Oregon’s 2027 class is starting to look less like a recruiting haul and more like a full roster.
That was the takeaway on the latest Ducks Confidential podcast, where Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and George Wrighster of the Unafraid Show dug into the Ducks’ newest commitments and the bigger picture forming around them. Oregon added four-star cornerback Hayden Stepp and four-star athlete Tae Walden Jr. out of the Rivals Summer Recruiting Spectacular, then got an even bigger jolt when five-star wide receiver Xavier Sabb announced for the Ducks.
The result: Oregon’s 2027 class now sits at No. 3 nationally on Rivals and No. 2 on 247Sports.
Stepp is the kind of cornerback that makes people do a double take. He’s 6-foot-3, ranked No. 44 nationally by Rivals and rated the No. 7 corner in the country. Fentress, a former wide receiver, couldn’t resist reacting to the size.
“That was an affront to my senses,” Fentress said, half-joking. “6-3?
Come on! That’s just being gratuitous.”
The joke lands because the point is real. Oregon wants length and athleticism on the back end, especially against today’s bigger receivers, and Stepp fits that mold.
The Ducks didn’t just add another defensive back. They added a player who could become a problem for opposing passing games for a long time.
Walden brings a different kind of headache. The 6-2, 175-pound athlete is rated No. 70 overall and No. 3 nationally by Rivals, and both hosts agreed his future is on offense. With his size and versatility, he looks like the kind of player who can stress defenses no matter where he lines up.
There’s even a twist to that: Stepp and Walden might end up seeing each other in practice, where one would be trying to cover the other.
Once Sabb entered the mix, the conversation shifted from individual talents to the shape of the class as a whole. Fentress said, “this class almost has like the requisite 22 starters you would need to play a game, right?”
That’s not far off the way this group reads on paper. Oregon’s 24-player class already includes wide receivers, edge rushers, defensive linemen, defensive backs, linebackers and tight ends. The only area the hosts pointed to as possibly still needing another addition was offensive line, where the Ducks currently have three commits, including one three-star.
The full 2027 class listed so far includes five-star wide receivers Dakota Guerrant and Xavier Sabb, five-star edge rusher Rashad Streets, four-star tight end Anthony Cartwright, four-star athlete Tae Walden Jr., four-star quarterback Will Mencl, four-star cornerback Hayden Stepp, four-star safety Semaj Stanford, four-star linebacker Brandon Lockley Jr., four-star linebacker Toa Satele, four-star edge rusher Cameron Pritchett, four-star defensive lineman Zane Rowe, four-star defensive lineman Achilles Reyna, four-star cornerback Josiah Molden, four-star running back CaDarius McMiller, four-star offensive tackle Avery Michael, four-star offensive tackle Cameron Wagner, four-star center Gus Corsair, four-star safety Malakai Taufoou, three-star edge rusher Josh Christensen, three-star tight end George VanSandt, three-star wide receiver Malachi Garlington and three-star linebacker Sam Ngata.
The podcast also touched on other Ducks topics, including why a Tokyo trip could pay off big for Oregon and the four Ducks named to the Walter Camp preseason All-America team.
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Teitum Tuioti Just Became Central To Oregons 2026 Title Hopes
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At the center of that group is senior EDGE Teitum Tuioti, whose decision to return gives the Ducks a proven playmaker and a steady presence up front. He comes into the season with strong draft buzz and top-tier preseason recognition, but for Oregon the bigger story is simpler: a defense that was good enough to carry a deep run now has a chance to be even better, and Tuioti is a big reason why. [Read more 🡒]