Oregon’s June recruiting surge has already brought in eight commitments, but Dan Lanning and his staff aren’t done chasing blue-chip talent. The Ducks are still working the phones on recent visitors in Eugene, and they’ve also entered the mix for a receiver who is already pledged somewhere else.
That target is four-star wideout Ja’Hyde Brown, who turned heads at The Opening Finals at Nike Headquarters in Beaverton at the end of June. Rivals’ Greg Smith reported that Oregon was among the schools that reached out to Brown after his performance.
Brown has been committed to Louisville since March 30, according to 247Sports. He’s a consensus four-star prospect and is ranked as high as No. 196 overall and No. 30 among receivers by 247Sports. After what he showed in Oregon, that stock could climb even higher.
The Louisville, Kentucky, native put together a massive senior-year line at Christian Academy of Louisville, catching a state-best 98 passes for 1,556 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2025, per 247Sports. He chose to stay home, but Oregon and others are clearly trying to make a flip happen before he starts his senior season.
Even if Brown stays put, Oregon’s receiver board is in strong shape. The Ducks already have two receiver commitments in their 2027 class, and that total could keep growing as July approaches.
The first was Oregon native Malachi Garlington, a three-star receiver from Happy Valley, who announced for the Ducks on June 8. Dakota Guerrant followed on June 16, and his commitment gave Lanning a five-star receiver in five straight classes. Guerrant is a five-star recruit, and Oregon may not be finished adding elite pass catchers.
Xavier Sabb is trending toward an Oregon commitment after his official visit to Eugene, and he could be joined by another blue-chip option in four-star athlete Tae Walden Jr. Walden plays both receiver and cornerback, though he is expected to line up at cornerback if he ends up in Eugene.
Brown wasn’t the only prospect drawing Oregon’s attention at The Opening. Four-star linebacker Brayton Feister and five-star cornerback Hayden Stepp were both competing in the 7-on-7 event just a couple of hours from Eugene along I-5 from June 24-26. Four-star defensive line commit Zane Rowe also took part that week, lining up at tight end.
Feister and Stepp have both picked up Rivals predictions to land with the Ducks. Stepp, an ESPN five-star, is set to announce his decision on July 1. Feister, who is ranked as high as the No. 5 linebacker by ESPN, will announce on July 11.
If Oregon can close on both in July, the Ducks would take another big step toward a top-five recruiting class, with both players potentially making their way to Oregon sooner rather than later.
In Other News...
Louisville Just Landed A Massive Chance In Elite Big Man Battle
Louisville is in the thick of a major recruiting fight after five-star Class of 2027 center Darius Wabbington trimmed his list to six schools. The Cardinals are joined by Arizona, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina and Texas for one of the nations top big men, a prospect whose rise has been fueled by a strong junior season and a busy summer circuit that only sharpened his profile.
Wabbington also mapped out his first official visits, and Louisville is in a prime spot early in that process. That matters for a program trying to stay front and center with an elite center who has multiple bluebloods circling, because the next few weeks will give the Cardinals a chance to make a lasting impression before the rest of the finalists get their turns. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Kelsey Just Got A Massive 2027 Recruiting Sign For Louisville
Louisvilles roster-building momentum has hardly slowed since the 2025-26 season ended, with Pat Kelseys program already stacking commitments from both the transfer portal and the 2026 class. Now the Cardinals are making another push in a cycle that matters even more for the long term, with elite 2027 center Darius Wabbington putting Louisville in the mix among a loaded group of contenders.
Wabbington has trimmed his list to six schools and set up an official visit to Louisville, which gives the Cardinals a chance to keep selling their pitch to one of the class premier frontcourt prospects. The 5-star big man is ranked as high as No. 13 overall and sits atop the center board in 2027, and Louisville already has one head start in that class with a commitment from Louisville native Ferlandes Wright. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Kelsey May Have Fixed Louisvilles Most Frustrating Problem
Louisvilles offseason makeover has been as much about structure as it has been about talent, and Pat Kelsey seems to have zeroed in on the one area that has frustrated the program most: size. After leaning on a wave of six transfers and three recruits, the Cardinals have built a roster with more length and frontcourt presence, giving the staff a different kind of flexibility than it had before.
That shift matters because the new group does not just look bigger on paper, it looks built to change how Louisville can play around the rim and on the glass. Several additions bring real defensive upside, and the frontcourt now has options that can alter shots and cover ground in a way the Cardinals have been missing. The question is whether that redesigned interior can turn roster potential into the kind of reliable edge Louisville has been searching for. [Read more 🡒]