Pac-12 Football: Each team’s most important newcomer for 2020

When you are looking to be a top-tier program like the Oregon Ducks, your hope is for recruits to come in and compete for snaps. Specifically, you want your big-time recruits to compete for snaps. Justin Flowe is one of those big-time recruits.

Flowe is an important recruit not just for Oregon but for the Pac-12. The Ducks kept the No. 2 recruit from California and the No. 6 recruit in the country in the Pac-12 footprint and he will start day one — he is too good not to start day one.

Flowe is a perfect scheme fit for Andy Avalos’ multiple front defensive schemes. He is a sideline to sideline linebacker who sheds blockers like a snake sheds skin. He is a thumper as a tackler. Flowe wraps up ball carriers well.

The California native is aggressive and passionate but does not over-pursue. He rarely allows his aggression to get him out of position on the field. He diagnoses quickly and seeks the ball. Flowe is stout against the run and athletic enough to drop into coverage.

He and fellow incoming freshman Noah Sewell are going to become a dominant 1-2 punch in the middle of Oregon’s defense for the next three years at least. Both young men are driven and workers who can elevate the profile of a program like Oregon is trying to do.