Oregon’s push for four-star athlete Tae Walden Jr. reaches a decision point on Wednesday, July 1, when he announces his commitment live on the Rivals YouTube channel.
Walden, a standout from Collierville, Tennessee, is choosing among Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss and Oregon. The Ducks got the last official visit, with Walden in Eugene to see Dan Lanning and the staff on June 19. According to 247Sports, he also made trips to his finalists, along with Clemson and Missouri, between May and June.
The 2027 prospect brings a rare two-way resume. Per 247Sports, Walden is the No. 4 athlete in the country and the No. 56 overall recruit in the class.
On the field, he produced across the board as a junior, piling up 42 catches for 912 yards and 10 touchdowns at wide receiver. He also made noise on defense with 5 interceptions, 17 pass breakups and 28 total tackles, according to MaxPreps.
Oregon’s interest appears tied to that versatility. Defensive coordinator Chris Hampton visited Walden in the spring, a sign the Ducks may see him fitting best as a defensive back. Even so, his offensive background gives him another layer of danger if he ends up making plays with the ball in his hands on defense.
Walden’s athletic profile also shows up on special teams. He has the burst to turn short touches into scores, the instincts to bring interceptions back for touchdowns, and the kind of open-field juice that shows up on kickoff and punt returns as well.
Oregon is in the middle of another loaded recruiting cycle under Lanning. The Ducks already have 21 commitments in the 2027 class, which ranks No. 6 nationally and No. 1 in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports. That group includes Dakota Guerrant, Rashad Streets, Semaj Stanford, Will Mencl, Toa Satele, Cameron Pritchett, Zane Rowe, CaDarius McMiller, Josiah Molden, Cameron Wagner, Gus Corsair, Avery Michael, Malakai Taufoou, Brandon Lockley, Anthony Cartwright III, Achilles Reyna, Josh Christensen, Lex Mailangi, Sam Ngata, George VanSandt and Malachi Garlington.
The Ducks’ recent recruiting momentum has already shown up on the field. Freshmen Jordon Davison, Dierre Hill Jr., Dakorien Moore and Brandon Finney Jr. made an immediate impact for Oregon in 2025, and the 2026 class was ranked No. 2 in the nation by 247Sports.
Oregon still has more July business ahead. Four-star offensive lineman Gecova Doyal and four-star cornerback Hayden Stepp remain on the board, while five-star receiver Xavier Sabb is set to commit on July 3, according to Rivals. Five-star offensive lineman Ismael Camara is also still uncommitted.
In Other News...
A Clemson Football Change Fans Never Wanted Feels Closer Than Ever
Clemsons long-running debate over whether college sports should open the door to more visible advertising is moving from hypothetical to practical. Clemson Ventures CEO Michael Drake and athletic director Graham Neff have been talking through sponsorship possibilities that would bring jersey patch ads and on-field logos to Clemson athletics, a shift made possible by NCAA approval for field ads beginning in 2024 and uniform ads in 2026. The idea is not just to follow the new rules, but to use them in a way that could bring significant new money into the department.
The timing is becoming the part to watch, because the Tigers are now close enough on at least one of the deals that the changes could be in place by the 2026 football season opener, with the possibility of lining up even earlier than that. Clemson has also been exploring multiple interested parties and could end up with separate agreements for football and other sports, but the school is being deliberate about who it aligns with as it weighs the revenue against how these additions will look to fans who never wanted to see Clemson jerseys or fields treated like ad space. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Brownell May Have Found Clemson's Next Recruiting Edge
Brad Brownell has spent years trying to keep Clemson competitive in a sport where the roster-building game never stops, and his latest staff addition suggests he sees another lane worth widening. Chris Harriman is one of four new assistants set to join the men's basketball program for the 2026-27 season, bringing a deep background in coaching and a reputation that has followed him across stops in the game. Brownell singled out Harriman's energy and recruiting ability, a sign the Tigers are not just adding experience on the bench but betting on a different kind of edge.
The biggest part of that bet is Harriman's assignment. He will take full control of Clemson's international recruiting, giving the program a dedicated voice for a part of the talent pool Brownell has made clear he wants to keep mining. In recent years, overseas players have become a bigger piece of college basketball roster construction, and Clemson's move suggests it wants to be earlier and more aggressive in that space. How quickly that approach pays off will be worth watching once the new staff settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson May Be Closing In On A Massive 2028 O-Line Win
Clemsons offensive line pursuit in the 2028 class got a notable boost when position coach Matt Luke extended a scholarship to Sam Walker, one of the more highly regarded young linemen in the country. The Carrollton, Georgia prospect has already spent plenty of time around the program, visiting Clemson multiple times and recently working at a camp with the Tigers, giving Luke and the staff a longer look at a player who has been on the radar for a while.
Walkers offer list already points to how competitive this one could become. Georgia remains the biggest challenger, and Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida are among the other major programs that have come in with offers, so Clemson is in a deep national fight for a player who is drawing early attention well beyond the Southeast. [Read more 🡒]