Oregon Ducks Football Dominating 2026 Recruiting Class: No. 1 In College Football?

The Oregon Ducks continue to attract some of the recruits in the country. With the recent signing of Dutch Horisk, a four-star linebacker from St. John Bosco California, Oregon is now ranked No. 1 in the recruiting class of 2026.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and his assistants are putting their recruiting skills to good use in obtaining commitments from several highly ranked recruits from the class of 2026. The most recent target, Dutch Horisk, a four-star linebacker from St. John Bosco California, has verbally committed to Oregon which pushes the Ducks to the No. 1 overall ranking according to On3.

So far, Oregon’s 2026 class consists of Kodi Greene, an elite offensive tackle, defensive lineman, Tony Cumberland, running back Tradarian Ball and quarterback Jonas Williams. The Ducks have gone head-to-head in recruiting against some of the top teams in college football and won those battles. For example, Horisk had offers from fellow Big Ten Conference powerhouses, USC and Penn State. He also considered Oklahoma, Miami, Utah to name just a few.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during the Ducks’ fall camp Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

To that point, in a short period of time several Oregon coaches have been rated as some of the best recruiters in the Big Ten. Wide receiver coach Junior Adams and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi are among the 10 top-ranked recruiters, sitting at fourth and sixth, respectively. Newly hired running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples is 11th and defensive backs coach Chris Hampton is at 14.

Given the recruiting success Oregon has enjoyed since coach Lanning was hired in 2021, other schools have wondered why he and his position coaches have done so well. In announcing his decision, Horisk provided some insight into that question.

“What made me want to shut it down is their commitment and belief in my ability to do what I do at the highest level,” Horisk said. “They feel bought into me and I am bought into them. They have shown me the most love and made me feel like family above everything else.”

Horisk further explained that “they are what I feel to be the future of college football. They have all the things in place for me to get to my ultimate goal of being a first-round draft pick.” 

For some perspective, Oregon’s 2024 class was ranked No. 3, again per On3. For 2025, the Ducks currently sit in the No. 7 spot with 15 commitments. While the sample size is admittedly small, the 2026 ranking is no fluke. We also know the ’25 and ’26 classes are still in flux and will no doubt change over time.

Oregon players during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Keep in mind that any commits now for these two classes are verbal. The first opportunity for the 2025 commits to formally sign is the early national signing dates of December 4 through 6. Players could also opt to wait until the traditional signing date on February 5, 2025. Until the schools obtain a signed letter of intent, these athletes are technically “free agents” and can expect to hear from schools with the hope of “flipping” their commitment. Accordingly, coaches need to continually recruit and re-recruit.

Either way, expect more news on this front as Oregon continues to work their magic on the recruiting trail. After all, there is still plenty of room on the Ducks’ bus for either class and you can be sure that coach Lanning and his recruiters will remain very active in their pursuit of the best talent in high school football.

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