Oregon’s grip on elite 2028 quarterback Josiah Boyd keeps getting tighter.
With the recruiting calendar shifting back into gear ahead of the 2026 college football season, the Ducks are moving deeper into their 2028 class build, and Boyd has quickly become the name to watch. The California native has been on Oregon’s radar since the Ducks offered him in May, and he made it clear right away that Oregon had long been a dream school.
That early connection matters, but it isn’t the only reason Oregon looks well positioned here. Boyd is a high-end target, so this was never going to be a casual chase. Still, the landscape has tilted in the Ducks’ favor.
USC was one of the programs worth monitoring after Boyd visited the Trojans this summer and wanted an offer from the in-state school. Instead, Lincoln Riley moved first on Texas native Trey Wright, which appears to have taken USC out of the mix for Boyd.
That shift has only strengthened the buzz around Oregon. Rivals’ Greg Biggins and Brandon Huffman already projected the Ducks to land Boyd, and on Monday, Rivals’ Justin Hopkins joined in with a prediction for Oregon as well.
There are still schools capable of making this interesting. Kentucky and UCLA remain threats in the recruitment. But with USC focusing on Wright, Oregon’s path looks cleaner than it did a few weeks ago.
Boyd’s production backs up the hype. Rivals’ Recruiting Rankings list him as the 31st-ranked player in the country, the No. 2 quarterback in the class, and the No. 4 player in California.
This season, he completed 172 of 278 passes for 2,620 yards with 19 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He also added 462 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground, the kind of dual-threat profile that fits naturally with the Oregon offense.
The biggest question now is timing. Six of the nation’s top 10 quarterbacks are already off the board, and the rest of the cycle seems likely to move soon. That timeline only seems to help the Ducks, who continue to sit in a strong position with one of the country’s best young passers.
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