A handful of Oregon’s 2027 commits were right in the middle of the action during the first big weekend of high school football, with several turning in the kind of production that jumps off the page.
Quarterback Will Mencl got one of the biggest stages of the group’s weekend in Arizona, where Chandler High School faced Basha High School in a rematch of last year’s state title game. Mencl threw four touchdown passes, but Chandler still came up short in a 37-26 loss.
There was no shortage of standout stat lines elsewhere. Five-star edge Rashad Streets posted 9 tackles and 5 tackles for loss in a dominant 47-0 win over Heritage, while adding 6 quarterback hurries according to MaxPreps.com. Streets now has 11 tackles for loss and 9 QB hurries on the year.
Another defensive headliner was Sam Ngata, who piled up 11 tackles in Olympus’ 14-13 loss to Westlake. He also chipped in on offense with 4 catches for 36 yards and 2 rushes for 6 yards, plus 1 tackle for loss on defense.
Tae Walden delivered one of the most eye-catching all-around efforts of the weekend. The four-star two-way athlete hauled in 13 catches for 133 yards and added 4 tackles in Collierville’s 34-24 loss to Oxford.
On the line, Oregon offensive tackle commit Cameron Wagner helped power a 52-14 win over Paxton-Buckley-Loda. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound prospect also logged a tackle for loss as a defensive end.
Lex Mailangi also helped his team to a key win, as Santa Ana Mater Dei beat Orem 32-26 in a matchup featuring college-bound linemen on both sides.
A few other Oregon commits turned in solid defensive performances. Cam Pritchett had 7 tackles and a sack in Thompson’s 37-13 win over Clay-Chalkville.
Toa Satele reportedly scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone as Mililani rolled to a 50-0 win over McClymonds and improved to 3-0. Brayton Feister added a rushing touchdown, 6 tackles and 2 tackles for loss.
Hayden Stepp was part of a Bishop Gorman team that fell 33-28 at Miami Columbus, and he reportedly recovered an onside kick during the comeback attempt. On the other side of that game, opposing No. 20 A’Mir Sears stole the spotlight.
Josh Christensen was part of Lake Oswego’s strong defensive showing in a 34-7 win at Willamette, though his individual stats were not yet available.
A few commits were idle this week. Gus Corsair’s Hays High School opens the season Sept. 4 at Junction City High School, with Hays ranked No. 6 in Kansas and Junction City at 28th.
Brandon Lockley’s St Joseph’s Prep opens with a key game at Tennessee power Brentwood Academy on Friday. Josiah Molden also did not play.
The weekend also included a performance from Xavier Sabb, who posted 93 total yards and a touchdown. Malakai Taufoou finished with 3 tackles and 7 rushing yards.
In Other News...
Autzen Is Facing A Threat Oregon Fans Never Wanted
Autzen Stadium has long been one of the more accessible places in major college football, where generations of Oregon fans could realistically make a game part of their fall routine. That feeling is getting harder to preserve. Home ticket prices have climbed sharply in recent years, with many games now opening above $100 and the biggest matchups climbing toward the kind of figure that used to sound unthinkable for a seat in Eugene.
For Ducks fans, the concern is bigger than a single expensive Saturday. The worry is that the people who helped build Autzens atmosphere, the longtime loyal crowd that made the place feel different, could slowly get pushed out by rising costs. Oregons success has made home dates more desirable, but it has also made them less reachable for the average fan, and that tradeoff is becoming impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Deep Backfield Could Become A Real Problem For Opponents
Oregons running back room is starting to look like one of the cleaner advantages on the roster as the Ducks turn toward the 2026 season. Sophomores Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison sit at the center of it, but they are hardly alone, with Da'Jaun Riggs, Simeon Price, Tradarian Ball and Brandon Smith all part of a group that gives the staff real options. For a program that has spent plenty of time building around speed and depth, this is the kind of position battle that can sharpen everyone involved before the games even begin.
Dan Lanning has already underscored how much depth and competition matter, especially after the challenges Oregon dealt with last season, and quarterback Dante Moore has echoed that same message from the offensive side. The bigger question now is not whether the Ducks have enough bodies at running back, but how much of that talent can translate into a problem for opponents when the rotation tightens and roles start to settle. [Read more 🡒]
Dante Moore Is Already Giving New Oregon Teammates Real Confidence
Even before the 2026 season gets rolling, Dante Moore is already becoming the kind of quarterback Oregon teammates trust quickly. Coming off a strong 2025 season, Moore has drawn praise for the accuracy and leadership that show up in the little things, the sort of qualities that matter most in a locker room full of new faces trying to settle in. Among them is transfer tight end Andrew Olesh, who arrived from Penn State and is working to build timing with Moore as he tries to carve out a role in Oregons offense.
Olesh enters a tight end group with an opening after the departure of the Ducks top player at the position, and that makes this early chemistry even more important. He is viewed as a potential contributor, but in a new setting, with a new quarterback, nothing is handed out. For Oregon, the encouraging part is that Moore seems to be giving teammates a real sense of stability already, which can go a long way for a pass catcher trying to find his place in the offense. [Read more 🡒]
