In Eugene, Oregon, Sheldon High School is situated just over two miles away from the home of the Oregon Ducks, Autzen Stadium. The two schools have developed a rich history over the years, including the development of one Justin Herbert, who holds the school record for completions, and is second all-time on the list behind Marcus Mariota in passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Sheldon High School has sent talent to the Ducks for years at a variety of positions, and the connection continues with their latest 2025 commitment , local kicker Rocco Graziano, who was also drawing interest from Boise State, UNLV, North Carolina, Oregon State, and Washington State.
Rocco Graziano is eager to play for his hometown Ducks
The hometown connection is real for Graziano, who was offered a scholarship on July 27.
"It means a lot to be from such a special school in Sheldon, seeing Patrick and Justin Herbert grow up and play at Oregon, all the way to playing with Brock Thomas and Teitum Tuioti who are now at Oregon, makes it even more special," Graziano told me immediately after his commitment. "I’m beyond blessed to be put in this situation and won’t take a second of it for granted. SCO Ducks!"
"Being from Eugene just gives me that chip on my shoulder, to work as hard as possible as well," he added.
Oregon Ducks land a strong kicker in Rocco Graziano
Kickers don't generate a lot of buzz on the recruiting trail , but special teams are a crucial part of roster construction that shouldn't be overlooked. For Rocco Graziano, who made eight of his nine field goal attempts his junior season, he's looking to provide consistency at a position that hasn't always been a strength for the Ducks.
Graziano, who has a field goal long of 46 yards, is also very strong on kickoffs and extra points. Last season, he converted all 36 extra point attempts, and 82% of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks.
Recently, field goals have been a bit of an adventure for Oregon. Camden Lewis, who served as the Ducks kicker for five seasons, was a career 72.1% field goal kicker, making only 66.7% of his kicks in 2023, which ranked 104th in the country. Lewis was only 3/6 on kicks between 40-49 yards last year, and was 0/1 over 50 yards. In fact, Oregon, knowing his range, only attempted two field goals with Lewis over 50 yards in his five-season tenure.
Having a kicker consistently able to hit 50+ yard field goals at the college level is not a common occurrence, but if Graziano is able to at least be a consistent weapon on kicks under 50 yards, he'll add some much-needed stability to the position.
Related: Oregon Ducks keep elite west coast offensive tackle recruit away from Washington as he becomes the face of 2026 class
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