Talented grad transfer WR Tabari Hines chooses Oregon over Texas, USC

During an announcement streamed live from Greensboro, North Carolina, Wake Forest Demon Deacons graduate transfer wide receiver Tabari Hines choose the Oregon Ducks over the Texas Longhorns and USC Trojans.

The situation for Oregon at wide receiver is an interesting one — the coaches pursued Hines because there aren’t a lot of proven options, but the team’s leading receiver from last season, Dillon Mitchell, is now the starter in the slot. His back up is a former four-star prospect who caught five passes last season and fits the mold of the ideal slot receiver. So there is potential for playing time, with Mitchell likely to move outside now that the Ducks landed Hines.

The 5’10, 175-pounder made the decision to transfer in late February after a successful junior season that saw him tie for the team lead with 53 receptions and rack up 683 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

Two of those touchdowns came in the Belk Bowl against Texas A&M on matching seven-yard receptions.

Hines started six games in 2017, including the final four contests, after starting eight games the season before. During that sophomore campaign, the South Carolina native recorded 38 catches for 447 yards and three touchdowns.

An early enrollee at Wake Forest as a member of the 2015 recruiting class, Hines was a consensus three-star prospect out of high school with a modest list of offers that included Duke and East Carolina.

Texas also remains in pursuit of Cal graduate transfer running back Tre Watson, who visited Austin for the Orange-White game before traveling to LSU last weekend. He does not currently have a firm timetable for his decision.