Max Torres: Why I Returned to ScoopDuck

It’s like I always say on the Ducks Dish Podcast. “And we’re back. Like we never left!”

I couldn’t be more excited to share that I have returned to ScoopDuck after three years, and this time I’m joining with the backing of On3 Sports.

If you don’t know my story, I’ll catch you up.

It got started back in 2018 when I started my sportswriting career on ScoopDuck during my college days at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Because there wasn’t much to read about Oregon football in the summer, I grew very curious about how college football coaches build their teams: that’s where recruiting comes in.

I was a ScoopDuck subscriber and I was fired up seeing all the big-time players flocking to Eugene to play their college football. I was never a star player, but I always knew I wanted to be close to the action. So I reached out to Justin to see if I could get involved with ScoopDuck and utilize my passion for sports.

He gave me the green light to write a few stories, and I haven’t looked back since.

My interest in recruiting has taken me to some pretty cool places like Los Angeles and San Diego in sunny Southern California, rainy Seattle in the Pacific Northwest and the intense Texas heat in Dallas and San Antonio. I travel to learn about different communities and to share the amazing stories behind high school athletes and their teams.

There’s also just something fun about getting to cover players before they get to Eugene and become the next fan favorite at Autzen Stadium.

My affinity for covering the Ducks brought me to Eugene in the summer of 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Maybe it wasn’t the best time for me to start my boots-on-the-ground coverage of the Ducks, especially with an empty and eerie Autzen Stadium, but I was over the moon to finally cover the team in person.

Possessing such a keen interest for recruiting, it feels right to join a network that places a major emphasis on covering the recruiting trail and the journey of student athletes from the Preps to the Pros.

That’s why I’m so excited to reunite with Publisher Justin Hopkins, who gave me my shot in the industry and whose name has grown synonymous with Oregon Recruiting. I know that working in tandem with him will provide Oregon Football fans with unmatched coverage of the Ducks on both the recruiting trail and on the football field as the Ducks head to the Big Ten in 2024.

I loved the sense of community I felt at ScoopDuck the first time around. After living in Eugene for two years, I know firsthand that Oregon has some of the best fans in the country and I thoroughly enjoy connecting with them.

I look forward to picking up where I left off and connecting with the readers, viewers and listeners who allow me to do something so fun as a career.

I’m excited to continue my coverage of Oregon Football and recruiting here at On3 and look forward to sharing my unique, detailed and energetic perspective with Duck fans. Whether you’re reading my stories and message board posts or listening to me on the Ducks Dish Podcast, I’ll make sure to keep you up to date on all the latest around the Ducks, with a strong emphasis on football and recruiting.

I’m so fired up to be back, and I hope you’ll join us as we follow Dan Lanning and his team closely in their first year as members of the Big Ten conference.

If you’d like to follow my future Oregon Football coverage, be sure to follow me on X (formerly known as Twitter) @mtorressports.