Oregon and coach Dan Lanning.

Blake Purchase, a 4-star linebacker/edge rusher from Englewood (Colo.) Cherry Creek, announced his commitment to Oregon Tuesday night. He chose the Ducks over a group of finalists that also included Washington, Colorado, Notre Dame, and Iowa State.

In the video above, Purchase says the Ducks have long been his dream school.

A 6-foot-3, 240-pound prospect, Purchase rates as the No. 34 edge prospect in the 2023 class and the 283rd overall recruit by the industry-generated 247 Composite. The crew at 247Sports particularly loves his game, ranking him as the 122nd overall player in the class and the 14th-best edge rusher. (ESPN’s recruiting system rates him lower than Rivals and 247, what else is new?) He’s also the No. 1 overall prospect from the state of Colorado.

“The coaching staff was a huge selling point,” he told 247Sports’ Blair Angulo. “Coach Dan Lanning and coach Tosh Lupoi have been treating me like a top priority for a while now and I just loved their defensive scheme. They see me playing a big role in their defense, which showcases the edge position and would put me in a great spot to make plays.”

Purchase plays basketball and participates in track and field for his high school as well as football. As a junior, he averaged 12.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, two assists, and two steals on the hardwood for Cherry Creek. On the football field, he was credited with 83 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, seven pass breakups, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery.

247Sports’ Chris Singletary had this to say on Purchase’s game:

Added over 30 plus pounds within the last year and maintained his speed. Well-proportioned build with solid muscle mass from top to bottom with ample room to grow. No bad weight on him which will make his development on the collegiate level that much more positive from the start. Shows plus reactionary athleticism as well as good range with his ability to close. Instinctive player who plays with a good motor. Comfortable when asked to drop in coverage to make plays on the ball.

His verbal commitment gives the Ducks their 18th known pledge in the 2023 class. It also bumps the class up to No. 13 nationally — one spot behind Penn State, one spot above USC. For the time being, the No. 1 class in the Pac-12 belongs to the Ducks once again.

You can view Purchase’s highlight tape below, via Hudl: