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USA Today
03-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Remaining recruiting needs, flip targets and what's next for Oregon Ducks in 2026 class
It's been quite a summer for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks when it comes to the recruiting world. Just over 50 days ago, the Ducks had the No. 42 class in the nation after suffering a number of commitment flips and decommitments. What they did from there, though, will be remembered by fans for a long time. Quite simply put, it was the "Summer of Dan." Over the last two months, Oregon got hot. They added four 5-stars and four 4-star players, jumping all the way up to No. 7 in the national rankings. The last week in particular has been quite impressive, with 5-star EDGE Anthony 'Tank' Jones and 5-star CB Davon Benjamin both joining the flock. With those two now in the fold, it offers a regrouping time for the Ducks will fall camp underway. The major names on Oregon's recruiting board are locked up, and for the most part, the 2026 class is set in Eugene. There will undoubtedly be some "flip" targets and new prospects who reveal themselves over the coming months, but if the Ducks go into National Signing Day with this class intact, nobody would be disappointed. At this juncture in the recruiting schedule, though, let's take a quick look at where things stand and where things might go from here in Eugene before NSD in early December. Where the Oregon Ducks' 2026 Class Currently Stands National Ranking per 247Sports: No. 7 National Ranking per On3/Rivals: No. 3 Average Rating per Commitment: 94.39 (1st nationally) 5-star Commits: 5 (tied 1st nationally) With the additions of Tank Jones and Davon Benjamin this past week, Oregon jumped back into the top 10 of the national rankings. It also secured their fourth and fifth 5-star commits, tying the Alabama Crimson Tide for the most in the nation, while also marking the most 5-star recruits that Oregon has ever had in a single class. Remaining Oregon Ducks Recruiting Needs Looking down Oregon's recruiting board for the 2026 class, there are a few areas where they could still stand to improve. Before we get there, though, let's look at where they have things covered: Going forward, there are two areas of real need, with one position that another player could fill. The two areas of major need are on the interior defensive line and at the linebacker position. Each position has just one player in this class so far, and a year ago, the Ducks took zero interior defensive linemen and just one linebacker in the 2025 class. Getting two more recruits, one at each position in this class, would be beneficial for the Ducks. You could also argue that Oregon could stand to add another cornerback, but considering that they took three top-100 players at the position last cycle, it's not as pressing a need. Uncommitted Oregon Ducks Targets in 2026 At this point, many of the top-rated targets are off the board in the 2026 class. However, this is one player remaining that Oregon hopes to sign, but it would require a reclassification. There has been some smoke around 2027 5-star defensive lineman Jalen Brewster reclassifying to the 2026 class. Brewster stands at 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, and is rated as the No. 8 overall player and No. 1 DL in the nation. Brewster has been high on the Ducks, and could fill a significant need if he were to reclassify and join Oregon's 2026 class. This is the primary target for the Ducks to watch over the next couple of months. Flip Targets for Oregon Ducks in 2026 What to Expect by National Signing Day If we've learned anything over the past three recruiting cycles under Dan Lanning, it's to expect some fireworks in early December. While the Ducks' 2026 recruiting class is already among the best in the nation, and features more quality than any other team, don't expect Lanning and his staff to be satisfied. There are a handful of blue-chip players that they narrowly missed out on earlier this summer, but that doesn't mean they have given up. I wouldn't be shocked to see a high-end 4-star or 5-star player flip to Oregon before all is said and done. Right now, the Ducks have 17 commitments in this class. By the time everyone signs, I think it's fair to expect somewhere between 18-21. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
03-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
5-star CB Davon Benjamin breaks down why he chose the Oregon Ducks
It's been an eventful summer for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks' recruiting staff, and a successful one, at that. On Saturday afternoon, the Ducks wrapped up one of the best recruiting stretches we've seen in program history, adding their fifth 5-star player to the class with CB Davon Benjamin. The Oaks Christian star now joins the likes of 5-star safety Jett Washington, 5-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho, 5-star tight end Kendre Harrison, and 5-star edge rusher Anthony 'Tank' Jones. The 247Sports Composite ranks Benjamin as the No. 35 player in the 2026 class. After giving his pledge to the Ducks, Benjamin went on the Bussin' With the Boys podcast with Taylor Lewan and Will Compton and offered his reasoning for choosing Oregon. Ultimately, it came down to relationships with the staff. "I chose Oregon just based on the stability part of the coaching staff, how they've been recruiting me ever since my freshman year of high school," Benjamin said. "I'd say just how they approach the day-to-day basis of the little things, just checking in and seeing how I'm doing, seeing if I'm still working. Just keeping me grounded to earth, making sure that I'm doing the right things, really just building that connection with them over time, and them not putting on a facade just because this is a recruiting trip. They've been who they've been from the day I met them, all the way throughout." It doesn't come as a major surprise to hear this, seeing as Lanning has preached "relationships" throughout his time at Oregon when it comes to the recruiting world. It seems to be working well, too, with the Ducks' class now ranking No. 7 in the nation for this cycle, and potentially improving as we get closer to National Signing Day in December. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oregon Ducks 4-star CB Xavier Lherisse impresses scouts at OT7 camp
