Oregon Football Beats Ohio State With Big Ten Conference's No. 1 Transfer Class

Oregon football has the No. 1 transfer portal class in the Big Ten Conference and it's not close. The Ducks added former Alabama safety Peyton Woodyard and former Michigan State defensive tackle Derrick Harmon this weekend.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning, Ohio State coach Ryan Day /

The Oregon football team is crushing the competition in the Big Ten conference with their transfer portal class. The Ducks transfer class of 14 highly-touted players is the best in the Big Ten and it’s not close. 

In the system ranking of transfers, Oregon’s class totals 73.43 points on 247Sports. The next highest is the Ohio State Buckeyes at 59.79 points and then the Washington Huskies at 59.34 points. 

Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks have landed some of the top talent from the best programs in the country via transfer including one five-star player, six four-star players and six three-star players. 

Oregon coach Dan Lanning, Ohio State coach Ryan Day /

This weekend, Lanning’s defense got a boost with two highly-sought after players in former Alabama safety Peyton Woodyard and former Michigan State defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.

Nationally, Oregon's transfer class to No. 2 in the country, trailing only Ole Miss. 

Four-star Woodyard announced his transfer from the University of Alabama to the Oregon Ducks football program on Sunday. Here are three things to know about Woodyard’s commitment to Oregon. 

 Woodyards Oregon Trail: Georgia, Alabama History 

Woodyard, a highly-touted prospect from the 2024 class, initially committed to the University of Georgia in January 2023. However, he later flipped his commitment to Alabama in August of that year. Woodyard was the first-ever junior to announce his college decision at the All-American Bowl, choosing Georgia at the time.

The defensive back enrolled at Alabama for the spring semester after committing to their 2024 recruiting class in December.

Following the retirement of legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban, the Alabama athletic department hired former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer. Despite early enrollment at Alabama and spending the spring with the program under their new coach, Woodyard entered the transfer portal on April 29th. 

Woodyard was listed in the portal with a “do not contact tag” implying the transfer knew his future destination.  He announced his decision to transfer for the Ducks to play under coach Lanning on Sunday. Woodyard has four years of eligibility remaining.

 All American Bowl’s “Man of the year”: Woodyard’s High School Prominence 

The four-star safety from California ranked 101st overall in the 247 Composite rankings. Woodyard  was also listed as the No. 9 safety and No. 12 player from California. 

During his junior year in 2022 at St. John Bosco High School, Woodyard recorded 53 tackles, one interception, and seven pass breakups. He also added 62 tackles as a sophomore. At Oregon, he will be reunited with former St. John Bosco teammate Matayo Uiagalelei.

Andrew Nemac, host of "Recruiting with Andrew Nemec" on ESPN, praised Woodyard, stating, "I think he's the most polished, most interesting young man I've interviewed in my career."

No. 2 Transfer Class: Woodyard Joins the Flock

Woodyard’s athletic performance in high school earned him a selection for both the All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl, even earning "Man of the Year" at the All-American Bowl.

Lanning experienced significant transfer wins this weekend landing both Woodyard and defensive tackle Derrick Harmon from Michigan State on Friday. 

The Ducks have added 14 players from the portal this offseason. These newcomers include quarterback Dillon Gabriel from Oklahoma, former five-star receiver Evan Stewart from Texas A&M, and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, who helped Washington win the Pac-12 conference and reach the College Football Playoff title game last year. They also landed another talented quarterback, Dante Moore, a former five-star recruit from UCLA. 

These transfers along with Woodyard and Harmon have helped Oregon put itself in a strong position to not only compete but win in the Big Ten. The Ducks are well-equipped to be a major contender in their new conference.