Ducks Digest

Oregon Ducks Offer 4-Star Recruit, Son of Dallas Cowboys Legend Jason Witten

The Oregon Ducks have made an official offer to Cooper Witten, a four-star safety in the 2027 recruiting class and the son of former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. Can Oregon coach Dan Lanning land another elite recruit from the state of Texas?

Zach Dimmitt

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images / Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
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The Oregon Ducks are no stranger to snagging elite talent from the Lone Star State but their latest recruiting offer comes with a new level of Texas-sized greatness.

Per an announcement on his X page Tuesday, 2027 Liberty Christian (Dallas-Fort Worth) four-star safety Cooper Witten announced that the Ducks have officially offered him, as Oregon joins of slew of other notable programs to extend an offer to Witten.

"I am very blessed and grateful to receive an offer from the University of Oregon," Witten tweeted.

Jason Witte
Jan 23, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) poses with wife Michelle Witten and daughter Landy Witten and sons C.J. Witten and Cooper Witten during team photos for the 2015 Pro Bowl at The Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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His last name will certainly sound familiar for fans of the NFL. Cooper is the son of Dallas Cowboys legend and future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten, who played 17 seasons in the league. Now in retirement, the 42-year-old is coming off of leading Cooper's Liberty Christian School football team to a TAPPS state title in Texas this season. Witten's older son, CJ, is also on team as a three-star linebacker in the 2025 class.

Take a look at his announcement:

Cooper has some heavy expectations on his shoulders due to his dad's sustained success in the NFL but it's clear he's more than capable of paving his own path. Along with Oregon, he's received offers from programs like Oklahoma, Missouri, Duke, Baylor, TCU, West Virginia, Tennessee, SMU, Texas A&M and more.

During the 2023 season, he finished with 82 total tackles (four for loss), two forced fumbles, six pass breakups, two interceptions and one touchdown.

Jason Witte
Sep 15, 2019; Landover, MD, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) stands on the field during warmups prior to the Cowboys game against the Washington Redskins at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

As for his dad, Jason is without a doubt one of the best tight ends in football history. After playing his college ball at Tennessee, Witten would go on to be a third-round pick 2003 NFL Draft by the Cowboys. By his second season, he had already earned Pro Bowl honors, something that would continue for the next six seasons along with a pair of First Team All-Pro selections.

Witten retired in 2018 to join broadcasting as the color commentator for ESPN's Monday Night Football but quickly returned to football in 2019 to play with the Cowboys. He then signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, which marked his final season in the league.

Though he never won a Super Bowl, Witten finished his career (regular and post) with 260 starts in 279 appearances while posting 1,273 catches for 13,532 yards and 75 touchdowns. His regular-season numbers for starts, catches and receiving yards are all second all-time among tight ends behind Tony Gonzalez.

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is a journalist contributing to the Oregon Ducks, Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies on SI websites. Dimmitt graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2022 with a Bachelors degree in Journalism.

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