Ducks Digest

Oregon Ducks Recruiting: 2026 4-Star QB Picks Oregon over Alabama Crimson Tide, Ohio State Buckeyes

Oregon Ducks football's 2026 class got a major piece as Dan Lanning and company look to the future. Four-star quarterback Jonas Williams says he'll be a Duck.

Kaleb Henry

Four-star quarterback recruit Jonas Williams participates in OT7 in Orlando, Florida.
Four-star quarterback recruit Jonas Williams participates in OT7 in Orlando, Florida. / @j.willlllll on Instagram
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While coach Dan Lanning and Oregon Ducks football have been busy rounding out the 2025 class, the 2026 class has been taking off.

Lanning and company picked up a commitment from 2026 four-star quarterback Jonas Williams Saturday. The Illinois product picked the Ducks over Alabama, LSU, and Ohio State.

The 6-2, 200-pound QB for Lincoln-Way East in New Lennox is the No. 9 ranked player at his position and No. 98 overall from 247Sports Composite. He's also the No. 1 player in the state of Illinois.

This is an instance where the power of Saturday Night Live played a role in a recruits decision to choose Oregon.

"I’m going to Oregon, because it’s the best fit for me and I trust the coaching staff the most and I picture myself playing in that program," Williams told High School SI.

While Williams made the announcement Saturday, he told Lanning and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein earlier in the week.

"When I went on my visit this past weekend I was reassured that I wanted to be a Duck," Williams said. "It just felt right. I Facetimed coach Stein and Lanning on Wednesday to let them know."

While Lanning has been the power at the head of the train, it is Stein who ultimately helped push Williams over the top for the Ducks.

"The most important relationship is the relationship with coach Stein," Williams said. "Our relationship is really good. I’ve gotten to know him a lot and his family, and I fully trust spending the next four years of my life with him."

Oregon currently has a bevy of talented quarterbacks on the roster. This will be Dillon Gabriel's final season, but Dante Moore, Austin Novosad, and Luke Moga are all underclassmen. The Ducks also have a commitment for the 2025 class from four-star Akili Smith Jr. All of that talent under one roof isn't scaring away the Midwest QB.

"I like to vision myself playing as prime DeShaun Watson," he said. "I feel like we play similar."

Oregon's 2026 class now includes three commitments. Besides Williams, four-star running back Tradarian Ball and four-star defensive lineman Tony Cumberland are set to become Ducks.

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans.He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team.

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