Oregon’s recruiting rise under Dan Lanning has reached the point where it’s no longer just keeping up with the blue bloods - it’s reshaping the top of the sport.
The Ducks have been stacking elite classes year after year, and the latest 247Sports Team Talent Composite shows just how far that push has gone. For the first time in eight years, Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State did not occupy the top three spots together.
Oregon crashed that group at No. 2.
“A big change in the 2026 Team Talent Composite: This is the first time in eight years a combination of Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State didn't rank 1-2-3. Oregon crashed that group at No.
- Coach Dan Lanning has stacked elite class after elite class in Eugene.
He's caught up,” said 247Sports' Chris Hummer.
That climb has come with Lanning borrowing from one of his biggest influences, Georgia coach Kirby Smart. Hummer noted that Lanning has “caught up” by following the same blueprint Smart used in Athens: build the trenches first, then add the kind of speed and physical outliers that can tilt games everywhere else.
Oregon’s roster makeup reflects that approach. The Ducks now have nine players listed at 6-6 or taller in the 2026 group, and freshman five-star tackle Immanuel Iheanacho is one of the most obvious examples. He arrived with offers from Alabama, Georgia and the rest of the SEC heavyweights, but he chose Eugene.
The size doesn’t stop with the offensive line. Five-star tight end Kendre Harrison is another 6-7 piece for Oregon, giving offensive coordinator and former tight ends coach Drew Mehringer another big target to work with down the road, especially with Kenyon Sadiq no longer in the picture.
Oregon has also kept the speed pipeline flowing. Five-star wideouts Brandon Finney Jr. and Dakorien Moore turned down multiple offers to join the Ducks as true freshmen in 2025, and class of 2026 headliners Jett Washington and Jalen Lott give the program more elite talent to build around.
Lott is another five-star, and both receivers fit the Ducks’ pattern of adding explosive athletes who can fly. The 2027 class already includes five-star wideouts Xavier Sabb and Dakota Guerrant, both of whom own 100-meter dash times under 11 seconds.
The Ducks are still adding size on future boards, too. The 2027 class features 6-8 edge rusher Achilles Reyna, who will be the tallest in the room once he arrives, along with three-star tackles Cameron Wagner and Avery Michael, both listed at 6-6.
Here is the full top 10 most-talented rosters in college football, per 247Sports:
- Georgia
- Oregon
- Alabama
- Texas
- Ohio State
- Notre Dame
- Texas A&M
- LSU
- USC
- Michigan
Oregon’s latest surge makes one thing clear: the Ducks are not just breaking into the elite conversation. They’re settling in there.
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Dave Uiagalelei, who is also the father of Chargers backup quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, recently spoke highly of Dan Lannings leadership and character in an interview. For Oregon fans, praise like that carries weight, especially when it comes from a family that has seen both the college and pro sides of the game up close, and it adds another layer to the belief that Lannings program has become a place players and parents can trust. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State May Have One Edge Oregon Wont Enjoy Facing
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Head coach Spencer Danielson has already singled out the way that duo has looked in fall camp and scrimmages, and Boise State did not stop there. The Broncos also bolstered the position with transfers Juelz Goff and Harry Stewart III, giving them more depth and more ways to lean on the run game if they want to make the first big test of the season a physical one. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Made Its USC Recruiting Battle Even More Interesting
The recruiting board for Oregons 2025 defensive back class just got a little more intriguing with Caron Williams trimming his list to 12 schools, and the Ducks remain firmly in the mix. The highly ranked California cornerback has long been viewed as one of the more important secondary targets on the West Coast, and Oregons appeal is obvious here: a chance to land a versatile defender who could fit into multiple spots in the back end.
USC has emerged as the Ducks closest competition in this race, setting up another familiar battleground between two programs that often chase the same top regional talent. For Oregon, the appeal goes beyond simply adding a cornerback. Williams ability to line up in different roles would give the Ducks more flexibility in how they build their defense, which is exactly why this recruitment feels like one worth watching as it moves forward. [Read more 🡒]