Oregon’s Southern California recruiting machine is at it again, and this time the Ducks are making an early run at one of the Orange County region’s fastest-rising young defensive backs.
Mission Viejo High safety Jordan Hicks, a member of the 2028 class, says Oregon has been the most aggressive program in his recruitment so far. The Ducks have already put in the work with multiple campus visits, and Hicks said his strongest connection has been with safeties coach Rashad Wadood.
“They’re setting the bar right now but there’s still a good amount of time through this whole season and the game visits,” Hicks said to Gorney. “As of right now, they’re setting the pace."
Hicks has been to Eugene three times already, and he’s also familiar with the names around Oregon’s defensive back room. He said he knows incoming freshman four-star safety Davon Benjamin, who comes from Oaks Christian in Westlake Village, California.
Hicks also noted that he went to middle school with four-star edge rusher commit Dutch Horisk, the St. John Bosco product from Bellflower.
That California connection is part of what has helped Oregon build a comfortable landing spot for West Coast prospects, and Hicks already looks like the kind of player the Ducks love to get involved with early.
At 6-1, Hicks turned in a sophomore season that looked far more polished than his class year would suggest. He showed strong eye discipline and patience in coverage, and those traits helped him finish with five interceptions against some of the best competition in Southern California. Two of those picks came against San Clemente, one of Orange County’s annual powers.
Mission Viejo’s schedule and daily practice battles have only sharpened him further. Hicks has gone up against future Big Ten talent in Ohio State 2026 quarterback commit Luke Fahey, and he’s also had to track the Diablos’ top deep threat, Vance Spafford, a Miami signing. Now he’s competing against San Jose State 2027 pledge Jack Junker, who led Mission Viejo with 1,147 yards and 14 touchdowns last season.
The result is a player who already looks like the top college prospect in Mission Viejo’s 2028 group. Hicks has plenty of major offers stacking up, too. Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M are in the mix from the SEC, Notre Dame is involved, and UCLA is trying to keep him close to home.
For now, though, Oregon appears to be the team setting the pace. And with the Ducks’ track record of developing defensive backs, Hicks is the kind of early target worth watching closely.
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