Oregon’s push for four-star quarterback Josiah Boyd has turned into a straight-up two-horse race, and the Ducks are right there at the front.
Boyd, a 6-4 quarterback from Vista del Lago in Moreno Valley, California, is already Rivals’ No. 3 overall prospect in the state. Big Ten and SEC programs have come after him, but the picture has narrowed, and the latest buzz points to Oregon and Kentucky as the main contenders.
That Kentucky connection is the part Oregon can’t ignore. The Wildcats are now led by former Ducks offensive coordinator Will Stein, and Boyd said the two schools are the ones standing out most to him.
"I’d say my main two right now are Oregon and Kentucky. They’re pushing hard right now, and I like both a lot," Boyd told Simmons.
Boyd also noted that Kentucky’s system looks a lot like what he sees at Oregon, with Stein now running the show in Lexington. And Stein hasn’t wasted time trying to build something that can produce quarterbacks, even in the SEC spotlight.
His first big move was bringing in Joe Sloan to run the offense in the 2026 offseason. Sloan had just been dismissed as LSU offensive coordinator after the school hired Lane Kiffin to be head coach.
At LSU, Sloan helped develop Garrett Nussmeier, but his most notable work came with Jayden Daniels. Daniels won the 2023 Heisman Trophy with Sloan as his quarterbacks coach before becoming the franchise quarterback for the Washington Commanders. Boyd has his own Inland Empire tie to Daniels, since Daniels grew up in nearby San Bernardino, California.
Oregon, though, has its own pitch, and it starts with what Boyd would inherit in Eugene.
The Ducks kept continuity on offense this offseason by promoting Drew Mehringer to offensive coordinator, but the bigger selling point is the talent already waiting there. If Boyd ends up in Eugene, he’d step into a room loaded with playmakers.
Five-star wide receiver Jalen Lott will be in his third college season by then, while five-star 2027 receivers Xavier Sabb and Dakota Guerrant are also expected to be there after signing their National Letters of Intent in Dec. 2026.
That kind of setup gives Oregon a clear advantage on paper: a stocked offense, a team built to chase the Big Ten and national title, and a roster that could make life easy for a young quarterback.
Kentucky, meanwhile, is still a little more of a projection. Stein has the reputation, Sloan has the résumé, but the Wildcats are still waiting for those pieces to show it on the field.
For Boyd, that means the recruitment could stretch out for a while. There’s no firm timeline on a decision, and Oregon will have to stay patient while also trying to beat out a familiar face in Stein for one of the most electric dual-threat quarterbacks in the cycle.
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