This is interesting, if only because I have seen multiple people on VolNation assert that Nike does not give Oregon any special treatment, and does not represent or create an advantage for Oregon in recruiting. For Vitello to openly state that Nike attempted to steer someone from Tennessee to Oregon would seem to contradict that claim.
That said, as I understand it, all the different external entities steer these players to varying degrees, and there can be a "pecking order" where they reward certain schools or relationships before others. The ability to steer players is paramount to their ability to negotiate and earn money - you work with me, I push this player to consider or visit you, etc. It's just that Nike, being the apparel and sports marketing juggernaut they are, has an incredibly long and powerful reach.
