Oregon Ducks Recruiting: Coveted Prospects Visiting Rose Bowl for UCLA Matchup

The Oregon Ducks are unable to host any recruits for week five of the college football season because they travel to Pasadena, California, to face the UCLA Bruins. The Bruins will be hosting a group of talented recruits from the class of 2026.

Oregon inside linebacker Noah Sewell wraps up UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet as the Oregon Ducks take on the UCLA Bruins Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Oregon Ducks are unable to host any recruits for week five of the college football season because they travel to Pasadena, California, to face the UCLA Bruins. However, the Bruins will be hosting a group of talented recruits from the class of 2026, many of whom hold offers from the Ducks.

According to 247Sports’ Blair Angulo, four-star linebacker prospect Talanoa Ili will headline the Bruins’ visitor list. The Orange Lutheran star is ranked in the top 50 for the class of 2026, regardless of position. National recruiting analyst for 247Sports Greg Biggins scouted Ili as a high-end prospect.

“High football IQ, can quickly read, diagnose and go,” wrote Biggins. “Could grow in to an edge rusher down the road but has the athleticism to stay at linebacker and can play inside or outside. Was clocked at 20.2 MPH on the Catapult GPS Sept. 8 when the Lancers played Chandler (Ariz.). A complete, every down linebacker with a very high ceiling.”

Oregon inside linebacker Noah Sewell wraps up UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet as the Oregon Ducks take on the UCLA Bruins Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

In addition to visiting UCLA on Saturday, Sept. 28, the 2026 linebacker prospect has also scheduled an unofficial visit to Oregon on Oct. 12 as the Ducks host the Ohio State Buckeyes. One of the most coveted defensive recruits on the West coast, Ili also has plans to visit Washington and Oklahoma this season.

In addition to Ili, Angulo also reports that local quarterback Brady Edmunds from Huntington Beach, CA, will be in attendance to watch the Ducks face off against the Bruins. One of the top quarterback recruits in the class of 2027, Edmunds announced on Sept. 2 that he narrowed his list to four schools: Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, and Penn State.  

With multiple years between now and Edmunds is able to officially sign with a school, it is not too late for either the Ducks or the Bruins to get involved in his recruitment. Edmunds will also be at USC when the Trojans host Penn State on Oct. 12.

Quarterback Brady Edmunds / Dan Harker / 247Sports

In addition to Edmunds, Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein has given scholarship offers to four other quarterbacks. Weston Nielsen (TX) and Trent Seaborn (AL) are both rated as four-stars in the early edition of 247Sports’ ranking. The Ducks have also offered quarterbacks Sione Kaho (WA) and Daniel Mielke (CA), but neither have received a ranking from major recruiting services like 247Sports.

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and his staff are currently finishing the 2025 recruiting class with a number of flip candidates, and they have started to turn their attention towards 2026 prospects. For quarterbacks like Edmunds in the class of 2027, a long ways remains in their respective recruitments.

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