Oregon Duck Early Enrollees Arrive: Akili Smith Jr., Trey McNutt, Nasir Wyatt

A dozen commits from the No. 3 2025 recruiting class arrived in Eugene to start practicing with the Oregon Ducks ahead of their New Year's Day matchup at the Rose Bowl with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Akili Smith Jr., Trey McNutt, Nasir Wyatt are among the new Ducks in Eugene.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning leads his team as the Oregon Ducks practice ahead of the Rose Bowl Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Practice with the No. 1 Oregon Ducks at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene had a lot of new faces in attendance. Here are the 12 early enrollees who joined the preparation before the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day:

Akili Smith Jr. - four-star quarterback

Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele - four-star quarterback

Jordon Davison on his visit to Oregon / Jordon Davison / Instagram

Jordon Davison - four-star running back

Cooper Perry - four-star wide receiver

Vander Ploog - four-star tight end

Ziyare Addison - four-star offensive lineman

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Douglas Utu - four-star offensive lineman

Demetri Manning - three-star offensive lineman

Nasir Wyatt - four-star outside linebacker

Oregon linebacker commit Nasir Wyatt posing on a visit to Eugene on Feb. 5, 2024. / Nasir Wyatt/X

Matthew Johnson - four-star outside linebacker

Dorian Brew - four-star cornerback

Trey McNutt - five-star safety

Only eight of Oregon's recent commits didn't enroll early and will be joining in the summer. Not on campus just quite yet from the class of 2025 is five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore, five-star cornerback Na'eem Offord, four-star cornerback Brandon Finney, four-star offensive tackle Zac Stascausky, four-star running back Dierre Hill, four-star linebacker Gavin Nix, four-star offensive lineman Alai Kalaniuvalu, and four-star edge rusher Tobi Haastrup.

"Really, our classes represented in 13 different states, you know, 12 players, really, from our West Coast footprint, eight guys that played multiple sports, which is something that we really look for when we're looking for guys that can come join our program. And I think we just addressed a lot of the needs that we have in our future to make this a team that can continue to compete at the highest level."

- Oregon coach Dan Lanning

Five-star safety Trey McNutt in an Oregon uniform on a throne. / @tr8mcnutt_ on Instagram

According to On3, the only other programs that had a better 2025 recruiting class than Dan Lanning's group was the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide and the No. 1 Texas Longhorns. As for the transfer portal, the Ducks currently have the fourth-ranked class behind the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines, No. 2 Ole Miss Rebels, and No. 1 Texas Tech Red Raiders.

The six commits for Oregon out of the portal are USC Trojans defensive lineman Bear Alexander, Louisville Cardinals tight end Jamari Johnson, Purdue Boilermakers safety Dillon Thieneman, Northwestern Wildcats cornerback Theran Johnson, Texas State Bobcats offensive tackle Alex Harkey, and Nevada Wolfpack offensive tackle Isaiah World.

The rematch between the Ducks and the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes out of the Big Ten Conference is the most anticipated quarterfinal matchup in the College Football Playoff. Fans from both Eugene and Columbus will be making their way to Pasadena, California on Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. PT to watch the Rose Bowl matchup.

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