Oregon Ducks 2026 Recruiting Class Ranks No. 1, Raves About Coach Dan Lanning

The Oregon Ducks' 2026 recruiting class currently ranks No. 1 in the nation with 10 commits, including two five-star players. The elite prospects rave about coach Dan Lanning, his culture and the coaching staff in Eugene.

Dec 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning during Rose Bowl media day at Sheraton Grand LA. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks football program has a bright future. Oregon's 2026 recruiting class currently ranks No. 1 in the nation with 10 commits, including two five-star players. The elite prospects rave about coach Dan Lanning, his culture and the coaching staff in Eugene.

Could Oregon land another five-star recruit from the class of 2026 soon? Cornerback Elbert Hill is making a return visit to Lanning's Ducks in January, according to On3. Oregon, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Alabama are Hill's top teams right now.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, center, waits to take the field with his team for their game against Oregon State at Autzen Stadium Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. / Chris Pietsch/The Register Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Should Oregon land Hill, the elite cornerback would join a 2026 class with fellow five-stars, tight end Kendre Harrison and offensive tackle Kodi Greene. Harrison was excited by the Ducks' coaching staff.

“I love Coach (Dan) Lanning. I love the coaching staff. I just love the school. I love everything about Oregon," Harrison told On3. "I know Lanning and Coach Drew (Mehringer) and all those wonderful coaches out there are gonna develop me on and off the field. And I’m gonna have fun on and off the field. That’s really the main things right there.”

Greene grew up a Washington Huskies fan but committed to Oregon in large part because of the coaching staff.

“My connection with coach Dan Lanning and coach A’lique Terry was one of the keys to my decision. Who they are, the energy they have and how they have recruited me stood out to me," Green told On3.

The Ducks are also the top choice for class of 2026 five-star offensive tackle recruit, Immanuel Iheanacho, who says the Georgia Bulldogs are his second choice currently.

“I just love the whole dynamic, the whole campus at Oregon, the practice fields, how the weight room is set up, I love the strength and conditioning coach, Coach (Wilson) Love down there, it was straight love when I got down there,” Iheanacho said. "The gear is amazing, that’s not the most important part, but the gear is amazing.” 

As Iheanacho noted, Oregon's uniforms and relationship with Nike and Phil Knight are certainly a draw for prospects to Eugene.

Sep 9, 2023; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Phil Knight, co-founder and chairman of Nike on the sidelines in the second half during the game between the Oregon Ducks and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images / Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Oregon's 2026 recruiting class includes committment from the following high-profile four-star recruits: running back Tradarian Ball, defensive lineman Bott Mulitalo, defensive lineman Tomuhini Tupoi, defensive lineman Tony Cumberland, quarterback Jonas Williams and linebacker Tristan Phillipa. Oregon's three-star recruits are defensive lineman Villiami Moala and EDGE Dutch Horisk. 

Oregon lost to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl but Lanning's recruting approach impressed Buckeyes coach Ryan Day.

"I think, first off, Dan does a great job in terms of recruiting," Day said. "He recruits very talented young men with a lot of high character. They're very well coached and they play very, very hard. And you can see that when you put the film on, because when you watch people and you see different programs, at the end of the day you've still got to watch the film and see how guys are playing. In all three phases they're well prepared and they play really hard."

Oregon's 2024 recruiting class finished No. 3, while its 2025 recruiting class is currently No. 5 in the country. Lanning and the Ducks have at three-straight top-5 recruiting classes.