One of the top running backs in the country for the 2023 class, Dante Dowdell was expected to commit to Ole Miss. Instead, Friday during a ceremony in the middle of a weight room, the Picayune Memorial (Miss.) running back threw up his hands to reveal the bright yellow Oregon “O.”

It’ll be the Ducks. Head coach Dan Lanning and company went back to the SEC footprint to take one of Mississippi’s highest-rated players.

Dowdell chose the Ducks over interest from Ole Miss and Tennessee, among others. He’s rated as the 298th overall prospect in the 2023 cycle and the 20th running back in his class, according to the 247 Composite. The 4-star back stands 6-foot-2, 215 pounds.

During the 2021 season, he ran for 2,555 yards and 28 touchdowns at nearly 8 yards a carry. He topped 100 yards in 13 of his 15 games. In his Twitter bio, he lists a 4.5-second 40-yard dash time and a 550-pound squat max.

“The coaches are real good people and they believe I can be the face of that school,” Dowdell told 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong. “I want to be different from everyone else.”

He gives the Ducks four commitments now for the 2023 cycle, joining fellow 4-stars Cole Martin and Jurrion Dickey as well as defensive lineman Tevita Pome’e.