Oregon’s postseason run ended with another trip to the Super Regionals, but the bigger storyline for Mark Wasikowski’s program has been what followed: a wave of roster movement that has already sent several young Ducks elsewhere and pushed Oregon to rebuild through the transfer portal.
The latest departure is Naulivou Lauaki Jr., a 6-foot-5 slugger who announced on June 29 that he is headed to Georgia. According to On3, the redshirt freshman from Springville, Utah, picked the Bulldogs after previously saying on TikTok that his decision came down to Georgia, Texas A&M and Florida.
Lauaki leaves Oregon after a huge first season in the lineup. He hit .321 with 14 home runs, 37 RBIs and a .687 slugging percentage, production that made him one of the most intriguing young bats in the Big Ten.
As Oregon’s designated hitter, he looked like the kind of middle-of-the-order piece a program can build around. Now Georgia gets that power bat, and the Bulldogs add another weapon after reaching the College World Series in 2026 before falling to national champion Oklahoma.
Oregon may not be done losing young offense. Outfielder Angel Laya is also in the portal after batting .296 with 14 home runs, 47 RBIs and a .538 slugging percentage in 2026.
On3’s Pete Nakos reported that LSU, Texas, Texas A&M and Georgia are all in the mix for Laya, who could end up joining Lauaki in Athens. That would give the Bulldogs a serious boost heading into 2027.
For the Ducks, the exits keep adding up. Along with Lauaki and Laya, catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus has transferred to Mississippi State and pitcher Collin Clarke is headed to TCU. Wasikowski is expected to bring back pitchers Will Sanford and Miles Gosztola, but the losses have left Oregon with a very different look than the one that reached the Super Regionals.
The good news for the Ducks is that the portal has also brought reinforcements. Wasikowski has added former USC right-hander Michael Ebner, Delta State outfielder Tucker Jones, Long Beach State infielder Jake Evans, former Tampa outfielder Jake Brooks and Vanderbilt infielder Carter Johnstone.
Johnstone brings a reputation for getting on base, with a .966 OPS at Fullerton before his move to Vanderbilt. Ebner adds another arm after posting 59 strikeouts in three seasons at USC.
Oregon’s recent consistency has been real - three Super Regional appearances in the last four seasons - but the missing piece remains the same. The Ducks are still trying to break through to their first College World Series since 1954. With Lauaki and Laya initially looking like the kind of young core that could help push them there, the program now has to take a different route and hope the portal haul can keep the momentum alive.
In Other News...
Georgia Faces Familiar Pressure In Another Crucial Recruiting Battle
Georgias recruiting momentum has picked up in recent weeks, but the class still sits outside the top 10, which is not the standard Kirby Smarts program has set for itself. There has been enough movement to feel better about where things are headed, yet Georgia also knows how quickly the race can change when it comes to elite prospects and how often the Bulldogs have had to battle down to the finish for the players they want most.
One of those battles is coming soon with four-star linebacker Brayton Feister, who is set to announce his commitment on July 11. Georgia remains in the mix after hosting him on an official visit this summer, but the process has already produced the familiar mix of optimism and anxiety that comes with a high-level recruiting chase, especially when the Bulldogs have also seen other top targets end up elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Faces A Choice That Could Define What College Football Becomes
College football keeps drifting toward the same polished, revenue-friendly answer, and Georgia has been part of that shift. Recent years have already seen the Bulldogs move away from some non-conference home-and-home arrangements, a change that tracks with the wider sport as more programs trade true road trips and return games for neutral-site dates and the financial upside that comes with them.
What makes this moment matter for Georgia is what still remains on the calendar: a future home-and-home with Ohio State that stands as a reminder of what fans say they want more of, not less. With more of these discussions expected around the sport, including chatter about other major series, the Bulldogs are facing a choice that reaches beyond one scheduling decision and into the larger question of what college football is supposed to be. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Is Becoming A Recruiting Problem Georgia Can't Ignore
Texas A&M has spent enough time on Georgias radar for the wrong reasons now. The Aggies sit atop the national recruiting board with a class loaded with elite talent, and the haul is starting to look less like a hot streak and more like a statement. For a Georgia program that has long measured itself against the SECs usual powers, the shift matters because A&M is no longer just another league opponent. It is a team pulling in enough star power to compete for the same high-end prospects the Bulldogs have built around.
Georgias own 2027 class is still lagging outside the top 10, which only sharpens the pressure to get moving. The Bulldogs have work to do on the trail, and the comparison with A&M is becoming harder to ignore as the Aggies keep stacking premium commitments. Even in a conference where the margin for error is thin, recruiting can redraw the hierarchy quickly, and Georgia now has to treat Texas A&M like a program capable of doing exactly that. [Read more 🡒]