Mario Cristobal leading Oregon's rise in Pac-12 recruiting

When Willie Taggart left Oregon to become the head coach at Florida State, Oregon football players rallied around co-offensive coordinator Mario Cristobal. They lobbied athletic director Rob Mullens to make Cristobal the permanent head coach, creating and signing a petition for his promotion.

"We're just happy to finally have a coach and have a guy we all love," Ducks safety Brady Breeze told reporters after Cristobal was promoted. "I don't think there's a guy on the team that doesn't like Coach Cristobal, and just his knowledge of the game and the way he approaches all of us individually."

That love for his players has bled over into the performance on the field, but also on the recruiting…