While the Oregon Ducks' 2026 class may be small in size as we transition from June into July, it certainly isn't lacking star power at the top. With 5-star players like Jett Washington and Kendre Harrison, plus high-end 4-stars like Tradarian Ball and Messiah Hampton, the next several months are going to be filled with highlights from recruiting camps, and eventually games from these top prospects. This past weekend, Washington was named the "Alpha Dog" at the OT7 camp by 247Sports for his dominant performance. Washington wasn't the only Duck to turn heads at the camp on Saturday. According to 247Sports' Tom Loy, Ducks' fellow safety commit Xavier Lherisse had a great showing as well, taking one interception all the way to the house and making some players look foolish while trying to get him down. "I think Oregon is getting one of the most talented defensive backs in the country, one of the best pure football players in the secondary," Loy said. "He had, in my opinion, over the last two days, the interception of the weekend. I think they called him down, but he looked untouched. It was an incredible return; he was shaking guys left and right. So, a really strong performance from him." At the moment, Lherisse is one of the lower-rated players in the Ducks' 2026 class, sitting as a 3-star, per 247Sports, but a 4-star on the 247Sports Composite, ranked as the No. 363 overall player and No. 32 safety. However, with more performances like this, it's not hard to imagine him getting a ratings boost in the near future ahead of signing day. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
22-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Oregon football 5-star announces commitment to SEC school
For a matter of 17 days, 5-star edge rusher Richard Wesley was a member of the Oregon Ducks' 2026 recruiting class. Now, just over a month later, Wesley has announced that he is joining an SEC school instead. On Sunday afternoon, Wesley, the No. 14 player and No. 2 EDGE in the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite, announced that he is committing to the Texas Longhorns. Wesley announced his commitment to Oregon early in May by jumping into a pool with Dan Lanning, but later announced his decommitment less than a month later. This is a tough blow for Oregon, which felt like they were still in a good position to land Wesley despite his decommitment. There was a sense that things needed to be straightened out on the back-end with an NIL deal, but the love between the player and school was still there. Apparently, Wesley saw enough this weekend on his official visit to Texas to commit to the Longhorns, though. Wesley still has an OV scheduled to Ohio State for the beginning of the college football season, on a week when they play Texas. We will see if he still keeps that visit scheduled and if he sticks with the Longhorns longer than he did with the Ducks. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
16-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where Oregon Ducks' Dante Moore ranks among Josh Pate's top QBs in Big Ten for 2025 season
Where Oregon Ducks' Dante Moore ranks among Josh Pate's top QBs in Big Ten for 2025 season It hasn't been set in stone quite yet who the Oregon Ducks' starting quarterback will be in Week 1 of the 2025 college football season, as both Dante Moore and Austin Novosad continue to battle it out over the offseason and compete to see who the successor to Dillon Gabriel will end up being. The national perception, though, is that Moore will take over as the starter, being the player with more experience on the field and a higher profile as a former 5-star recruit coming into the position battle. Whichever player ends up winning the job will have some big shoes to fill, but there is a lot of confidence that their passer can get the job done and return Oregon to the prominence that they saw a year ago, winning the Big Ten Championship and going into the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation. This past week, notable CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate released his power rankings of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten, and he had Moore near the top of the list. It comes as no shock to see Allar at the top of the list, and with Sayin and Moore at No. 2 and No. 3, it's hard to argue. Where things get a bit interesting is at the No. 4 position, where Williams is getting a lot of love from Washington, and further down the list, where Michigan's true freshman QB is ranked ahead of the likes of Mendoza and Iamaleava. As for Moore, there is a lot of hype in Eugene about what he can do this year with the Ducks. A number of players on the team, from former Duck Tez Johnson to current Duck Dakorien Moore, have propped him up as a Heisman Trophy contender in 2025, and there's a hope that he unlocks a level of Oregon's offense under Will Stein that we didn't see with Gabriel under center. He's got to beat out Novosad for the job before any of this can come to fruition, but should that happen, there's a strong sense of confidence in Eugene. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
