The 2028 recruiting race is already starting to take shape for Oregon, and the Ducks will get an early look at the top player in the state when Lake Oswego tight end Presley DeLance visits Eugene for the Sept. 5 season opener against Boise State.
DeLance is one of the most coveted names in the class. Rivals’ Industry Recruiting Rankings list him as the 237th-ranked player in the country, the 10th-ranked tight end, and the No. 1 prospect in Oregon. 247 Sports is even higher on him, slotting him 85th nationally and fourth among tight ends.
That trip gives Oregon a chance to make an immediate impression on an in-state standout who already has a familiar connection on the roster. DeLance’s Lake Oswego teammate, Josh Christensen, is part of the Ducks’ 2027 class of commits, giving Oregon an opportunity to reunite two local stars in Eugene.
For Dan Lanning and his staff, the pitch is an obvious one. Oregon has built a strong reputation for developing tight ends, and the recent results back that up. Terrance Ferguson was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Kenyon Sadiq went in the first round this season, and Jamari Johnson enters this year projected as a first-round pick.
The Ducks have usually leaned on out-of-state recruiting to shape their classes, but the in-state push has become more noticeable. Oregon added four in-state recruits in the 2027 cycle, more than the program has typically landed, and that kind of emphasis matters more than ever in the NIL and Transfer Portal era.
With the hometown factor, the position-specific development track record, and an early visit on the calendar, DeLance is shaping up as one of the most important recruiting names to watch for Oregon in the 2028 cycle.
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The buzz has not been limited to offense, either. Defenders Bryce Boettcher, Dillon Thieneman and Jabbar Muhammad have also drawn notice as they work through roster battles and try to turn strong preseason moments into spots on regular-season depth charts. For Oregon fans, it is the kind of early August progress report that can make the coming weeks worth tracking closely. [Read more 🡒]