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Oregon Ducks nearing 5-star QB commitment; Jackson Cantwell intrigued by Miami, Mario Cristobal: Recruiting roundup

Andrew Nemec

Calvin Russell.jpg
Calvin Russell.jpg / Joe Frisaro

The recruiting trail is as busy as ever this spring, as new offers roll in, key visits are taken and official visits are schedule.

A couple of the nation's top prospects took surprise trips this week, while Oregon and Ohio State seem to be growing closer to big commitments.

Here's a look a the top recruiting stories of the past few days:

- Oregon Ducks a near-lock for 5-star quarterback this recruiting cycle - but which one?

It's quite possible the answer will come from the class of 2026, as Oregon is in heavy pursuit of an elite high school signal-caller in 2026.

But which one will don the green and yellow - and silver and black and pink and whatever other colors the Ducks throw into the mix?

It seems it's a two-horse race.

- Ducks make major move for nation's No. 1 linebacker: 'Oregon has definitely increased my interest'

"Oregon was everything I imagined it would be," Atkinson said. "It was just like the coaches had described. Coach Lanning and the entire staff showed me exactly how much they wanted me to be a part of their program and team."

- Jackson Cantwell says Mario Cristobal is 'the biggest selling point' for Miami Hurricanes following visit

But Miami coach Mario Cristobal is a relentless recruiter and has an appreciation for offensive line play that few head coaches nationally can match.

That's a standout win for Miami in Cantwell's book.

"It’s the biggest selling point, honestly," he said. "What (Cristobal) does for the O-line room can’t be understated."

- LSU Tigers working to land nation's No. 2 overall prospect with surprise visit

The 6-foot-6, 350-pound athlete is rated the nation's No. 3 overall prospect and has trimmed his list to 11 - Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas A&M.

But this week's visit could prove to be a game-changer.

On Tuesday, Iheanacho shared that he is on campus at LSU:

- BYU, Oregon or Michigan for 5-star quarterback Ryder Lyons? One expert thinks so

Lyons is considering BYU, Michigan, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon and USC, but Rivals' Adam Gorney thinks it may come down to Michigan and Oregon - even though Lyons himself has recently indicated his top three is BYU, Oregon and USC.

Why?

Well, that's a bit complicated.

- Prediction: Ohio State Buckeyes poised to land key in-state prospect

"What stood out was the new tempo there," Sam Greer said. "They want to get things done and they're extremely competitive. They try to be uncommon in everything they do. I love the culture and coaching staff at Ohio State."

- Elite wide receiver arrives for Michigan Wolverines visit

After signing arguably the nation's top overall prospect, quarterback Bryce Underwood, in the last recruiting cycle, the Michigan Wolverines are hoping to give him some serious support.

Notably, Michigan is pursuing sevearl of the nation's top wide receivers in an attempt to create one of the most dynamic aerial attacks in college football.

That effort took a step forward Monday, as one of the country's best two-sport athletes announced he had arrived on campus.

- Oregon Ducks working to flip nation's No. 1 overall prospect after surprise visit

On Friday, Mater Dei (California) five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., a long-time Ohio State Buckeyes commit, posted a series of photos to Instagram Live indicating he was in Eugene.

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound pass-catcher is ESPN's No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2026.

- Oregon Ducks signee Sara Barhoum of Clackamas sets one 3-point record, eyes another

Barhoum knew she is now the all-time single-season 3-point shooter in state history, surpassing former Franklin star Shoni Schimmel (2009-10) with her 122nd of the season.

“Yeah, I was kind of keeping it in my head,” Barhoum said after the Cavaliers’ 77-57 victory over the top-seeded Democrats. “So, it was pretty awesome for that to go through the net and to see that happen.”

- Oregon Ducks hosting 5-star recruit this weekend: 'I am really excited'

Grayson (Georgia) five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson isn't list as the No. 1 prospect in the country by any recruiting service.

But few players are being pursued as relentlessly as the nation's No. 1 linebacker.

Atkinson holds more than 50 scholarship offers - a list that includes nearly every major program in the country - and the game's biggest coaches were a staple in the Grayson hallways earlier this year.

- Brandon Arrington, nation's No. 1 athlete and sprint champion, announces 5 official visits

The nation's No. 8 overall prospect and No. 1 athlete in the class of 2026 announced a top six earlier this week - with Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M and USC making the. cut.

On Wednesday, Arrington took another small step forward, releasing his official visit schedule, which consists of five trips: Penn State (May 2), Texas A&M (June 6), Alabama (June 13), USC (June 17) and Oregon (June 20).

- Ryder Lyons, Oregon Ducks target and 5-star quarterback, reacts to Dan Lanning's pay raise

"It makes it, for sure, much more stable," Lyons said. "I don’t think Coach Lanning is a coach stability problem."

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Andrew Nemec
ANDREW NEMEC

Andrew Nemec covers national high school recruiting and brings more than a decade of experience. Andrew hosts "Recruiting with Andrew Nemec" on ESPN-affiliate 1080 The FAN in Portland, Oregon. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Oregon.

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