Under Dan Lanning, Oregon has turned recruiting into a machine. The Ducks keep stacking top-five classes, and that usually means the spotlight lands on the blue-chip names - the five-stars, the highly ranked four-stars, the headliners everyone expects to matter right away.
But some of Oregon’s best roster hits have come from the players who arrived without much fanfare.
That’s where three names stand out heading into the 2026-27 season: Jerry Mixon, Tatum Tuioti and Dave Iuli. Each came in with modest billing.
Each has since carved out a much bigger role. And each could end up mattering a lot if Oregon is going to finally break through and win a National Championship.
Jerry Mixon didn’t arrive in Eugene with much buzz. He was ranked as the 676th best player in the Country and the 71st ranked linebacker in the class, so expectations were limited from the start.
He spent two seasons waiting for his opportunity, then stepped into the starting linebacker job in 2025 and delivered 57 tackles along with a pair of interceptions. Now he’s back for another season as the middle of the Ducks defense, with a chance to anchor what could be the best unit in the Country.
Tatum Tuioti’s path has been different, but just as valuable. Oregon landed the 3-star edge rusher in the 2023 class, and the move may not have drawn much attention at the time, especially with the added note that he was the son of Oregon DL coach Tony Tuioti.
Once he got on the field, though, he made people notice. As a true freshman, he posted a pair of sacks.
In 2024, he took another step with 5.5 sacks. This season, he broke out even further with 9.5 sacks, and if that rise keeps going, he’ll be one of the key pieces in Oregon’s push to get over the hump.
Then there’s Dave Iuli, an offensive lineman from the 2022 class who signed with Oregon ranked outside the top 300 in the Country. He made an immediate contribution, appearing in 19 games over his first two seasons in Eugene at guard.
After starting four games in 2024, Iuli moved into a full-time starting role this season on an offensive line that was a finalist for The Joe Moore Award. He’s set to return for one more season as one of the leaders up front.
The Ducks’ recruiting operation has been built on star power, but these three are proof that the real payoff sometimes comes from the players who were easy to overlook at the start.
In Other News...
Former Duck Is Quietly Resetting Oregon's Quarterback Room Standard
Since taking over Oregons quarterbacks room in January, Koa Ka'ai has been shaping the job with a different feel and a broader set of responsibilities. He has added recruiting to the mix in his first full offseason, spent plenty of time on the road in May, and is trying to build a room that stays competitive while still leaving space for quarterbacks to breathe.
The balance shows up in the small details, too. After Saturday scrimmages, Ka'ai gives his quarterbacks an hour to go over the film, then sends them away from it for the weekend so they do not spend two days replaying every missed throw and mistake in their heads. It is part of a reset that is about more than mechanics, and Oregon is still learning how far that approach can carry the position. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Landed Another In-State Receiver Fans Will Love
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Garlingtons decision also speaks to the pull Oregon has built with receivers who want a clear path forward. The Ducks have been able to point to a track record of turning wideouts into NFL-caliber talent, and that history clearly mattered as Garlington weighed where he wanted to spend the next stage of his career. For Oregon, landing another homegrown pass catcher only deepens the sense that the program is still winning key battles close to home. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Suddenly Faces A Major Recruiting Threat In The Trenches
Oregons 2027 defensive line board is starting to take shape, but the Ducks are still hunting for more help in the middle. They already have multiple defensive linemen committed in the class, yet the staff continues to look for additional interior talent to keep the front stocked for the future, especially as the program works through the natural turnover that comes with building along the trenches.
One of the bigger names in that search is four-star defensive tackle Brayden Parks, who has become a real battle with Notre Dame. Oregon also remains in strong position for four-star linebacker Brayton Feister, even with some family lean toward the Irish because of geography, but the bigger issue for the Ducks is whether they can hold their ground on the defensive interior and land the kind of size and power they still want in this class. [Read more 🡒]