Oregon Football Coach Dan Lanning 'Terrifying' The Big Ten Conference?

Oregon Ducks football cashed in on a high-profile, official visit recruiting weekend to secure four blue-chip athletes with more commitments likely in the coming days.

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

The addition of Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC to the Big Ten Conference is now official, but Oregon coach Dan Lanning has been working his recruiting magic for quite some time now. In fact, following a recent high-profile weekend of official visits, the Ducks received commitments from no less than four blue-chip recruits.

Signing with the Ducks for the class of 2025 include five-star cornerback Dorian Brew, four-star tight end Da'Saahn Brame, four-star defensive lineman Josiah Sharma, and five-star Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) running back Jordon Davison.

With these additions, the 2025 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 5 nationally and No. 2 in the Big Ten, trailing just Ohio State, according to 247Sports. Those teams ahead of Oregon nationally include Alabama (2), Georgia (3), and Notre Dame (4).  While pleased with the results so far, Lanning and his coaches continue to connect with some of the top high school athletes in the country, so don’t be surprised to learn of more commitments in the coming days.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning watches practice with the Ducks Thursday, April 11, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

While many questions regarding the conference realignment exist, the most pressing one might be how will the Big Ten respond to Oregon’s success. At least one sports analyst believes some teams are simply ignoring the situation. Josh Pate, a national college football analyst for 247Sports and CBS Sports HQ had this to say during a recent program.

“I think a lot of the Big Ten, if they are smart enough, should be fairly terrified with what Oregon is doing right now. But they don’t want to be.” Pate likens this approach to ignoring reality and hoping everything will work out without any factual basis for thinking so.

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy points down the field during the second half of the College Football Playoff national championship game against Washington at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. / Melanie Maxwell / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pate also notes that some believe they know all there is to know about Lanning based on a short evaluation period.

“There are (those) foolish enough to think that Dan Lanning, all of two years in, has taught you everything you need to know about what he and Oregon will be as the head coach and the program moving forward.”

Consider that during this time, Lanning lost twice to Washington and lost to Georgia in game one of his coaching career with the Ducks. While perhaps disappointing, these defeats provided lessons to be learned and are probably just blips on what promises to be an outstanding career.

For reference, look at the record of Nick Saban, one of the best coaches in college football. His first foray into a Power 5 school was at Michigan State. During his time there, Saban took the Spartans to bowl games in each of his first three seasons but had less than impressive records. From 1995 to 1997, Michigan State finished 6–5–1, 6–6, and 7–5. Yet, his career was not defined by those early years.

Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban speaks with Kendrick Blackshire as he leaves the field in Bryant-Denny Stadium. / Gary Cosby / USA TODAY NETWORK

“The one thing we know about Nick Saban, for example, is he never lost early in his career, did he,” said Pate. “I’m getting word that Nick Saban lost plenty. (He) wasn’t remotely what you know Nick Saban as until years into his coaching career.”

To that point, it's best to hold back on any assessment on Lanning until you have a longer evaluation period.

To those who doubt Lanning’s ability to continue to recruit and build championship teams, you may want to rethink your position. For Ducks fans, you can look forward to some of the most exciting and rewarding years yet to come.